Welcome to the Skull Session.
The Ohio State University men's basketball team.
That's it. That's the sentence.
Buckeyes in the WIN COLUMN yet again
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 7, 2023
Back at on Dec. 21 vs. New Orleans#Team125 | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/NCFF5S7Ous
Let's have a good Thursday, shall we?
FINISH WHAT THEY STARTED. Today, Ohio State is in a similar position as it was before its Rose Bowl matchup with Utah in 2021. In Ryan Day’s five years as head coach, it’s the only other season in which the Buckeyes failed to make the College Football Playoff.
As it did two years ago, the month between a defeat to Michigan in The Game and a New Year’s Six bowl game will feel... strange. For a blue-blood program like Ohio State, where an 0-1 record vs. “That Team Up North” and a CFP-less postseason makes the entirety of 2023 feel like a juice that wasn’t worth the squeeze, of course it will.
Still, the powerful play goes on.
On Sunday, Day was asked if he sees Ohio State’s next three weeks – which will be full of roster management (transfer portal and early signing period), meetings, practices and workouts – as the end of one season or the start of another.
“A little of both,” Day said in a Zoom teleconference. “We had the situation a couple of years ago in the Rose Bowl, and it did build some momentum into the next year. We always want to be playing for a championship this time of year. Still, we will finish things and do things the right way. ... Bowl practice is an opportunity for some of the younger guys to get out there and, like spring practice, continue to develop.”
Between Nov. 30 and Wednesday, Ohio State had 13 players enter the transfer portal:
- Omari Abor
- Cam Martinez
- Victor Cutler Jr.
- Evan Pryor
- Ryan Turner
- Parker Lewis
- Jyaire Brown
- Kye Stokes
- Kyle McCord
- Jakob James
- Reid Carrico
- Julian Fleming
- Chip Trayanum
While Day expects “everyone to play” in the Cotton Bowl, it shouldn’t shock Ohio State fans if Buckeyes such as Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Tyleik Williams and Denzel Burke, among others, declare for the NFL draft and opt out of the bowl game.
Day remains hopeful for their participation, however.
“I think a lot of our guys were disappointed last week,” he said. “We did have a practice last week. We got together. We had a team meeting. And we knew that there was going to be a new target this weekend. We weren’t sure what it was going to be. There are a lot of prideful guys on our team. They will use this opportunity to either finish things out the right way or build momentum for next year.”
In 2021, Ohio State built momentum with other-worldly performances from C.J. Stroud and JSN. The former completed 37 of 46 passes for 573 yards and six touchdowns, while the latter collected 15 receptions for 347 yards and three scores. Marvin Harrison Jr., now a Biletnikoff Award frontrunner (more on that in a moment) and Heisman finalist, was on the receiving end of Stroud’s other three touchdown passes.
Should Harrison and others decline to participate in the Cotton Bowl, we could see younger offensive playmakers make a statement in Arlington, Texas – maybe not a record-breaking statement like Stroud and JSN, but a statement to be sure.
Devin Brown or Lincoln Kienholz will start at quarterback for the Buckeyes. At the same time, Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss and the gamer, baller and shot-caller Dallan Hayden could be thrust into premier roles vs. Missouri, offering us a glimpse at what Ohio State’s offense could look like in 2024. As for the defense, could we see more of Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson? Cody Simon and C.J. Hicks? Davison Igbinosun and Jermaine Mathews Jr.? Sonny Styles and Malik Hartford?
Yes, Ohio State didn’t beat Michigan, didn’t win the Big Ten championship and didn’t make the College Football Playoff, and that blows.
But, the powerful play goes on.
It’s time for the Buckeyes to finish the season the right way – with a win over the No. 9-ranked Tigers in the Cotton Bowl.
WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? In my 15 months as Skull Session writer at Eleven Warriors, I believe I have made myself clear: Sometimes I love Pro Football Focus; sometimes I hate Pro Football Focus. Rarely am I somewhere in between.
Today, I hate Pro Football Focus.
THE REASON
THE ARTICLE: 2023 PFF College Football Awards: LSU’s Jayden Daniels claims the Heisman Trophy
Nothing inflammatory there.
THE BODY (in summary): Daniels wins the Heisman Trophy. Laiatu Latu (UCLA) wins the Bednarik Award. Daniels wins the Davey O’Brien Award. Ollie Gordon II (Oklahoma State) wins the Doak Walker Award.
No, nothing inflammatory there, either.
BUT THEN: Malik Nabers (LSU) wins the Biletnikoff Award.
What are we doing here?
Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best wide receiver in college football. That’s, like, the coldest take in college football to me.
