Welcome to the Skull Session.
Two more sleeps until GAMEDAY.
Game 5 Home
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 3, 2023
Maryland
Saturday, Oct. 7
Columbus, OH
12:00 pm ET
FOX pic.twitter.com/Yg3qRX5tOC
Let's have a good Thursday, shall we?
"IT'S NOT THE SUPER BOWL." Maryland head coach Mike Locksley met with the media on Tuesday to preview his team's matchup with Ohio State. His opening statement included an elaborate breakdown of the Buckeyes, as did his responses to several questions from reporters.
Here is a video of the press conference and a transcription of Locksley's quotes:
On Ohio State, Ryan Day
"We are trending in the right direction. We have the momentum we need to have heading into a game like this. Ohio State is up. We're going to Columbus on Friday. It's a great opportunity for the Terps football family. I have a lot of respect for Ryan Day, his program and what he's been able to accomplish there the last three or four years. They're a very balanced team. You look at them on offense and defense. They are scoring. They are keeping people out of the end zone. They had a big win a couple of weeks ago against Notre Dame. Talented players. Marvin Harrison (Jr.) will be the best receiver we will face all year long. He is really talented, makes big plays, makes contested catches."
On Ohio State's roster
"When you look at Ohio State overall, the surprising thing that jumped out to me is how many fourth and fifth-year starters they have in their lineup. At a place like Ohio State, guys aren't around that long. To me, that is a testament to the job that Coach Day and his staff have done to create an environment where guys stay for four or five years. They have tremendous experience."
On the Ohio State matchup: "It's not the Super Bowl"
"I'm sure it will be a great atmosphere. It is their homecoming. While we have a lot of respect for Ohio State, we also know that it's game six on our schedule – it's not the Super Bowl. As we prepare each week, it's Terps vs.Terps. That will be more evident this week as prepare because, as I've told our staff, it's our job as a staff to our players in the best position (to win). But ultimately, it will come down to players making plays. We have some talented players in our locker room. Big-time players show up in big-time games. We're excited about it. We prepare the same each week regardless of who our opponent is. Our players have embraced that approach. It has really helped us.
On Kyle McCord, TreVeyon Henderson
"He's gotten better every week that he has started. That's what you expect with a first-year starter at the quarterback position. He's taken over a system that is a quarterback-friendly system. He has the intangibles. He has the ability to make all the throws. They've done a really good job in how they've brought him along. The run game shows up. (TreVeyon Henderson) is a really special player. Henderson is as talented a running back as we will face. It will be important for us to make them play one-handed by trying to take away the run game, which is something that is a work in progress still for our defense. ... We have to do better with our efficiency (stopping the run) this week, especially against this team."
As I transcribed these quotes, I was impressed with Locksley's confident approach to the Ohio State matchup. After all, here were his comments after the Buckeyes defeated the Terrapins 66-17 on Oct. 9, 2021.
"(Ohio State's wide receivers) looked like they fell out of airplanes. They were so wide open," Locksley said. "We have a lot of work to do as a program in recruiting, roster development and all those aspects to compete against (Ohio State and) those teams and play at that level."
That was a coach who lacked confidence in his program.
On Nov. 19, 2022, after Ohio State beat Maryland 43-30 in College Park, Locksley appeared more confident in the Terrapins. However, he still saw room for improvement.
"We'll give credit to Ohio State. They are a team very deserving of their ranking," he said. "But also, I will let you know that I am proud of this team. I'm proud of this locker room. Proud not because we were close – that's not how we approach this thing. I'm proud that we were never satisfied with the loss."
As Maryland approaches its 2023 matchup with Ohio State, Locksley sees Saturday as an opportune time for the Terrapins to upset the Buckeyes.
Or, to put it another way, he sees it as the best chance he has to beat Ohio State in his Maryland tenure – Taulia Tagovailoa has reached his final form and the Terps' defense has improved, while the Buckeyes are still in search of a permanent identity. In Lockley's, that (and more) recipe adds up to a Maryland win in Columbus.
For me, that recipe doesn't add to s –––– well, I'll save my predictions for the Gameday Skull Session.
BEYOND "THE GAME." The last section had a lot of words... oops. Let's take a breather. Here's an ESPN webisode called Threads, where Clinton Yates looked at what connects Ohio State and Michigan beyond The Game, namely the intertwined uniform histories of the schools.
Ohio State. Michigan.
The greatest rivalry in all of sports.
The Game is in 51 days.
OHIO STATE 5.0. OK. Back to Maryland – and more words.
I rewatched some of Ryan Day's Tuesday press conference on Wednesday. Like Locksley, the Ohio State head coach expressed confidence ahead of the Buckeyes' Week 6 battle with the Terrapins. As he commented on the Big Ten East battle, he referred back to one of his favorite analogies: Ohio State needs to update each week, like an iPhone.
"Coaches, players, team – everybody needs to be better," Day said. "If we're gonna win this weekend against Maryland, we all have to play better. We have to coach better across the board. We have to upgrade each week. ... This needs to be Ohio State 5.0. It can't be the same team there was last week or two weeks ago. (The Notre Dame game) is long gone. We have to get better this week."
Day hopes his team continues to establish its identity and personality as that process occurs. For Day, the Buckeyes need to be a better and more distinct version of themselves each week.
"I think now that there’s a quarter of the season out of the way, you’re starting to see a little bit of a different personality take place, and each team has its own personality,” Day said. “This team does have more experience than maybe the teams in the past. That’s good. But the leadership will show now. We need to continue to take these steps forward and build our personality – who we are and our identity. I feel like we’ve started to forge here. But we’ve got a lot of football ahead of us.”
After four weeks, what is Ohio State?
I have no clue.
They can pass the ball. They can run the ball (except for some hiccups in short-yardage situations). They can defend the pass. They can defend the run. Their special teams have been serviceable when called upon.
Ohio State is a good great football team.
But what will the Buckeyes' identity be?
I look forward to learning more about it over the next eight weeks.
YEAH, NO. A man named Bernie Fratto broke the news. Urban Meyer will interview to become Michigan State's next head football coach. "Yes, it's real," he tweeted, following up that sentence with, "It's possible."
My best mole tells me #UrbanMeyer will interview with #MichiganState for their HC position. Stay tuned. Yes, it's real. It's possible. He has a lot of backers, so we'll see where this goes.@FoxSportsRadio
— Bernie Fratto (@BernieFratto) October 3, 2023
Which one is it, Bernie? Is it real, or is it possible?
Turns out, it was neither.
About the reports linking Urban Meyer to the Michigan State HC job I just checked with him. There is zero truth to it with him being a candidate for it. He has no interest in that, and is happy with what hes doing now at Fox Sports.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) October 4, 2023
Who could have seen that coming?
Urban Meyer will never coach at Michigan State. If it were Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Notre Dame, Miami, Oklahoma, Tennessee or USC, maybeeeeee. But Michigan State? Yeah, no. That position will be a hard pass from the "Dublin Dad."
Meyer's reputation as a college coach remains almost flawless. If he ever coaches at this level again, it will be somewhere he can walk in, recruit top-five classes and win lots of football games – not somewhere he would be lucky to collect a 6-7 record in the first season.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Take It Easy" by Eagles.
CUT TO THE CHASE. Haitian students play drums and strum guitars to escape hunger and violence... 2030 World Cup set to be hosted by Spain-Portugal-Morocco with 3 South American countries added... Citing sustainability, Starbucks wants to overhaul its iconic cup... WNBA to announce first expansion team in 15 years... Truck rolls over, covers Ontario highway in celery.
