Skull Session: The Game Has Extra Juice in 2023, There Are No More Ms on Ohio State's Campus and Urban Meyer Calls The Rivalry “A Way of Life”

By Chase Brown on November 21, 2023 at 5:00 am
Marvin Harrison Jr.
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

Four more sleeps.

Let's have a good Tuesday, shall we?

 LET THE GAME BEGIN. Someone once said, “Music brings us together, helping us reflect upon who we are, where we come from and what lies ahead.”

When Michigan defeated Maryland, 31-24, at SECU Stadium in College Park, Wolverine supporters in the stands chanted F— Ohio! F— Ohio! F— Ohio! 

Three hours later, when Ohio State defeated Minnesota, 37-3, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Buckeye supporters yelled out We don’t give a damn for the whole state of Michigan, the whole state of Michigan, the whole state of Michigan...

In four (4) days, Ohio State and Michigan will battle at the Big House, and when the clock reaches 0:00, one fan base will scream their beloved tune. The next 100-plus hours could determine which side will receive that honor.

“The key is to stay in the moment,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said on Saturday. “There will be emotion this week. There will be noise. There will be everything.”

For Ohio State to do that, Day said the Buckeyes need to keep on keepin' on.

“We need to continue to stay with our routine and focus on maximizing every minute of this week,” he explained. “Noon on Saturday is going to come. That's not going to come any faster by us doing something else, so we need a great week of preparation. ... We're all in this thing together. I love this team. We've been working hard to get to this point, so we need a great week of preparation. Then we get on that bus, and we head to Ann Arbor.”

And who will Ohio State face in Ann Arbor?

America's Team.

Kidding.

A Michigan team with a victim complex unknown to mankind.

If Ohio State wins, Day will earn his best win to date, silence his detractors and cast doubt on the validity of the Wolverines' victories in 2021 and 2022. If Michigan wins, with Sherrone Moore as head coach and Jim Harbaugh suspended, its fans can hold it over Buckeye Nation for the rest of time and continue its pursuit of a third consecutive Big Ten championship and its first national title in a quarter-century.

This game, The Game, is a must-win for both sides.

Contrary to Ohio State's tune, the Buckeyes and Wolverines give a damn about each other. A lot of damns, actually – too many damns to count.

“We prepare for this game 365 days of the year,” Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord said on Saturday. “We think about it every day, especially the way the last two years went. To be in the same position we were last year with a chance to right the ship, everyone is excited.”

Indeed, we are, Mr. McCord. Indeed, we are.

 X OUT THOSE Ms. Rivalry Week has arrived on Ohio State's campus. On Monday, the school's official X (Twitter) account posted that someone taped over the Ms on the Ohio Stadium Centennial Historical Marker and the M on the Michigan Avenue sign, which is located south of Ohio State's campus.

When I was a freshman in Siebert Hall, the resident advisor for the sixth floor (best floor) told me and several other students that there are well over 1,000 Ms posted in the square between Lane Avenue, Kenny Road, 10th Avenue and High Street. His estimate could have been incorrect. However, he was a PhD student on track to be a radiation oncology specialist, so I took his word for it and never looked back.

Since he told me that unverifiable fact – well, it is verifiable, but I'll never walk the entire square footage of Ohio State's campus to check how accurate it is – I have often wondered how many Ms are in Columbus and how much tape it would take to cover them.

While I'll never know the answer, I do know that the Columbus Crew has two Ms atop its stadium, Lower.com Field. The MLS organization, which will compete in the Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Orlando on Nov. 25, covered those Ms with red tape this week in support of the Buckeyes.

I also know that I live in an apartment M. My wife covered that with some tape on Saturday, so we are all clear there – though it will be hard for the Amazon workers to deliver packages for the next couple of days. Sorry, not sorry Jeff Bezos and associates.

 THESE GUYS GET IT. On this week's episode of “Urban Analysis” on Big Ten Network, former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, who collected a 7-0 record vs. Michigan from 2012-18, said the rivalry between the Buckeyes and Wolverines extends beyond football.

“It's a way of life,” he said.

Meyer is one of several Buckeyes who have made comments (or social media posts) about Ohio State-Michigan since the Minnesota game ended on Saturday. The list also includes former linebacker and current Ohio State graduate assistant James Laurinaitis, former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Troy Smith, former running back Keith Byars, former wide receiver and returner Ted Ginn Jr. and former cornerback Dustin Fox.

James Laurinaitis

Ted Ginn Jr.

The mix of scarlet and gray with maize and blue is just *mwah* chef's kiss.

This is the greatest rivalry in all of sports – and it's not close.

 OHIO AGAINST THE WORLD. Ahead of its top-three showdown with Michigan in Ann Arbor, Ohio State has embraced the “Ohio Against The World” mantra. This week, the phrase has been put on merchandise from The 1870 Society, with benefits directed toward NIL opportunities for Ohio State athletes.

USA TODAY reported that the current “Ohio Against The World” campaign is a response to the “Michigan vs. Everybody” movement. While there is some truth to that, based on the calendar and the calendar alone, let's be clear: Buckeye Nation adopted “Ohio Against The World” in 2014. Nine years later, it was the Wolverines who copied the Buckeyes here.

But, like Tim May, I digress.

The 1870 Society partnered with the Cincinnati-based lifestyle brand Ohio Against the World to produce the apparel. According to Pete Nakos of On3, NIL collectives across the country have used apparel as a way to drive revenue back to their athletes. “It’s a smart way to deliver products to fans and boosters while creating another stream of dollars to help NIL efforts,” he said.

Here is a look at the current round of apparel:

Show some love to The 1870 Society, OATW apparel and Ohio State football student-athletes this week, and represent the state of Ohio with pride with a crewneck, sweatshirt or T-shirt before The Game this weekend.

And remember: It's always Ohio Against The World.

 SONG OF THE DAY. “Buckeye Battle Cry” - The Best Damn Band in the Land.

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Sept 11, 2004; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio Sate Buckeyes #4 Santonio Holmes breaks away from Marshall University defenders in the first quarter at Ohio Stadium.Mandatory Credit: Photo by Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images (©) Copyright 2004 by Matthew Emmons
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