Welcome to the Gameday Skull Session.
In a few hours, Youngstown State will Get Dumped.
Let's have a good Gameday, shall we?
APOLOGIES, SENATOR. Jim Tressel was Youngstown State's head coach from 1986-2000, winning four (4) NCAA Division I-AA national championships in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997. Since he left Youngstown for Columbus in 2001 – and eventually led Ohio State to a BCS Championship in 2002 and two more title appearances in 2006 and 2007 – the Penguins' success has... migrated.
*Ba dum tss*
Over the past two decades, Youngstown State has experienced quite the roller coaster ride. Jon Heacock did not win a national championship but delivered consistent seasons from 2001-09. Then, Eric Wolford was asleep at the wheel from 2010-14 before former Nebraska head coach (and former Ohio State DB) Bo Pelini elevated the program to an FCS championship contender from 2015-19. Most recently, Doug Phillips has led the Penguins to seasons of 1-6 (2020), 3-7 (2021) and 7-4 (2022).
Should Youngstown State maintain its current momentum, it will be a competitive FCS team now and in the future. Still, the Penguins pose zero threat to Ohio State on Saturday. Why? Because the best in the FBS beat the best in the FCS every. single. time.
When asked in his Tuesday press conference if Youngstown State can test Ohio State in specific areas this weekend, Ryan Day could have said, "No." Instead, because he is a Good Dude™, he said some other stuff.
"We will focus on working really hard and executing really well and being clean," Day said. "They have good coaches. They do a nice job. Put on the film from last year against Kentucky. They played them well. It was 31-0. They ran around and played hard. ... They will come in here and play hard. These are Ohio guys – a lot of them, who have a lot of pride. We will focus on matching that intensity, playing hard and executing at a high level."
On Saturday, Youngstown State will play well. Youngstown State will play hard. But Youngstown State will lose – by a lot.
Kyle McCord and Devin Brown will both look good. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka will bounce back. TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams and Chip Trayanum will continue to build their brand as a three-head monster. The Ohio State defense will secure their coveted shut out.
Prediction: Ohio State 66, Youngstown State 0
TODAY'S MENU. Beyond Ohio State's home opener with Youngstown State, there are several marquee matchups to look out for on Saturday: Notre Dame faces NC State at noon on ABC, Ole Miss takes on Tulane at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2 and, in the Game of the Week, Texas battles Alabama at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN.
Below is the complete schedule of college football games this weekend.
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt at Wake Forest | 11:00am | ACCN |
| Troy at 16 Kansas State | 12:00pm | FS1 |
| 11 Notre Dame at NC State | 12:00pm | ABC/ESPN3 |
| Youngstown State at 5 Ohio State | 12:00pm | BTN |
| 14 Utah at Baylor | 12:00pm | ESPN |
| Ball State at 1 Georgia | 12:00pm | SECN |
| Delaware at 7 Penn State | 12:00pm | Peacock |
| Delaware State at Army | 12:00pm | CBSSN |
| Holy Cross at Boston College | 12:00pm | ACCNX/ESPN+ |
| James Madison at Virginia | 12:00pm | ESPNU |
| Nebraska at Colorado | 12:00pm | FOX |
| Purdue at Virginia Tech | 12:00pm | ESPN2 |
| SC State at Georgia Tech | 1:00pm | ACCNX/ESPN+ |
| New Hampshire at Central Michigan | 1:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Eastern Illinois at Bowling Green | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Charleston Sou. at 9 Clemson | 2:15pm | ACCN |
| Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky | 3:00pm | SECN+/ESPN+ |
| Southern Utah at BYU | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Southern Illinois at NIU | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Western Michigan at Syracuse | 3:30pm | ACCNX/ESPN+ |
| UNLV at 2 Michigan | 3:30pm | CBS/Paramount+ |
| Texas State at UTSA | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Texas Southern at Toledo | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| 23 Texas A&M at Miami (FL) | 3:30pm | ABC/ESPN3 |
| Miami (Ohio) at UMass | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Richmond at Michigan State | 3:30pm | BTN |
| 22 Ole Miss at 24 Tulane | 3:30pm | ESPN2 |
| Wagner at Navy | 3:30pm | CBSSN |
| 25 Iowa at Iowa State | 3:30pm | FOX |
