Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Skull Session.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is really good at football.
Marv makes it look too easy pic.twitter.com/A6RzpcJYX0
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 12, 2023
More on him in a second.
Let's have a good Thursday, shall we?
SHADES OF 2002? On Wednesday, Fox Sports college football commentator Joel Klatt started his podcast with a discussion about Ohio State.
While wearing a really cool Rose Bowl-themed hat, Klatt compared the 2023 Buckeyes to the 2002 Buckeyes, explaining that the current Ohio State team has won "ugly" in the first two weeks, similar to the Ohio State team of old. He also described where Ohio State must improve as the season continues, focusing on the Buckeyes' lack of success in the run game and where Kyle McCord can develop as the team's full-time QB1.
Here is a video clip from Klatt's podcast, with written quotes featured below.
On Ohio State's start to the season
"This team so far against Indiana and Youngstown (State) has not quite measured up to the expectations that the fan bases had. You hear all these people, 'This will not be good enough.' And I feel like they forget very quickly, you Buckeye fans, you have forgotten the style in which your national championship team in 2002 played. That was a team that won a bit ugly, but they won. And I know it hasn't been pretty yet for Ohio State, but they've won – albeit against Indiana and Youngstown. (That is) not great competition. That is coming (down the road)."
On Ohio State's run game
"They need to run between the tackles more and not so much on the edge. When they're running that stretch play, I don't feel like that suits their personnel up front. They (allow for) a lot of unblocked second-level players because their linemen... don't do a good job of getting to the second level from the double team and pushing that double team to the linebacker. That's what has really hurt them, particularly in short yardage. When they run between the tackles, the offensive linemen can come off the ball moving forward. ... They need to incorporate more man and gap schemes into their repertoire because I think that fits their personnel better.
"That said, they have elite talent in the backfield. TreVeyon Henderson made some runs against Youngstown that make us remember that he was such a highly-rated recruit. It makes us remember that he has the talent to be in the Heisman conversation – and was before the season. There are times when even unblocked players are ready to tackle TreVeyon Henderson and he makes them miss. They have elite talent... but they need to improve on picking up first downs on third and short, less than 3 yards."
On Kyle McCord
McCord does some things really well. Clearly, he's a talented player. He wouldn't be at Ohio State if he wasn't a talented player. But he also does some things really poorly. He misses some throws out there. Some very easy throws. He'll lock onto a receiver – in particular on third down – he'll lock onto a particular receiver on a particular route, and he won't come off of it even if there are other receivers open. Now, he also does some things really well. The first touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. was a really good throw. He threw another corner route, a beautiful throw along the sidelines. The talent is there. The more reps he gets, you can anticipate that he will get better and more consistent. That's what you want."
Klatt also shared some statistics that compared Ohio State's 2022 offense to Ohio State's 2023 offense after two weeks, explaining that the Buckeyes must also improve in these areas as the season continues:
- Scoring offense: Second (2022) vs. 71st (2023)
- Yards per pass attempt: Third vs. 42nd
- Yards per rush: 12th vs. 63rd
- Third-down conversion percentage: 28th vs. 119th
Klatt concluded his Ohio State lecture with an all-encompassing point:
"This team is an elite team. Ryan Day has never had a quarterback that hasn't had a very successful season. The track record suggests that the offense will eventually be fine. That process of (Ohio State's offense becoming successful) will happen more rapidly now that McCord will have reps as the bonafide starter. It will be a big one in a couple of weeks – I mean, an absolute big one – when it plays Notre Dame."
I'll hop on board with Klatt. Ohio State will be fine.
The Buckeyes should improve in all of the areas Klatt mentioned as Day, quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis and offensive line coach Justin Frye, who met with the media at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Wednesday, acclimate to life with McCord as the bonafide starter and leader of the Ohio State offense.
Could Ohio State still "win ugly" as McCord develops as a first-year starter? Of course. But as Klatt said, Ohio State fans watched the Buckeyes win ugly for an entire season 21 years ago, and that season ended with a national championship (which "Broke the U").
SUPER MARV. Like Nelly in "The Longest Yard," Marvin Harrison Jr. is fast. He's really, really fast. I mean, he's so fast that he makes fast people look... not fast. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound wide receiver proved that on Saturday when he reached a max speed of 22.2 mph on his career-long 71-yard touchdown reception from Kyle McCord.
College Footballs Fastest Five of the Week:
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) September 11, 2023
1. Buckeye WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (@MarvHarrisonJr) 22.2 mph #ReelSpeed @11W
: @BigTenNetwork
https://t.co/orrD059ykP pic.twitter.com/UJCk1xjAmx
According to NFL Rookie Watch, Harrison's top speed was faster than any speed recorded in the NFL in Week 1, as Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill – who is 5-foot-10, 185 pounds and has the nickname "Cheetah" – paced the NFL with a top speed of 21.66 mph. And here's a more insane stat: Harrison's top speed was also faster than any speed recorded in the entire NFL last season.
