Welcome to the Skull Session.
Two more sleeps.
continues to be written pic.twitter.com/bhYeFPaA8k
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 25, 2023
Let's have a good Thursday, shall we?
HOW MICHIGAN CHEATS. The YouTube channel SEC Shorts creates comedy sketches that cover the “craziness of college football down south.” The channel's content features SEC teams and some ACC teams, such as Clemson, Miami (FL), North Carolina and Florida State.
This week, however, SEC Shorts creators Josh Snead and Robert Clay used their platform to make fun of Michigan, Connor Stalions and the Wolverines' alleged sign-stealing operation. The result was perfect.
A NATIONAL TITLE CONTENDER. One college football team in America can claim Marvin Harrison Jr.: THE World Famous Ohio State Buckeyes. According to Greg McElroy, Harrison alone makes Ohio State a national championship contender. Add Ohio State's exceptional defense into the equation, and the ESPN analyst argues one could elevate the Buckeyes from "contender" to "favorite" – easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
Ohio State and Ryan Day have evolved. They have evolved. But at the same time, it's still players over plays. Saturday's game (vs. Penn State) was very, very simple. There were two elite defenses on the field. But you know the biggest difference in Saturday's game? One team had Marvin Harrison (Jr.), the other team did not. ... Every time you take into account what he did against Penn State, it's not like Penn State is chopped liver – Penn State entered the game with the nation's top-ranked pass defense, allowing 121 yards per game – Harrison exceeded that mark all by himself. He was tremendous in that game.
But here's where Ryan Day has evolved. ... They are one year removed against Michigan, Georgia and Penn State, where they gave up 118 combined points. In their two ranked matchups this year, they've given up 26 points. That's amazing. You can say what you want about, 'Is Notre Dame's offense any good?' or 'Is Penn State's offense any good?' I think those are reasonable questions. I can live with that. ... But Ryan Day has enabled Jim Knowles to be who he is, and Knowles is amazing. He has done a great job with his personnel and a great job with their structure. Maybe they aren't as aggressive and just allowing the players to be the best players. They can place fast and sound without trying to dictate too much on that side of the ball.
If you want to win a national championship, there's a couple things that you have to do. You have to, one, be capable of weathering the storm and battling adversity. ... And, two, you better have a really competitive depth. Ohio State was short-handed (vs. Penn State) without Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson and Denzel Burke. They weren't at full strength whatsoever. That was an example of the comeptitve depth on display. Denzel Burke is out? No problem, let's put in Jermaine Mathews Jr. ... He doesn't miss a beat, has three tackles, one pass breakup, doesn't give up a single big play in the game. That is massive. Their competitive depth even in the absence of some of their beset players was able to step up and fill the void. As a result, they got a comfortable victory against the best team they've played so far this season.
All of what McElroy shared is great (and true). Still, we shouldn't get too far ahead of ourselves and label Ohio State as a national championship contender – or favorite, for that matter – before the Buckeyes face their hardest test yet, a Nov. 25 matchup with Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Beat Michigan.
Win a Big Ten championship.
Win a national championship.
Ohio State has the chance to accomplish all of those goals. It starts with a win over Wisconsin on Saturday, followed by wins over Rutgers, Michigan State and Minnesota. Day to day, week to week, the Buckeyes must continue to play like one of the best teams in college football.
Then, when Ohio State "comes up for air," as Ryan Day often says, we will see if the Buckeyes have what it takes to win it all.
LUKE FICKELL'S OHIO STATE DAYS. In the Wednesday Skull Session, I featured quotes from Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell, a former Ohio State defensive lineman and coach, where Fickell said the battle between the 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."
From a football perspective, Fickell is correct – when the Buckeyes and Badgers kickoff on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., no coach or player will care about former allegiances and past associations. However, from a media perspective, the "Fickell vs. Ohio State" narrative will be discussed all week (and I don't mind).
"He left a lot here as a player and as a coach. Very well respected by many." - Ryan Day on Luke Fickell pic.twitter.com/ShvzSTt6zU
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) October 24, 2023
On Wednesday, The Athletic's Jesse Temple shared quotes from former Ohio State head coach John Cooper, linebackers Ryan Miller and Lorenzo Styles Sr., defensive back Ty Howard, defensive linemen Matt Finkes and Winfield Garrett and running back Eddie George about Fickell's college career at Ohio State. The quotes rocked.
"Luke Didn't Start Fights. He Finished Them."
Fickell arrived at Ohio State as a freshman in 1992 after earning Ohio lineman of the year honors at St. Francis DeSales High School in Columbus. He also compiled a 106-0 record on his way to three consecutive wrestling state championships, including two in the heavyweight division.
