Welcome to the Skull Session.
Almost 250 years ago, on July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. After many battles between the American Patriot forces and the British, the 13 colonies officially won their independence on Sept. 13, 1783.
Suck on that, King George III.
What are your Fourth of July plans? Merica. pic.twitter.com/iURSYoqchQ
— Cloyd Rivers (@CloydRivers) July 3, 2019
Let's have a good Fourth of July, shall we?
HOW GOOD WILL OHIO STATE BE? Ohio State will be good in 2023, but how good will the Buckeyes be? In a recent episode of The Late Kick, CBS Sports' Josh Pate looked to answer that question as fall camp draws near, as does Ohio State's season opener with Indiana on Sept. 2, which is only 60 days away.
"The first question on their minds is, 'Did we address offensive tackle as much as we needed to?' ... They went through the spring with three rotational players, and none of them stood out a whole lot, so they went and got Josh Simmons as a San Diego State transfer. I cannot stress enough the importance of him staying healthy and working out. He has 799 snaps over the last two years at right tackle. He has to come through – that's not optional.
"Question number two is, 'Can their defense win them games early?' I think they may need to. When you think about Ohio State and the team profile, you don't think about the defense winning games, but you also don't think about them being as uncertain at tackle or quarterback in years past as they are right now. That's why it's a complementary game. They brought in Jim Knowles. This is his second year as defensive coordinator. They saw overall improvement... but in their two losses, the Michigan game and the Georgia game, they allowed an average of 43.5 points and 8.9 yards per play, so a Buckeye fan would look at that and say it doesn't matter what our stats are, it's what we do in the big moments, which is a fair assumption and a fair take.
"Question number three is, 'Do you have a quarterback, a real QB1?' They lie to you sometimes when they say if you have two quarterbacks, you don't have any, but other times it ends up being exactly the case. You have Kyle McCord and Devin Brown. It doesn't seem like either grabbed the job by the throat at the end of spring. Although Ohio State didn't have to get [Notre Dame transfer and Alabama quarterback] Tyler Buchner, C.J. Stroud, Justin Fields and Dwayne Haskins were all first-round picks. Do you have a first-round draft pick? Do they need to have one for Ohio State to win this year?"
Offensive line. Defense. Quarterback.
According to Pate, those are the three areas that will make or break Ohio State's season. I don't imagine many readers will disagree with that take, as it's similar to what has been discussed on our message boards, comment sections and social media since the Buckeyes lost to Michigan and Georgia and since C.J. Stroud, Paris Johnson Jr., Dawand Jones and Luke Wypler declared for the NFL draft.
No matter how talented the team is with its potential 2024 draft picks and young stars like Sonny Styles, Kye Stokes, C.J. Hicks and Carnell Tate this fall, the fate of Ohio State's 2023 season depends on how Ryan Day and his staff answer questions about the offensive line, defense and quarterback in August. For the sake of Buckeye Nation, let's hope their answers are correct.
THE CRÉME DE LA CRÉME. Speaking of 2024 draft picks, Ohio State will have several names called by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and other representatives next April. However, ESPN analyst Matt Miller believes a handful of Buckeyes could stand out among their Ohio State counterparts and perhaps the entire draft class.
In a recent article for the worldwide leader in sports, Miller debated the top prospects at every position in the 2024 draft class. He featured four Buckeyes in the exercise, including running back TreVeyon Henderson, wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka and safety Lathan Ransom.
Running Back – Wisconsin's Braelon Allen vs. TreVeyon Henderson
There is no slam-dunk RB1 headed into the season, but the Big Ten features two of the favorites to carry that title. Allen, coming off back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons, has power at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds that shows up in the trenches. Henderson has elite speed – he has run a sub-11-second 100-meter dash – and is a stout 214 pounds at 5-foot-10.
Henderson will have competition in his own backfield, though, with Miyan Williams sharing touches. Allen, meanwhile, will be the focal point of new coach Luke Fickell's offense in Madison.
"Allen just looks like a sure thing," said one NFC scout who covers the Midwest. "He'll need to beef up his receiving skills for some teams, but he has legit first-round talent."
My early pick for the top RB: Allen
With alum like Montee Ball, James White, Melvin Gordon and Jonathan Taylor in the NFL, it stands to reason that Braelon Allen will be a successful ball carrier at the next level, so I have no issue with Miller selecting him as the No. 1 running back in the 2024 class. Still, and I will scream this from the mountaintops – or, more accurately, in the Skull Session –until proven otherwise, the 2021 version of Henderson – the 1,560 yards, 19 touchdowns Henderson – is the one we should see in 2023. If that's the case, Henderson will be in contention to be the first running back off the board.