| UTEP at Northwestern | 3:30pm | BTN |
| Cal Poly at San Jose State | 4:00pm | NBCS Bay Area |
| Kent State at Arkansas | 4:00pm | SECN |
| Marshall at East Carolina | 4:00pm | ESPNU |
| Portland State at Wyoming | 4:00pm | MWN |
| Southeastern La. at South Alabama | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Tulsa at 10 Washington | 5:00pm | P12N |
| Austin Peay at 12 Tennessee | 5:00pm | SECN+/ESPN+ |
| Appalachian State at 21 North Carolina | 5:15pm | ACCN |
| Ohio at Florida Atlantic | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Duquesne at West Virginia | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Fordham at Buffalo | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lafayette at Duke | 6:00pm | ACCNX/ESPN+ |
| Morgan State at Akron | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| New Mexico State at Liberty | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| SMU at 20 Oklahoma | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UAB at Georgia Southern | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Louisiana at Old Dominion | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Cincinnati at Pitt | 6:30pm | The CW |
| North Texas at FIU | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| 15 Oregon at Texas Tech | 7:00pm | FOX |
| 11 Texas at 4 Alabama | 7:00pm | ESPN |
| Northwestern State at Louisiana Tech | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Memphis at Arkansas State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UCF at Boise State | 7:00pm | FS1 |
| UConn at Georgia State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Middle Tennessee at Missouri | 7:00pm | SECN+/ESPN+ |
| Jacksonville State at Coastal Carolina | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Houston at Rice | 7:00pm | NFLN |
| HCU at WKU | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Florida A&M at USF | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Idaho at Nevada | 7:00pm | NSN/MWN |
| Eastern Michigan at Minnesota | 7:30pm | BTN |
| UCLA at San Diego State | 7:30pm | CBS/Paramount+ |
| 19 Wisconsin at Washington State | 7:30pm | ABC/ESPN3 |
| Arizona at Mississippi State | 7:30pm | SECN |
| Charlotte at Maryland | 7:30pm | NBC/Peacock |
| Furman at South Carolina | 7:30pm | SECN+/ESPN+ |
| Grambling State at 5 LSU | 7:30pm | SECN+/ESPN+ |
| McNeese at Florida | 7:30pm | ESPNU |
| Temple at Rutgers | 7:30pm | BTN |
| Idaho State at Utah State | 8:00pm | MWN |
| Air Force vs Sam Houston (in Houston, TX) | 8:00pm | CBSSN |
| Nicholls at 17 TCU | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Tennessee Tech at New Mexico | 8:00pm | MWN |
| Lamar at ULM | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Southern Miss at 8 Florida State | 8:30pm | ACCN |
| Eastern Washington at Fresno State | 9:00pm | UniMás/MWN |
| UC Davis at 18 Oregon State | 9:00pm | P12N |
| Stanford at 6 USC | 10:30pm | FOX |
| Auburn at California | 10:30pm | ESPN |
| Oklahoma State at Arizona State | 10:30pm | FS1 |
| UAlbany at Hawaii | 11:59pm | Spectrum PPV |
MY PICKS. Washington (-14.5 vs. Boise State) and Penn State (-20.5 vs. West Virginia) came through last week. South Carolina (+2.5 vs. North Carolina) did not. Still, that's a 2-1 week for a self-proclaimed amateur gambler, which would have netted me some cash had I placed those bets. We love to see that.
Here are My Picks for this week:
- Nebraska at No. 22 Colorado (-2.5): With the boatloads of praise Colorado has received since its upset of TCU in Week 1, I was surprised the spread didn't favor the Buffaloes more in its rivalry matchup with Nebraska. Despite Colorado's 1-11 record last season, the program's stonks are at an all-time high after the additions of Coach Prime, Travis Hunter and Shadeur Sanders, among others. I'll ride with them against the Cornhuskers, who have much to prove after looking like the Same Old Nebraska last week in a 13-10 loss to Minnesota.
- No. 10 Notre Dame (-7.5) at NC State: NC State head coach Dave Doren and his team are familiar with Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman after his five record-breaking seasons at Wake Forest. However, Hartman is in a different system at Notre Dame, where the Irish have allowed him to operate a well-oiled machine in the first two weeks of 2023. I expect Notre Dame to lean on the run game early in a hostile road environment, eventually leading to some play-action opportunities for Hartman and the wide receivers. That combination should lead to at least a two-score win for the Irish in Week 2.