John Cooper (head coach, 1988-2000): They don’t get any tougher than Luke Fickell. I’m going to tell you right now.
Ryan Miller (linebacker, 1992-96): He probably to this day is the best high school wrestler in the state of Ohio.
Cooper: He went undefeated for three years in a row. Hell, he pinned just about everybody he wrestled.
Lorenzo Styles Sr. (linebacker, 1992-94): But when you get in a room full of alpha males, sometimes things get said and people want to react a certain way.
Ty Howard (defensive back, 1992-96): We were freshmen at Ohio State. I’m not going to say this D-lineman’s name that came in with us. But he was a trash talker, big guy, just ran his mouth. He wasn’t trying to bully Luke, per se. But he was one of those guys that would never back down. He just kept going, kept going at Luke.
Styles: Most fights in football turn into wrestling matches, and I don’t think you want to do that with a wrestler.
Howard: We all knew that Luke was an all-world wrestler. We just didn’t know how quickly Luke’s fuse would go before he would let loose on the guy. And the guy kept going and kept going. And then Luke finally just grabbed the guy by his chest and said, “Look, leave me alone. Let’s just play football.” The guy goes to remove Luke’s hand, and this guy was probably every bit of 275, 280. Luke tossed this guy like he was my size, and I’m a defensive back. It really opened up a lot of people’s eyes.
Winfield Garnett (defensive lineman, 1994-97): I saw a couple of guys underestimate Luke and they ended up with their feet in the air getting slammed.
Eddie George (running back, 1992-95): That’s one dude that you did not want to see in an alley or get in a fight with at practice because he would twist you in knots.
Matt Finkes (defensive lineman, 1993-96): Obviously in camp there’s always fights. Offensive and defensive linemen are always fighting. One time, somebody came down and down-blocked him and a scrum broke out. Luke just tossed him. Like, a five-point, freestyle, feet-above-the-head toss.
Miller: The two of us were on the scout team together while redshirting as freshmen. We’re just young Buckeyes trying to cut our teeth against the No. 1 offense. And Luke every other practice would be in a fight with some senior and he’d be hip-tossing them. And these guys didn’t know how to do that. It was kind of comical.
George: He was quiet, but he was an ass-kicker.
Howard: He’ll never punch first. But if you tick the guy off, it’s just bad news.
Garnett: Luke didn’t start fights. He finished them.
Howard: Even as a freshman, Luke was undersized, but, man, he was dominant.
Finkes: The guy played nose guard in the Big Ten at like 265 pounds. You don’t do that without being a tough son of a bitch.
As the article continued, Temple shared even more quotes from the seven Buckeyes on the Wisconsin coach's Ohio State career, including discussions between Cooper and Co. on Fickell being the "quintessential student-athlete" and Fickell's "courageous" performances against Michigan and Arizona State at the end of the 1996 season.
"He was quiet, but he was an ass-kicker."
— Jesse Temple (@jessetemple) October 25, 2023
"Most disciplined guy Ive ever come across."
"If you were about the team, he had your back."
These are the stories of Luke Fickell as an Ohio State player that help explain the person and coach he has become. https://t.co/yB3LXmiDsP
The article is worth a read.
10/10 recommend.
HOMAGE TO A BUCKEYE GREAT. On Feb. 9, Dimitrious Stanley died after a four-year battle with prostate cancer. At 8 a.m. on Saturday, HOMAGE will pay homage to the late Ohio State wide receiver with a special tee that replicates the famous photo of Stanley after Ohio State's 1997 Rose Bowl win over Arizona State.
"Dimitrious Stanley wasn't just an Ohio State legend; he was a beacon of light in our community," HOMAGE founder and CEO Ryan Vessler told Eleven Warriors. "Working alongside his family and Ohio State, we wanted to create a design that doesn't just honor his memory on the field but also captures his unwavering spirit and courage that continues to inspire others in the fight against prostate cancer. Wear it with pride, remember Dimitrious's legacy, and as always, 'Take care and give care.'"
Quick Facts
- Released and announced on Saturday. The official sale starts at 8 a.m.
- Available in both adult and youth sizes
- A portion of net proceeds from sales of these benefits Brave Men Inc.
- His famous Rose Bowl photo inspired the portrait element
Dimitrious Stanley was one of a kind.
He was a good football player and, more importantly, a good man.
I look forward to wearing this tee around with pride. Buckeye Nation should, too.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Peach Fuzz" by CAAMP.
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