Skull Session: Ryan Day Ranks As the Fifth-Best QB Developer in College Football, Ohio State Has Great Assistant Coaches and Marvin Harrison Jr. Signs a Deal With Grippo's

On Wednesday, it was reported that the Big Ten had conducted preliminary discussions about Oregon, Washington, Stanford and California-Berkeley becoming member schools in the conference.

The Big Ten has reportedly started preliminary discussions with Oregon, Washington, Stanford and Cal about joining the conference. https://t.co/mf96iwEQL6

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) August 2, 2023

If that were to happen, we would be one step closer to a Big Ten Championship Game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. That would be GOLD, Jerry! GOLD!

Let's have a good Thursday, shall we?

 YEAH, OK. This article flew under the radar last month, and I debated whether or not to include it in the Skull Session because of its clickbait nature, but 247Sports ranked the top 15 quarterback developers in college football. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was ranked fifth on the list.

Yes, that word in bold – you read that correctly.

Day, who at his press Wednesday press conference said the standard for an Ohio State quarterback is "Heisman Trophy finalists and first-round draft picks," was ranked No. 5 overall behind USC's Lincoln Riley, Fresno State's Jeff Tedford, Michigan's Jim Harbaugh and UCLA's Chip Kelly in an article that featured the best "Quarterback Gurus" in college football.

And why did Day mention that as the standard for Ohio State quarterbacks? Because he has produced four separate Big Ten Quarterback of the Year winners (Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud both won twice), three separate Heisman Trophy finalists (Stroud was a two-time finalist) and three first-round draft picks since he arrived at Ohio State as quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator in 2017.

Day is THE Quarterback Guru in college football, with USC's Lincoln Riley as his only competition for the title. Therefore, 247Sports can take its article and shove it.

 THAT'S BETTER, 247. An article 247Sports does not need to take and shove are its rankings for the 30 best coaches under 30 years old, as Chris Hummer showed love for several current and former Ohio State assistants.

The first name mentioned in the article is Mike Sollenne, an Ohio State graduate assistant who helps offensive line coach Justin Frye with the slobs (Ezekiel Elliott's term – not mine!) that set the line of scrimmage for the Buckeyes. Here is what Hummer wrote about Sollenne:

Mike Sollenne, 29 years old

A number of former Ohio State off-field staffers have made this list before and gone on to do big things, and those around Columbus believe Sollenne could be next. Sollenne was on the field at Austin Peay for the 2019 season as the program’s tight ends coach before leaving for Florida in 2020 as a graduate assistant. Sollenne eventually served four games as the Gators’ interim offensive line coach in 2021 (those on Dan Mullen’s staff raved about him) and moved to Ohio State last season in an off-field capacity. Sollenne has added some additional responsibility in Columbus over the last year in an effort to keep him around and should be a Power Five assistant sooner rather than later. Said one source of Sollenne: “He’s a f—ing stud."

I like studs. Studs are good.

Another name featured on the list was Keenan Bailey, who returned to the 30 Under 30 after his first appearance in 2020. Bailey remained a part-time assistant at Ohio State from 2020-22 and was promoted to tight ends coach in the offseason after Kevin Wilson left the program to lead the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. On Bailey, Hummer wrote:

Keenan Bailey, 28 years old

Bailey’s done nothing but climb the ladder at Ohio State since he arrived there in 2016. He’s worked with running backs, wide receivers and quarterbacks in an off-field role before emerging as special assistant to the head coach with a quality control/offensive line role last season. When former Buckeyes offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Kevin Wilson left to take over Tulsa, Ryan Day quickly elevated Bailey to an on-field role.

As for the Buckeyes' former assistants, the 30Under30 includes Cincinnati general manager Zach Grant (Ohio State director of player personnel, 2022), Tulsa linebackers coach Koy McFarland (Ohio State graduate assistant, 2022), Akron quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Billy Fessler (Ohio State graduate assistant, 2020-21) and Houston offensive analyst Trey Holtz (Ohio State graduate assistant, 2017-19).

Combine Sollenne and Bailey with that collection of former Buckeyes, and six coaches with Ohio State connections are on the 30Under30 list. That certainly reflects well on Day and his current staff.

