Welcome to the Skull Session.
That Jaxon Smith-Njigba guy is pretty good at this football thing, huh?
Ohio State produced the 2022 @NFL OROY.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) April 17, 2023
Will JSN (@jaxon_smith1) follow up @GarrettWilson_V's award-winning rookie season?
Watch the #NFLDraft2023 prospect's @OhioStateFB TD reel .
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Let's have a good Friday, shall we?
“THAT'S GREAT, BUT NOT HERE.” At schools like Alabama and Ohio State, the message from athletic director to head coach to players has been the same this offseason: "An 11-2 finish doesn't cut it." That's what ESPN's Heather Dinich wrote Thursday after extended visits with both programs in recent weeks.
When she visited Columbus, Dinich spoke with Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, who is about to enter his third year with the team and is in the middle of a position battle with teammate Devin Brown. McCord was the primary backup to C.J. Stroud in the past two seasons. Not only did he say those years didn't cut it, he called them “complete failures.”
"You don't beat the Team Up North, you don't win a national championship, you don't achieve any of your goals," he said. "It definitely speaks volumes that 11-2 at a lot of schools, that's great, but not here."
That's accurate.
Ryan Day made almost the exact same comment at last year's Big Ten Media Days, claiming 11-2 and a Rose Bowl win may be good for other programs, but "it isn't at Ohio State." However, the program is in a similar place as 2023 approaches, except this past season ended with a heartbreaking loss to Georgia in the Peach Bowl, not a Rose Bowl win over a talented Utah team.
If Ohio State wants to end next year with a different outcome, it will depend mainly on the offensive line and the defense. However, it will also depend on how often the quarterback can complete passes to the Buckeyes' elite wide receivers, namely Marvin Harrison Jr., who is poised to build upon an All-American season in 2022.
While McCord hasn't been named the starter in Columbus, the Philadelphia native believes his connection with Harrison – one that started at St. Joseph's Prep their senior year of high school – could provide a boost to the offense from Jump Street.
McCord hasn't been anointed the starting quarterback, but he already has history with the nation's top receiver, as McCord and Marvin Harrison Jr. were teammates at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia. Harrison said they were playing Roman Catholic their senior year when they made a conscious effort to help each other break individual city records – which they did.
"It's always good to have that one person that you knew for a long time and had a relationship with prior," Harrison said. "I can talk to him about anything ... we throw so much, our timing is pretty good. The repetitions we get outside of practice as well definitely makes our connection better."
McCord said they had talked about playing in college together since they were sophomores in high school.
"I tell him all the time, watching him run routes, the minute he breaks down I can tell where he's thinking about going, where he feels the hole in the defense, or how he wants to attack the DB, whatever it is," McCord said. "I can tell what he's thinking just because of how many reps we've gotten together. When you're out there on the field, having that kind of chemistry lets you play one step ahead."
Should McCord win the competition over Brown, watching the former high school teammates play pitch and catch in Ohio Stadium and elsewhere could be fun. That duo certainly looked comfortable in the spring game, with McCord completing three passes to Harrison for 62 yards in one drive. Those numbers would seem likely to increase in a 60-minute regular-season contest.
Of course, Brown could also develop chemistry with Harrison throughout the season. After all, he's the best receiver in America. How hard can it be? Much harder than I've imagined in my head, I'm sure, but nothing Brown couldn't do in time.
Regardless of who wins the battle, the expectations for either quarterback will be the same. Beat Michigan, win the Big Ten Championship and win a national championship. Perhaps this will be the year Ohio State does all three as they break in a new player under center.
SAFE? SAFE? SAFE IS GOOD. Although C.J. Stroud did not accomplish any of the three goals listed above, it's hard to deny his individual greatness. In two seasons at Ohio State, Stroud became one of the best quarterbacks in program history, completing 69.3% of his passes for 8,123 yards and 85 touchdowns in 25 starts.
Stroud's statistics, combined with his character and leadership off the field, have made him "the safest QB prospect" in the 2023 NFL draft, according to The Athletic's Ted Nguyen. He also called Alabama's Bryce Young a "pro-ready prospect who can dazzle," Florida's Anthony Richardson the "prospect with the highest ceiling" and Will Levis the "toolsy prospect who didn't produce in college."