“But the stats! Look at Nabers’ stats! Look at Rome Odunze’s stats at Washington!” people who don’t know ball post on social media.
Sure, Nabers had 86 catches, 1,546 yards and 14 touchdowns in the regular season, while Odunze had 81 catches, 1,428 yards and 13 touchdowns. But look at their quarterbacks and, more importantly, look at how teams covered them. Both benefited tremendously with Daniels and Michael Penix Jr. as their (Heisman finalist) quarterbacks, while neither was double-teamed and, in some cases, triple-teamed like the man called Marvelous and Super in Columbus.
That said, I congratulate Nabers and Odunze on their excellent seasons. Missouri’s Luther Burden III and Oregon’s Troy Franklin were also phenomenal for the Tigers and the Ducks. But let’s be real: None of them are like Route Man Marv.
HARRY MILLER, EVERYONE. To start his “TEDx” speech at Ohio State in March, Harry Miller introduced himself as an Ohio State offensive lineman, showing a picture of himself with his teammates after a win for the Buckeyes.
“Things were going well for him. Very well,” Miller said. “He was beginning to talk to many big-time agents about being big-time himself. They told him what another good season would mean for him. It would mean being an All-American, getting drafted, making millions of dollars. Fame, fortune, happiness. The dream coming true. They told him he could have anything he wanted under the sun. But what I wanted was not under the sun. This wasn’t actually Harry Miller. This was me.”
This week, Miller posted his TED Talk, “The Thoughts Behind the Unthinkable,” where he disclosed specifics about depression and suicide ideation, which led to his medical retirement from the Ohio State football program.
It’s worth a watch.
This is The Thoughts Behind the Unthinkable, a talk I gave about my mental health experience.
— Harry Miller (@h_miller76) December 5, 2023
If you or somebody you know needs help, call 988.
Warning: this video discusses suicide, but also joy. pic.twitter.com/MOKl6Q3zLI
Miller posted the video on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday after TED decided not to publish his TEDx Talk to its YouTube channel and website over the summer.
TED has decided not to publish the TEDx Talk I gave in March. This disappoints me greatly. However, I am currently finding a way to share what I worked so hard on and what I hope will help others. Thank you to TEDxOhioStateUniversity for the opportunity.
— Harry Miller (@h_miller76) September 19, 2023
I’m glad he did.
Dum Spiro Spero.
THIS AND THAT. Another Skull Session, another This and That™.
You know the drill.
As was reported last week, an average of more than 19 million people – 19.065 million people, to be exact – watched the 119th edition of The Game, which made it the most-watched matchup in college football in 2023. After championship weekend, Ohio State-Michigan held on to that title, according to Sports Media Watch.
- Michigan-Ohio State, Week 13 (FOX): 19.07 million viewers
- Alabama-Georgia, SEC Championship Game (CBS)): 17.52 million
- Colorado-Oregon, Week 4 (ABC): 10.03 million
- Michigan-Iowa, Big Ten Championship Game (FOX): 10.02 million
- Ohio State-Notre Dame, Week 4 (NBC): 9.98 million
C.J. Stroud —ON—TOP—.
Standing on business pic.twitter.com/SOWwYkNx7I
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) December 6, 2023
C.J. Stroud —ON—TOP— (again).
Its not a prank call. Its @CJ7STROUD.
— Fanatics (@Fanatics) December 5, 2023
The rookie sensation wanted to give thanks to fans who recently bought his jersey. So we had him play customer service and make a few cold calls. @HoustonTexans #texans @OhioStateFB #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/3Dt5AFShqh
Ohio State has 11 programs ranked in the top 25 of their respective sports this week. Women's hockey leads all programs as the No. 1-ranked team in the USCHO Poll, followed by men's fencing ranked No. 4, women's fencing ranked No. 5 and women's swimming and diving, football and wrestling ranked No. 7.
11 Buckeye squads ranked in the Top 25 this week!
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) December 6, 2023
: @OhioStateWHKY takes on Minnesota State Saturday at 6:00 PM #GoBucks | @HondaInOhio pic.twitter.com/o5LPxJqlix
Ohio State is one of the top research and development universities in the United States. Between July 1, 2022, and June 30, Ohio State spent over $1.36 billion in those areas, a number that ranked 11th among American colleges and universities and seventh among public schools. This is Ohio State!
With FY22 research & development expenditures exceeding $1.36 billion, @OhioState is ranked 11th among US universities up one spot from FY21 and 7th among public schools in the @NSF HERD survey. @OhioStateERIK https://t.co/G2seRKmwwP
— Ohio State News (@OhioStateNews) December 5, 2023
That's all, folks!
See you on Friday.
SONG OF THE DAY. “Don't Let Me Down” - The Beatles.
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