Skull Session: Michigan Weaves a Tangled Web, Luke Fickell Wants to “Close the Gap” Between Ohio State and Wisconsin and Oberlin Needs Dumped

By Chase Brown on October 25, 2023 at 5:00 am
Ryan Day, Jim Harbaugh
Adam Cairns/USA TODAY Sports
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

BIA is back.

Let's have a good Wednesday, shall we?

 WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE. As more information about Connor Stalions and Michigan surfaces on the World Wide Web and social media, I am reminded of a quote from Jim Harbaugh, circa 2013:

”You always want to be above reproach, especially when you’re good, because you don’t want people to come back and say, ‘They’re winning because they’re cheating.’ That’s always going to be a knee-jerk reaction in my experience, ever since I was a little kid. We want to be above reproach in everything and do everything by the rules. Because if you don’t, if you cheat to win, then you’ve already lost, according to Bo Schembechler. And Bo Schembechler is about next to the word of God as you can get in my mind. It’s not the word of God, but it’s close.”

I am also reminded of the time Harbaugh quoted Sir Walter Scott, a Scottish historian and author famous for a series of novels called The Waverly Series, circa 2015:

I have had endless bowls of popcorn near my computer since Friday.

What will happen next? How long until the next bomb drops? Whenever it does, best believe I will be ready.

Michigan's best season ever is about to go down the drain, and I am here for it.

 FICKELL WANTS TO "CLOSE THE GAP." As an Ohio State defensive lineman and later an assistant coach, Luke Fickell created some of his favorite memories inside Ohio Stadium. However, the Horseshoe is also home to some not-so-fond memories for Fickell, who experienced decisive losses to the Buckeyes while a coach at Akron and Cincinnati.

“We didn’t do well,” Fickell said on Monday, reflecting on Akron’s 28-14 loss to the Buckeyes in 2001 when he was the Zips' defensive line coach, and Cincinnati’s 42-0 loss to Ohio State in 2019 when he was the Bearcats’ head coach.

As Fickell reflected more on Ohio State in the press conference, the Wisconsin head coach reiterated several times that Saturday’s matchup between the No. 3-ranked Buckeyes and the Badgers is “not about me.”

"We have some coaches on our staff, myself included, who have obvious history there, whether they went to school or played there," Fickell said. “When the ball is kicked off, that will have no effect on what happens on that field."

For Fickell, who took over at Wisconsin ahead of 2023 and has led the Badgers to a 5-2 record this season, Ohio State-Wisconsin is about “closing the gap” between the Buckeyes and Badgers.

Since Wisconsin’s last win over Ohio State in 2010, five of the Buckeyes’ past nine wins over the Badgers have been decided by one score. However, in the teams' past three matchups, including Ohio State's 52-21 win in 2022, the average deficit has been 25 points (!) in favor of the Men of the Scarlet and Gray. 

While Fickell was not at Wisconsin for last season's blowout loss in Columbus, he said if the Badgers “don’t use what happened last year as a learning lesson," the coaches and players "wouldn’t be doing our job.”

This season, Fickell says the Buckeyes “find ways” to be successful, are “playing a lot more to their strengths” and leaning on a single-minded approach on offense, defense and special teams.

Fickell acknowledged Ohio State's exceptional roster but said the Badgers don't need to add more talent to beat the Buckeyes. In college football, any given team can win on any given weekend, Fickell said.

“Best teams don’t always win games,” he explained. “The most talented teams don’t always win games. College football every Saturday, it’s crazy how things happen.” 

Fickell sounds confident to me.

Good news, Buckeye Nation: Ohio State expects a battle at Wisconsin, and Ryan Day understands a letdown cannot occur at Camp Randall Stadium.

"In the preseason, we look at the schedule and talk about where we are gonna be, we knew we would have to win on the road and be 'Road Warriors,'" Day said. "Notre Dame, early on, was gonna be a difficult environment. We knew (Wisconsin) would be the same way. We talked about it on Sunday as a team – we have to bring it this week. They're playing well. They're a good football team. ... We can't let last week affect this week. Championship teams bring it every week. They don't have ups and downs and letdowns. We're not allowed to have a letdown. We have to bring it."

Love the mentality, Coach.

Bring it this week.

 OBERLIN NEEDS DUMPED. On Oct. 8, 1921, Oberlin College upset THE Ohio State University, 7-6, in front of 10,000 fans at Ohio Field.

Yes, that's correct. 

The Yeomen beat the Buckeyes in a one-score contest in Columbus – a defeat that, 102 years later, still serves as the last time Ohio State lost to an in-state opponent.

After Oberlin beat Ohio State, The Oberlin Review ran the headline "OBERLIN INVASION TOPPLES STATE 7 TO 6: CRIMSON AND GOLD DRIVE TOO MUCH FOR BIG TEN CHAMPIONS" in the weekend newspaper.

From the Oberlin athletics website:

Heading into the game, heavy rainfall the night prior soiled the field, which may have played a role in slowing down the Buckeyes who previously beat the Yeomen 37-0 in 1920 and 128-0 in 1916 - marking the largest win in program history. However, every dog has its day, and October 8, 1921, was that day for the men of Oberlin. The Buckeyes were clinging to just a 6-0 lead in the third quarter, and the Yeomen drove 84 yards to paydirt when Al Wheeler threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to W.E. Parkhill to tie the game. Parkhill would then go on to add the extra-point and put Oberlin out in front for good.  When word got back to the town of Oberlin, the residents were stunned, but not the team's captain, Udel Stallings. 

"If it had been a dry day, we would have beaten State more than we did," Stallings said.

I can appreciate an Oberlin win over Ohio State. That's neat.

I can also appreciate the chestiness from Stallings after the win. Congratulations.

But what I can appreciate more than an Oberlin win and some chestiness in a new fact from Bill Connelly:

146 points!

Ohio State needs revenge. Oberlin needs dumped.

Unfortunately, we will never see it happen. But could you imagine what it would look like if we did?

 OLYMPIC VILLAGE. On Tuesday, the Associated Press announced its women's basketball preseason All-Americans, and Ohio State sophomore forward Cotie McMahon was named an honorable mention.

Last season, McMahon was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. She was also a member of the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and All-Big Ten Tournament Team, as the Centerville, Ohio, native averaged 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals across 36 appearances for the Buckeyes.

Moreover, McMahon ranked in the top 20 in the Big Ten in 11 categories, including seventh in field goals (201), eighth in points (543), 11th in steals (58) and 20th in rebounds per game (5.5). Among Division I freshmen, McMahon ranked third in field goals, fourth in field goal percentage, ninth in points per game and 12th in steals per game.

In other words, she was a bucket and a problem.

In 2023-24, McMahon returns to Ohio State as a preseason honorable mention All-American and preseason All-Big Ten honoree.

The Buckeyes are ranked No. 7 overall in the preseason AP Poll and will open the nonconference slate in Las Vegas vs. USC on Nov. 6. Ohio State will return to Columbus for its home opener vs. IUPUI on Nov. 12.

With McMahon as one of the clear leaders of the team, along with Jacy Sheldon, Taylor Thierry and Duke transfer Celeste Taylor, it should be a fun season for head coach Kevin McGuff's squad. I look forward to seeing them in action.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Worst" by Quinn XCII.

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