Here is what Nguyen wrote about Stroud:
The first trait that pops off the film when watching Stroud is his accuracy and ability to hit receivers in stride. He doesn’t have elite arm strength, but he has a strong arm and can make every throw without issue. He’s especially good with trajectory control, putting just enough air on throws to get it over defenders on all three levels. He diagnoses defenses well and looks to do an excellent job of eliminating options based on his pre-snap reads. His feet are clean and efficient, and he looks to always be in control. He doesn’t lose much accuracy under pressure and throws very well off-platform.
...
Overall, creating outside of structure isn’t a big part of Stroud’s game. Early this past season, when he played out of structure, he didn’t have much success, which led to questions about whether he could be a dynamic NFL player. He answered those questions in a huge way against Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Of course, teams would love to have seen it more throughout his career, but for him to do it on that stage against a defense with that much talent opened some eyes.
Stroud has the highest floor of all the quarterbacks in this draft. Though he doesn’t have an elite physical trait, he has the full cache of tools you want in a quarterback and a strong football IQ. Stroud should be able to play and produce early in his career if he’s drafted in the right situation. I believe the range of outcomes for Stroud is between a more athletic Derek Carr and Dak Prescott. If the playmaker we saw against Georgia was a mirage, I can see him playing similarly to Carr — great at making calls and adjusting before the snap at the line of scrimmage with flashes of aggression and arm talent. If he can make plays with his athleticism more consistently, I can see more Prescott in his game — an ace with the mental side of the game who can make plays with his legs when the opportunities arise.
If Stroud's career ends up somewhere between Derek Carr and Dak Prescott, that is a win for whoever drafts him. Neither quarterback has won a Super Bowl (yet), but both have maintained a level of play that has consistently made their teams playoff contenders with aspirations for more.
Put some weapons around Stroud, and he could reach their level quickly, especially if he lands in a favorable scenario. With how dramatically Stroud's draft stock has changed recently, could that be with the Indianapolis Colts at No. 4 overall? They have a talented offensive line, Jonathan Taylor and a solid defense. All of that sounds great.
LOVE IS BLIND. A former Ohio State athlete has found love. Where did he find it? On Netflix's "Love is Blind," a reality show that follows single men and women who look for love and get engaged. But here's the catch: They do it all before meeting their matched-up significant other in person.
In season four of the show, former Ohio State wrestler Josh Demas was one of the hopeful cast members searching for love. He found it, but it came with a whole lot of drama.
After speed-dating several women in what the show calls "pods" – rooms separated by a wall so contestants can't use appearance as a factor for their attraction – Demas connected with a dental assistant named Jackelina Bonds. The audience later learned that Bonds accepted the proposal from another contestant, but she eventually left him for Demas. "Love is Blind" fans were unhappy with Bonds' decision, and Demas eventually apologized to those fans on his Instagram.
Demas and Bonds are still in a relationship even after season four of the show officially ended. According to their comments at a "Love is Blind" reunion on Sunday, the couple lives together and have two pets.
Before Demas' appearance on the reality show, the Columbus, Ohio native was a standout wrestler for Westerville North – a high school located 25 minutes northwest of Ohio State's campus. His accomplishments as a two-time state champion put him on head coach Tom Ryan's radar, and he later wrestled for the Buckeyes from 2010-15.
Demas had a career record of 42-27 at Ohio State. While he did not wrestle in regular-season or postseason matchups for the Buckeyes in 2014-15, he was on the roster when the team won the Big Ten Championship and its first-ever national championship that season. He later showed off those rings on his Instagram:
After Demas graduated from Ohio State, he started a career as a project engineer. He is also a blogger and involved in mixed martial arts, yoga and jiu-jitsu.
All of that, and now he has love! What a story.
OLYMPIC VILLAGE. Ohio State possesses one of the best women's hockey programs in America. This weekend, fans of the Buckeyes will have a unique opportunity to meet the players that have made up the talented rosters over the past few seasons.
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) April 19, 2023
Come out to the OSU Ice Rink on Saturday from 11-12 to meet members of the team and take photos with championship trophies! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/PGbNqiFouJ
Ohio State will hold the event in partnership with Ohio State Women's Hockey Boosters and The Celly Club as part of an end-of-year celebration for the team and all of its accomplishments in recent years, including an NCAA title in 2022 and WCHA regular-season title in 2023.
The event will give fans a chance to interact with the players and show their appreciation. Championship trophies will be on display for fans to take photos with, and players will be signing autographs.
So as Central Ohioans transition from the beautiful weather we've all experienced on Wednesday and Thursday to the dark, gloomy, rainy weather we will have this weekend, make sure to carve out some time out of your Saturday and spend it with some national champions.
SONG OF THE DAY. “More Than a Feeling” by Boston.
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