Welcome to the Skull Session.
Ohio State is on the go.
on the go pic.twitter.com/hhPUbi4RtH
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 16, 2023
There are only 16 days until the Buckeyes travel to Bloomington, Indiana, for a battle with the Hoosiers. Sixteen. That's it.
Let's have a good Thursday, shall we?
OHIO STATE IS IN (FOR NOW). When the USA TODAY Coaches Poll was released on Aug. 7, Ohio State debuted as the No. 4 team in America. On Monday, the Buckeyes checked in at No. 3 in the AP Poll. On Wednesday, they were ranked No. 2 in Bill Connelly’s last SP+ of the preseason.
| TEAM | RATING | OFF SP+ | DEF SP+ | SOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 29.2 | 40.2 | 10.9 | 0.869 |
| Ohio State | 29.0 | 44.1 | 15.4 | 0.826 |
| Michigan | 28.6 | 40.1 | 11.5 | 0.863 |
| Alabama | 28.1 | 42.9 | 14.8 | 0.803 |
| LSU | 23.3 | 39.2 | 15.9 | 0.809 |
| Penn State | 23.2 | 36.0 | 12.8 | 0.851 |
| Clemson | 23.2 | 36.0 | 12.8 | 0.851 |
| Tennessee | 22.4 | 43.1 | 20.7 | 0.819 |
| Texas | 22.2 | 38.3 | 16.1 | 0.836 |
| USC | 20.9 | 43.5 | 22.6 | 0.871 |
Indeed, Connelly's SP+ likes Ohio State more than the pollsters – or, in other words, computers have a better view of the Buckeyes than humans.
There are probably a couple of reasons the SP+ shows more favor toward the Men in the Scarlet and Gray: The computers neither know about a quarterback competition between Kyle McCord and Devin Brown nor the three position battles on the offensive line. It's also possible that the SP+ has overlooked Ohio State's question marks at defensive back, provided where the Buckeyes ended last season in national statistics rankings – No. 26 in passing yards allowed (200.5) and No. 14 in total yards allowed (321.5).
That's how I would view it, at least.
As a reminder, here is how SP+ is determined:
SP+ is a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking, and, along those same lines, these projections aren't intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the year. These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information we have been able to gather to date.
Based on the information available to feed the computers, the SP+ has ranked Ohio State as college football's second-best team before the season – only one and two spots removed from the AP Poll and Coaches Poll, respectively.
At any rate, Ohio State will be a playoff-caliber team in 2023. Now, it's time for the Buckeyes to live up to those standards and complete the regular season unscathed, capped off with a much-needed win in Ann Arbor on Nov. 25.
A CLASS ACT. Enokk Vimahi was born and raised in Oahu, Hawaii, two islands over from Lahaina, where the Maui wildfires have taken the lives of over 100 people. On Tuesday, Vimahi implored Ohio State fans (and all people) to “please support people in Lahaina” and text 90999 to donate to the Red Cross relief fund.
According to the Associated Press, 106 people have been confirmed dead in a series of fires that moved into Maui and the community of Lahaina on Aug. 8. The AP also reported that “hundreds“ of Hawaiians are still missing. Over 4,000 residents are packed into 11 relief shelters on the island. Vimahi said he does not personally know people affected by the wildfires. Still, the events have been on his mind since last week.
“It’s something I continue to think about,” Vimahi said after the Buckeyes' 11th practice on Tuesday. “I was actually about to call my mom a little later, just to see how they are doing and (hear about) the continuous impact.”
Vimahi, a fifth-year senior offensive lineman, also encouraged others to be “mindful” of the events in Maui even after the wildfires phase out of the news cycle.
“There were a lot of lives affected, a lot of lives lost, a lot of homes lost, a lot of environment lost," he said. "That’s something that the people of Hawaii – we take very seriously.”
When asked how his coaches and teammates have supported him in this time, Vimahi said Ohio State head coach Ryan Day had reminded him to look at football as a sanctuary to escape from the recent hardship in his home state.
“Coach Day always talks about a ‘red-line mentality.' When you see the red line before the start of the field – and even the field on the outside – you know when you cross that red line, you focus on The Brotherhood. You focus on football, and you focus on the team here at Ohio State.”
Cheers to Vimahi. He has raised awareness of those affected by the deadly wildfires in Maui and offered Ohio State fans a chance to donate and offer support with him. If you can take that step, please consider doing so for the Red Cross and the Hawaii Community Foundation "Maui Strong" Fund. Click here to donate.
SWEARING ON THE GOLDEN ARCHES. Former NFL wide receiver and Cincinnati Bengals legend Chad Johnson's two greatest loves may be football and McDonald's. Marvin Harrison Jr. could impact both of them in 2023.
Over the weekend, former Skull Session writer Kevin Harrish secured an interview with Johnson at a Red Bull event in Cincinnati. Given Kevin's affection for the Buckeyes, he asked for Johnson's opinion on Harrison. Johnson's answer was priceless.
Talked to @ochocinco about @MarvHarrisonJr and he had a pretty bold prediction.
— Kevin Harrish (@Kevinish) August 16, 2023
Oh, hes gonna win the Heisman this year. I stand on that. And if Im wrong, Ill never eat McDonalds again. pic.twitter.com/kM40SI0UjQ
“Oh, my god. Oh, my god – the real deal. He’s going to win the Heisman this year, and I stand on that,” Johnson predicted. “If I’m wrong, I will never eat McDonald’s again.”
That's bold, Mr. Ochocinco. But, hey, I rock with it.
Johnson then praised the Buckeyes' receiver room for its recent production at the collegiate and NFL levels. A fan of Garrett Wilson and several other Ohio State standouts, he said wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator Brian Hartline has made Ohio State the premier destination for the best pass-catchers in America.
"With a coach like Brian Hartline, who can fine-tune certain things in their game to where they are already prepared and ready, (Ohio State's receivers) hit the ground running once they get to the NFL," Johnson said. "There's no learning curve for them."
As if Hartline needed any more endorsements for the receiver room he has built at Ohio State, he received another from an NFL wide receiver who racked up 766 receptions for 11,059 yards and 67 touchdowns as a professional. However, Johnson's opinion may change if Harrison doesn't win the Heisman and he can't consume Mickie D's anymore.
THAT'S A LOT OF EYEBALLS. In the era of conference expansion and realignment in college football, know that if a superconference were ever formed with the best teams in the sport, Ohio State would absolutely, unequivocally be in it.
Want to know how I know?
In 2021, Andy Staples and Stewart Mandel created the "Four Million Club" – college football games that attracted more than 4 million viewers – and listed which teams appeared in it the most. Here is a look at the top 10 teams from 2015 to 2022 (minus the pandemic-shortened 2020 season):
- Alabama: 50
- Ohio State: 46
- Michigan: 40
- Georgia: 30
- Auburn: 23
- Florida: 22
- Notre Dame: 21
- Tennessee: 21
- LSU: 20
- Penn State: 20
Ohio State is one of the largest brands in college football. In fact, it may be one of the largest brands in all of American sports. When the Buckeyes are on TV, people watch. They have appeal in any scenario: A Week 5 regular-season contest against Rutgers or a College Football Playoff matchup with Georgia. It does not matter.
Do I want to see a college football superconference? Heck no. I'd be pleased if conferences went back to the way they were before Texas and Oklahoma left the Big 12 for the SEC. But that move happened, and college football was forever changed. And if it ever changes again – likely in the direction of a superconference – Ohio State will undoubtedly have a seat at the table.
SONG OF THE DAY. "U Can't Touch This" by M.C. Hammer.
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