Wide Receiver – Marvin Harrison Jr. vs. Emeka Egbuka
Ohio State features not only the nation's best wide receiver duo but also the nation's two best wide receivers overall. Egbuka and Harrison could make it five OSU wideouts drafted in Round 1 over a three-year span. Egbuka has played in the shadows of greats like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba but showed in last year's College Football Playoff when Harrison was injured that he's capable of being a WR1. His route running stands out, and he's among the best deep threats in the class.
Harrison, though, is different. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound superstar caught 14 touchdowns on 77 passes last year while looking like a mix between Randy Moss and A.J. Green. He shows fantastic body control and reliable hands.
Just how good is Harrison? One NFL GM said, "We haven't had a wide receiver drafted first overall since Keyshawn [Johnson], but Harrison could push that -- even in a draft with Caleb Williams." Harrison is the presumptive WR1 and could easily go wire-to-wire in that slot.
My early pick for the top WR: Harrison
Need more proof that Ohio State is Wide Receiver U? Look no further than this debate on who will be WR1 in the 2024 class, where two Buckeyes are worthy of that title. While Harrison is the clear choice to be the first pass-catcher taken (and will be one of the first players selected, regardless of position), Egbuka is an exceptional "consolation prize" for the next team that picks a wide receiver early in the first round.
Safety – USC's Caleb Bullock vs. Lathan Ransom
Bullock is the most talked-about safety for next year, given his 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame and five interceptions in 2022.
"Bullock has that over-the-top range and really makes plays on the ball ... those INTs aren't just floating his way," said one NFC area scout.
Bullock will be tested by Ransom, though. At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, he has the size and strength to hang with tight ends and monitor the middle of the field. He also grabbed an interception and notched 74 tackles last season, and he looked great against Georgia (9 tackles) in the College Football Playoff. Both are talented, but Bullock is among the most talked-about players in the country right now among scouts and agents, so he has the edge.
My early pick for the top S: Bullock
I was surprised to see Miller include Ransom in a debate for the No. 1 safety in the 2024 class because of how he performed in Ohio State's losses to Michigan and Georgia in 2023. Still, Ransom was a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist and received honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition for his efforts last season – 13 appearances that came after he suffered a fractured ankle in the Buckeyes' Rose Bowl win over Utah.
PARIS JOHNSON JR. GIVES BACK. Paris Johnson Jr. has only been in Arizona for two months, but that hasn't stopped the former Ohio State offensive tackle from doing work that benefits the Phoenix and Scottsdale communities.
Johnson represented the Cardinals, who drafted him with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and The Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation at the Swire Coca-Cola Summer Water Drive over the weekend. According to the Cardinals' Twitter account, the event helped distribute over 8,000 water bottles to benefit UMOM New Day Center residents.
Our guy ,@ParisJohnsonJr, teamed up with Swire Coca-Cola for a Summer Water Drive to distribute more than 8,000 bottles of water to benefit the residents of @UMOM pic.twitter.com/FCSxq5r13y
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) July 3, 2023
This is what the game is about! Go Cards! https://t.co/yCPnyHFFdI
— Paris Johnson Jr. (@ParisJohnsonJr) July 3, 2023
Founded in 1964, UMOM "is an innovative provider of shelter, housing and services for people experiencing homelessness," according to its website. Every night they provide safe shelter and supportive services for nearly 700 individuals experiencing homelessness – 155 families and 130 single women. They also offer over 550 units of affordable housing across the Valley.
My sister lives in Scottsdale and recently sent me a screenshot of the upcoming weather that showed seven consecutive days of 110+ degree heat. I don't care if it's a "dry heat" that's hot, hot, hot. That makes Johnson and UMOM's work all that more important. Cheers to them for doing it.
OH, BROTHER. Folks, we may never see EA Sports College Football hit shelves – not if the College Football Players Association and EA Sports continue to feud about the video game in courts. According to multiple reports, including one from Darren Rovell of the Action Sports Network, the CFPA plans to boycott the upcoming game in an effort to increase compensation for its member players.
The College Football Players Association said it would arrange a boycott to the upcoming EA Sports College Football game after compensation was, on average,only $500 a player.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) July 3, 2023
If you believe in this survey from Bill Carter, the # is probably right pic.twitter.com/b6XTzrPDIc
Look, I am all for college players receiving compensation for their name, image and likeness in the EA Sports College Football game. However, as Bill Carter of the Sports Business Journal wrote, college football fans couldn't name more than an average of 4.3 players from X, Y or Z FBS programs. That leads me to believe that the CFPA has overvalued its players' reach and impact, at least in this regard.
While the CFPA's move is well-intentioned, it will only delay the game's release and, therefore, compensation for its athletes. Hopefully, the CFPA and EA Sports can devise a deal that works for both parties. Until then, however, I remain weary that we will see EA Sports College Football make its scheduled release window of the summer of 2024.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Born in The U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen.
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