Welcome to the Skull Session.
Here's a great stat.
Schools to finish all 10 seasons of the 4-team Playoff Era in CFP Committee Top 25:
— Kyle Tucker (@CoachTuck35) December 3, 2023
Clemson
Alabama
Ohio State
Let's have a good Monday, shall we?
HELLO, MIZZOU. Hours after the CFP committee shocked the college football world with its four-team playoff of Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama, leaving Florida State – an undefeated, 13-0 ACC champion, out in the cold – Ohio State learned its New Year’s Six opponent and destination: Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 3, 2023
While Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is disappointed the No.7-ranked Buckeyes will not compete for a national championship in 2023, Day said Sunday that his coaching staff and players look forward to the challenge the No. 9-ranked Tigers will pose on Dec. 29 in Arlington, Texas.
"We always want to be playing for a championship this time of year, but we will finish things and do things the right way," Day said.
Ohio State last appeared in the Cotton Bowl in 2017 when the Buckeyes defeated Sam Darnold and USC, 24-7. Ohio State is 10-1-1 all-time vs. Missouri. The latest matchup occurred in 1998, which the Buckeyes won, 35-14. The teams have never met in the postseason.
"We were fortunate to be the first announcement of the selection show for the New Year's Six," Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said in a Zoom teleconference on Sunday. "And, man, when you see your name with Ohio State, that's a blue-blood national brand. To have an opportunity to play them is special. For me, as the head football coach, in my wildest dreams, I never thought about coaching in the Cotton Bowl vs. Ohio State."
Part of what makes a matchup with Ohio State special for Drinkwitz – and this is a part of the Cotton Bowl I am excited to see – is the relationship he shares with Day.
"He's a tremendous football coach. I've followed his career. I have a lot of respect for how he's handled his business," Drinkwitz said. "I think he's one of the elite coaches in college football. He does a tremendous job offensively. (Ohio State is) one of those teams I like to watch and see what they're doing because I know they're always on the cutting edge. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the person he is, as well as the football coach."
Day shared similar sentiments on the Zoom teleconference.
"Coach Drinkwitz is a very good coach. He's somebody I've had communication with over the years," Day said. "I think he does a really good job. They've had a really good season. I've followed them some this year because I know him, and I have a lot of respect for him. It'll be a good matchup. They're a good team."
Another reason for (potential) excitement is that both coaches expect their teams at full strength in the matchup. How-evuh, I am more inclined to believe (like, much, much more) Drinkwitz than I am Day since several Buckeyes – such as Marvin Harrison Jr., JT Tuimoloau, Emeka Egbuka, Tyleik Williams and Cade Stover – are expected to be coveted prospects in the 2024 NFL draft.
Regardless, Day believes Ohio State is motivated to end the season with a 'W' as the program looks to bounce back from its heartbreaking loss to Michigan.
"Anytime you're on the field, it matters how you play. When it's the last game of the year and it's a bowl game, it matters even more," Day said. "We want to make sure that we're finishing the season the right way, the way that we should. Again, (Missouri is) a great opponent. (The Cotton Bowl is) a great venue. We will work over the next month to make sure we're prepared to play our best football of the season."
And Ohio State will need its best football to beat Missouri – especially if Drinkwitz has the Buckeyes' signals.
— wow that was crazy (@CowardlyDoggo) December 3, 2023
A WEEK OF SECOND-GUESSING. Another moment from Day's press conference on Sunday that's worth a Skull Session section is the Ohio State coach's back-and-forth with Doug Lesmerises of Kings of the North.
After several questions about the College Football Playoff, the Cotton Bowl, Missouri, Kyle McCord and more, Lesmerises asked Day about how he coached in The Game. Here is a listen and a look at Lesmerises' questions and Day's responses:
Q: How do you think you coached in the Michigan game?
A: Probably different than I did the year before. If you talk to the guys, I think we had a good plan leading up to The Game. There was a good vibe around the team. You look back on a couple of decisions you make. For instance, at the end of the first half, if we make the field goal, you probably feel better about that decision. You know, 4th-and-2, 30 seconds to go, maybe if we get a couple more first downs it's a shorter field goal or we have a chance to score a touchdown there. But I felt like, at the time, it was a good decision. If we make the field goal, it's a better decision. But when you don't, when you come up short, you second-guess all of those things. Our guys were prepared. We had a good vibe in that week. Our guys were locked in. They knew how important The Game was. You live it all year round. But when you don't get it done, you have to do a better job. That's a long way of saying we didn't get it done.