In August, Harrison told The Athletic's Bruce Feldman he reached 23.3 mph on the GPS without pads. When he participates in the NFL combine (presumably in 2024), Harrison hopes to run a 4.38-second 40-yard dash. "If I get a good start, I think my top-end speed will take care of itself," he said.
In other words, Marvin the Martian may be an appropriate nickname for the 2022 unanimous All-American because this dude is not human.
LET'S SEE THE BIG BOARD. In his most recent "2024 NFL Draft Big Board," Mel Kiper Jr. has Marvin Harrison Jr. ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect behind USC quarterback and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. He also has Harrison's Ohio State teammate, Emeka Egbuka, ranked as the No. 21 overall prospect. Here is what Kiper wrote about both of them:
Marvin Harrison Jr.
I have an elite grade on Harrison, whose name should be familiar. His dad is that Marvin Harrison, whom I scouted coming out of Syracuse in 1996 and is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The younger Harrison is on track to get my highest pre-draft grade for a wideout since Calvin Johnson (2007) and Larry Fitzgerald (2004). Harrison has everything, from outstanding size and stellar hands to incredible body control and blazing speed. His dad ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash before the 1996 draft but was just under 6 feet when the Colts took him in Round 1. Harrison Jr. is four inches taller and could have similar speed.
He caught 77 passes for 1,263 yards with 14 touchdowns last season. With Kyle McCord throwing him passes in 2023, he should star again.
The best pre-draft grade since Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. Is that good?
Emeka Egbuka
Yes, another Ohio State wide receiver. The Buckeyes have had three wideouts picked in Round 1 in the past two drafts, and they could have two more in 2024. Egbuka did most of his damage out of the slot last season, catching 47 passes for 692 yards with eight touchdowns when lined up there. He added two more scores when lined up wide. His biggest strength is his consistency – he picked up 50 first downs on his 74 total catches in 2022. Egbuka knows how to get open and has excellent pace and timing on his routes.
While Harrison and Egbuka were the only Ohio State players ranked in Kiper's top 25, several Buckeyes were ranked in Kiper's top six for each position, including TreVeyon Henderson (RB1), Cade Stover (TE5), Donovan Jackson (OG6), JT Tuimoloau (DE2), Mike Hall Jr. (DT5), Tommy Eichenberg (ILB6), Denzel Burke (CB5), Lathan Ransom (SAF5).
To borrow from Joel Klatt, "This is an elite team."
Man, I hope Ryan Day and the Buckeyes can make the most of it.
OLYMPIC VILLAGE. Last month, Ohio State women's soccer midfielder Peyton McNamara appeared in the FIFA Women's World Cup as a member of Team Jamaica, which became the first-ever Caribbean team to reach the tournament's round of 16.
In a recent article for Ohio State News, Franny Lazarus provided a platform for McNamara to share stories of her experience in Australia and New Zealand. Here is a short excerpt:
While McNamara, a fourth-year international business major, was born in the United States, her mother is Jamaican. FIFA allows players to play for a country other than their home nation if they can demonstrate a clear connection to it, such as a parent or grandparent. McNamara was proud to represent her family.
“It was awesome. I didn’t grow up there … so getting to go back and live through her heritage and see where she grew up, that was meaningful,” she said. “I got to represent my grandparents as well. They weren’t here to see it, but I felt like they were looking down and were proud that I’m representing their country.”
McNamara’s team pride did not overshadow her Buckeye spirit, however. She wore a red or gray headband in each match as a nod to her home team. And that wasn’t all she had planned. “I wish I had scored because I was ready to do my OH-IO celebration.”
Now that the tournament is over, McNamara is happy to be back in Ohio. With the Paris Olympics next summer, she may have the chance to play for Jamaica again – she was invited to join the team for qualifying matches this fall but declined. She was ready to wear scarlet and gray again.
“I owe it to my team to play when we’re in season,” she said. “I think it’s best to stay and help my teammates. I love being here so much.”
This season, McNamara has been a leader for the Buckeyes. While she hasn't filled the box score like her teammates Kailyn Dudukovich, Amanda Schlueter and Ella Gianolla, McNamara has modeled a hard-working, never-quit attitude that has undoubtedly her team's performance, as Ohio State is off to a 4-2-1 record to start the 2023 season.
With wins over Oakland, Ohio and Auburn in its last three matches, Ohio State will look to make it four consecutive wins on Sunday at 1 p.m., when the Buckeyes open their Big Ten slate on the road at Michigan State. Ohio State finished fourth with a 5-3-2 record in the conference last season before reaching the NCAA Tournament's second round.
SONG OF THE DAY. "White Horse" by Chris Stapleton.
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