As is the case for any Ohio State assistant who leaves the confines of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, Buckeye Nation wishes them the best, except for when their teams face the Men in the Scarlet and Gray.

 YES... HA HA HA... YES! One of the best accounts Twitter – or, excuse me, X – has to offer is Sickos Committee, an account operated and followed by depraved college football fans.

Not only does the account have followers that make hilarious comparisons such as this (Sorry, Coach Day, Mr. Day, Sir):

Why does this mascot look exactly like Ryan Day? pic.twitter.com/Wa6yRXjQbt

— Michael Thompson (@taco_jerry) July 31, 2023

But it also discusses ancient college football news from time to time. How old, you may ask? Sometimes the Sickos Committees talk about events from the early 1900s, which include headlines from The Daily Californian – an independent, student-run newspaper that serves the California-Berkeley campus and its surrounding community – before the 1921 Rose Bowl (or East-West Game) between Cal and Ohio State.

Cal was an easy pick for the 1921 Rose Bowl, but Ohio State wasn't. From The Daily Californian:

Ohio State "has not the football history nor the strong body of alumni supporters that make the atmosphere and spirit of a game with a " pic.twitter.com/3iMEMbse3H

— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) July 31, 2023

The headline reads, "Selection of Ohio State Questioned," and features these paragraphs:

Coach (Andy) Smith, however, shows that a victory over Ohio would not carry the honor that a similar victory over Princeton, Harvard or Yale would because Ohio has not the football history nor the strong body of alumni supporters that make the atmosphere and spirit of the game with a real eastern team.

Furthermore, "Andy" points out that California will have a much tougher bird to carve in the "Buckeye" aggregation than Princeton would present for he said, "I honestly believe that Ohio State is the strongest team that has ever played at Pasadena and is today much stronger than Harvard, Princeton, or Yale. The game would be very hard and the glory little if we win."

Cal did, in fact, win. The Golden Bears defeated Ohio State 28-0 in the matchup behind a 90-yard, two-touchdown performance from a fella named Pesky Sprott. The Buckeyes were led by Gaylord Stinchcomb, who rushed for 82 yards. (Fun Fact: This was the last time Ohio State was shut out until the 1978 season – 57 years later!)

Did Cal receive glory from their win? Well, I don't know.

But I do know that the Buckeyes exacted their revenge on the Golden Bears 28 years later in the 1949 Rose Bowl, as Ohio State defeated Cal, 17-14, in front of 100,963 fans in Pasadena. Fullback Fred "Curly" Morrison was the Ohio State hero in the matchup with 127 yards, a performance that earned him MVP honors.

I also know that the Buckeyes have been a far superior program to Cal since that Rose Bowl loss almost 102 years ago. Ohio State may not have had "the football history nor the strong body of alumni supporters" back then, but they sure do now.

 NOW, THAT'S HOT. Marvin Harrison Jr. was college football's best wide receiver last season. And before he starts the 2023 season, where he will look to defend that title from the Jalen McMillans and Malachi Corleys off the world, the star pass-catcher secured another NIL deal – this time with Grippo's Chips.

Look for my very own Hot Honey BBQ Grippos Chips now in store throughout the Ohio Region!
Go Bucks! pic.twitter.com/R5dGIbXBC5

— Marvin Harrison Jr. (@MarvHarrisonJr) August 2, 2023

Grippo's is a potato chip company based in White Oak, Ohio – a census-designated place located 18 minutes northwest of Cincinnati. Grippo’s is the official chip of the Cincinnati Reds. The local brand also produces pretzels and pork rinds. According to Pete Nakos of On3, this is the second time a potato chip company has struck a deal with a college athlete. Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden was the first player to do so after he signed with Old Vienna, a St. Louis company, in August 2021.

After seeing Harrison on the bag of Grippo's, did anyone remember when former Ohio State linebacker Chris Spielman was on boxes of Wheaties? I wasn't around then, but a friend's Dad had one in his man cave. I can see Spielman in his Massillon football uniform, clear as day.

Cheers to Harrison for making this deal happen. Perhaps I will buy a bag so that, in the future, I can be the Dad who has an Ohio State athlete on a processed food item in my man cave! Who knows?!

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Cold Water" by Justin Bieber (Live Lounge).

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