- No. 13 Oregon (-6.5) at Texas Tech: As some readers may recall, I chose Oregon as one of four College Football Playoff representatives before the season started. I may have even selected them to reach the national championship game. Sue me! Oregon beat Portland State 81-7 in Week 1, while Texas Tech lost to Wyoming 35-33 in triple overtime. The Red Raiders will be down bad for a win on Saturday. However, I think the Ducks will be too much for them to handle, and Oregon will escape Lubbock with at least a one-score win.
TBDBITL MAKES HISTORY. On Dec. 30, 1973, The New York Times published a newspaper article (remember newspapers?) with the headline "Ohio State Band Changes Its Tune After 95 Years" and some paragraphs that read:
On New Year's Day, Ohio State will battle Southern California in the Rose Bowl for the second consecutive year. But this time the Buckeyes will be marching to a different drum.
There are now five women members of Ohio State's marching band, which had been an all‐male institution for 95 years. Becky Parker, Rachel Fauser, Lisa Bauman, Susan Johnson and Karen Griffith won posts as alternates in the “Best Dammed Band in the Land” earlier this year.
“I didn't realize it would be such a big deal for a girl to make the band,” said Miss Parker, an 18‐year‐old freshman. “In our high school band there were a lot more girls than guys.”
Miss Parker said her membership in the band had nothing to do with women's lib.
“This was something I wanted to do,” she said. “It was a personal victory. I don't feel as though I'm some big deal.”
Paul Droste, director of the band, said the men were “disappointed when the decision to let girls in came through last year, but they've had time to get over it.” According to Miss Parker the male band members have been “really nice” and she hasn't felt out of place when they're performing at games. Still, she and the other four women have attracted their share of attention.
“All of a sudden everybody's telling me to turn around,” Miss Parker said, recalling her first game. “I'd turn and there would be a camera there. It made me even more nervous than I was. And, believe me, I was really, really nervous.”
However, Miss Parker says she's getting calmer about the occupational hazards of joining the previously allmale musical group. “I guess I will be kind of a novelty for a while,” she said. “I'm sure it will wear off.”
Almost 50 years later, the Ohio State marching band will honor Parker, Fauser, Bauman, Johnson and Griffith and celebrate half a century of women in The Best Damn Band In The Land at halftime on Saturday.
On Saturday, we're celebrating 5 0 years of women in TBDBITL!
— The Ohio State University Marching Band (@TBDBITL) September 7, 2023
In 1973, five female members joined the marching band, and we're excited to honor them with our halftime show pic.twitter.com/lYp7jIR5fy
Part of the band's celebration will include four formations of Script Ohio (in both end zones and on both sidelines) in which four women will dot 'i' simultaneously for the first time ever. One of those women will be Jan Duga, the first woman to dot the 'i' in Script Ohio almost 44 years ago, and another will be current Ohio State senior Isabel Slaven.
Kate Siefert of ABC6 will have a feature on both women before kickoff.
This is Jan Duga We took a virtual selfie because she lives in Virginia - But shes an OSU grad and alumni of @TBDBITL. She was the FIRST ever woman to dot the i in Script Ohio 44 years ago and will be back to town this weekend! Honored to share her story with you this week! pic.twitter.com/R3AkjeXKuF
— Kate Siefert (@KateWSYX6) September 6, 2023
Senior Isabel Slaven will dot the i on the South End of the field Saturday. For the first time ever - All 4 Script Ohio is will be dotted by women. Isabel following in Jans footsteps. Now shes part of history too
— Kate Siefert (@KateWSYX6) September 6, 2023
So eager to introduce you to the amazing women of @TBDBITL! pic.twitter.com/oAx5TMFTi3
This rocks.
Cheers to the Ohio State marching band. I can't wait to see the celebration in action.
BE PREPARED. Have tickets to attend Ohio State-Youngstown State? The Ohio State athletic department would appreciate it if you watched this video so you can have a smooth experience getting to campus and entering the stadium on Saturday.
You heard the Buckeyes! Make sure youre prepared for GAMEDAY
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) September 7, 2023
Arrive Early
Add your tickets to your mobile wallet
Be the Best Fans in the Land
: https://t.co/34uoVsyWBk pic.twitter.com/0XdeXPqSC4
You heard the players: Arrive early. Add your tickets to your mobile wallet. Be the Best Damn Fans In The Land and be loud. Simple! Easy!
That's it for the Youngstown State Skull Session. Listen to the song and click on 'dem links. I will see you all on Victory Monday. Peace.
SONG OF THE DAY. "I Wanna Go Back" by The Best Damn Band In The Land.
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