Q: To follow-up on the 4th-and-2, you want to be aggressive. Is that a fair assessment?
A: Yeah.
Q: Knowing that, I think of lot of us were struck by that you didn't go for it on 4th-and-2. Do you wish you would have gone for it? Do you think you should have?
A: Well, since we missed the field goal, yeah. ... I feel like we had the wind. He was kicking pretty good. He had plenty of leg. But, yeah, we missed it. Ultimately, we probably needed to get a couple more first downs and add to the field goal there. ... I feel like 4th-and-2, maybe you add to the field goal, maybe there's enough time to throw to the end zone. At that time, coming out of the first half, I felt like if we could (have scored) three points there, it would (have been) a heckuva thing. (It was) 4th-and-2, not 4th-and-1. But, yeah, you're right. It didn't work. Ultimately, you get second-guessed on all those things. ... It's a great call when it works, but that's part of it. That's what you have to own as a coach.
From a Buckeye Nation perspective, there are two responses an Ohio State fan can have after hearing and reading these comments from Day: The glass-half-empty response, or the glass-half-full response.
Glass-half empty? Day didn't learn from the end of the 2022 Peach Bowl, where he milked the clock and attempted to beat Georgia with a game-winning 50-yard field goal that missed wide left.
Glass-half full? Day has more evidence that in the big games – the matchup games, as he would call them – he could benefit from being more aggressive, à la Washington's Kalen DeBoer and Oregon's Dan Lanning in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
I'll take the glass-half-full approach here.
Day is now 1-3 vs. Michigan and Jim Harbaugh.
Yes, that stinks.
But... the best way Day can respond is by improving to 2-3 next season, and 3-3 the next, and 4-3 and the next, and so on...
“No one’s going to feel sorry for us. You have to push forward. That’s life. We will do that,” Day said on Sunday of Ohio State's loss to Michigan, "As a dad, a husband, a brother, a teammate, you have to handle yourself in the right way and move forward. Not that that's easy. We won't move like it's another game — it's not. But the world's not stopping for us. We have to keep moving. That's what we will do."
THE BASKETBUCKS! The Ohio State University men's basketball team has been tons and tons of fun this season. The Buckeyes are 7-1. Bruce Thornton is a bucket and a problem. Roddy Gayle Jr. is a bucket and a problem. Jamison Battle is – you guessed it – a bucket and a problem. And last but not least, Chris Holtmann is a vibe.
Ridiculous vibes in The Schott right now #Team125 #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/wpzax2c3J6
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 4, 2023
Winners of six consecutive games, including victories over Western Michigan, then-No. 17 Alabama and Santa Clara en route to becoming 2023 Emerald Coast Classic champions, the Buckeyes should be ranked in the AP poll when it is released on Monday.
Between now and the Cotton Bowl, Ohio State men's basketball will help pass the time with games against Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday, Penn State (Saturday), UCLA (Dec. 16) and New Orleans (Dec. 21).
Buckle up, folks.
It's about to be a great month.
GOLF IN THE SHOE? Last week, Upper Deck Golf announced an event where Ohio State fans can golf inside Ohio Stadium from April 19-21, with greens on the field and tee boxes in the stands of THE Ohio State University’s Horseshoe-shaped stadium.
According to the Upper Deck Golf website, tee times (in groups of two players minimum) will be available from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on April 19, 20 and 21. Standard clubs will be available for free use, but attendees are welcome to bring their own – except for drivers or fairway metals.
Here are the two packages available to purchase:
The Standard Package ($79 per person)
- Round of golf inside Ohio Stadium
- Complimentary set of golf Balls
- Access to “Clubhouse Bar” with “Golfing Challenges”
- Special stadium access
The VIP Package ($99 per person)
- Everything included in the Standard Package
- Extra golf balls (with mulligans)
- Free entry to the “Driving Challenge”
- Free Entry to the “Putting Challenge”
- Free Entry to the “Chipping Challenge”
- Complimentary meal and beverage item (includes beer, wine or well drink for 21+)
From what I can tell, Ohio Stadium will be the first college venue to host Upper Deck Golf. The company has previously held events at Wrigley Field in Chicago, PNC Park in Pittsburgh and T-Mobile Park in Seattle. This week, it will host an event at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
The Ohio State event looks incredible.
Golf and the Shoe?
Golf in the Shoe?
What could be better?
SONG OF THE DAY. “One Man Band” - Old Dominion.
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