Welcome to the Skull Session.
BOOM.
Ohio State adds an experienced quarterback from the portal as former Kansas State QB Will Howard transfers to Ohio State. https://t.co/P7VMFfIVGr
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) January 4, 2024
Let's have a good Friday, shall we?
THE BEST OF THE BEST? Before and after each college football season, ESPN releases a "Top 100 College Football Players from (Insert Year)" article.
After 2022, C.J. Stroud (No. 3), Marvin Harrison Jr. (No. 9), Paris Johnson Jr. (No. 19), Emeka Egbuka (No. 32) and Tommy Eichenberg (No. 71) appeared in the rankings. After 2023, Harrison, Eichenberg and TreVeyon Henderson were the Buckeyes' representatives in the top 100.
Here is where ESPN ranked each of them:
No. 3 - Marvin Harrison Jr.
STATS: 67 receptions, 1,211 yards, 14 TD
PRESEASON RANKING: 3
Harrison, the Biletnikoff Award winner, became the first receiver in Ohio State history to record consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He caught 67 passes for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Big Ten's best offense (425.0 total YPG). Harrison is No. 2 on Mel Kiper Jr.'s Big Board.
Note: Jayden Daniels (LSU) and Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) were above Harrison, while Bo Nix (Oregon) and Brock Bowers (Georgia) rounded out the top five.
No. 45 - Tommy Eichenberg
STATS: 82 tackles, 41 solo, 2.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF
PRESEASON RANKING: 47
Eichenberg recorded 80 tackles (40 solo), leading the team while playing in only 10 games this season for the Buckeyes. In three games (Western Kentucky, Maryland and Rutgers), he tallied double-digit tackles -- with his 13 against Maryland a season high. Ohio State had the third-best defense in the FBS (259.9 YPG).
No. 93 - TreVeyon Henderson
STATS: 156 car, 926 yards, 11 TD; 19 catches, 229 yards
PRESEASON RANKING: 33
Even though Henderson missed three games because of injury, he still led Ohio State in rushing with 926 yards and 11 touchdowns. He scored multiple touchdowns in three games (Youngstown State, Western Kentucky and Minnesota) and found pay dirt in eight of the nine games he played for the Buckeyes.
The Biletnikoff Award winner and a Heisman finalist in 2023, Harrison was a no-brainer to appear in the top 100.
However, I was surprised to see Eichenberg included – and comfortably included, for that matter. In 2022, Eichenberg was one of the best linebackers in college football with 120 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. This past season, he finished with 40 fewer tackles, 9.5 fewer tackles, and 1.5 fewer sacks (in three fewer games), yet he improved 26 spots. That, to me, was unexpected.
As for Henderson, the running back's appearance was also unexpected but in the good sense of the word. The 5-foot-10, 210-pound ballcarrier has dealt with a series of unfortunate injuries the past two seasons – a broken sesamoid bone in his foot in 2022 and an upper-body ailment (likely a rib injury) in 2023. This past season, he reminded the college football world how explosive he can be at full strength, recording 5.9 yards per carry and 12.1 yards per reception as he scored 11 touchdowns for the Buckeyes.
And one more note: Where the heck are Tyleik Williams and Denzel Burke? Give some more Silver Bullets some love, ESPN!
THIS ONE HAD A LIL’ KICK TO IT. Former Ohio State defensive back Tyvis Powell is not happy, Bob... not happy about the Buckeyes performance in their 14-3 loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.
In a recent appearance on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, Powell had some harsh words for Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and his players. In fact, Powell said Day's seat should be "on fire" as the Buckeyes enter the 2024 season.
“I was disgusted by the performance,” Powell said. “Ryan Day, the seat is on fire. What I would tell (Day) is I would give (him) one more season. This is it, one more season. There have to be some changes made on your coaching staff because, for many years, you went out there and promoted guys that don’t deserve it. You’ve got coaches in there that really can’t coach – that’s really just collecting a paycheck. You have to cut that baggage and get guys in there that got football minds that will dedicate themselves to getting this program back to where it (should be) at.”
Powell said Day's staff changes should be immediate. When I heard (and read) the next quote, I concluded that Powell's preference would have been for Day to fire several coaches on the tarmac after the Buckeyes' plane landed in Columbus.
“Let the buddy-buddy stuff go,” he explained. “Yes, they're gonna be mad at you. You're supposed to be their boy, but you’ve got to fire your boy. They always tell you never to hire your friends or family, get rid of both of them – anybody on the staff that you feel is not helping these kids. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s about. Developing these kids and helping these kids get to where they gotta get. If you’re not going to do that and not have these guys on this staff, you’re doing everyone at Ohio State a disservice. You need to make some changes on your coaching staff, right now, today.”
While Powell had his grievances with Day and his staff, Ohio State's coaches weren’t Powell's only target in the rant. He also blasted the players for their “horrible” performance at AT&T Stadium.
“I’ve never seen the product look that bad,” Powell said. “It was horrible. I’ve watched the Buckeyes go 6-7 in a season (in 2011), and that 6-7 team would smoke them. That’s how I feel about that. What they put out there is unacceptable. ... We’re talking about a team that wanted to go and play for the national championship this year – you can’t even beat a mid-tier SEC school?”
When Powell's co-hosts pressed him on the opinion of Missouri being a mid-tier SEC school in 2023 and that Ohio State played most of the Cotton Bowl with a freshman who was the third-string quarterback all season, Powell ended his debate with six words: “I won a championship like that.”
Scorched earth, Mr. Powell.
Scorched earth.
*GRIMACES*... YIKES. From 2019-22, Ohio State's offense ranked fourth (2019), second (2020), first (2021) and fourth (2022) in SP+, a tempo and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency that Bill Connelly created and now operates for the Worldwide Leader in Sports.
In 2023, Ohio State's offense ranked 33rd.
Oof.
How an offense with TreVeyon Henderson, Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming, Xavier Johnson and Cade Stover, among others, ends the season with that low of a ranking confounds me.
| TEAM | SCORE | OFFENSE | DEFENSE | SPECIAL TEAMS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEORGIA | 31.2 | 41.5 (5) | 12.3 (5) | 1.9 (4) |
| MICHIGAN | 31.0 | 36.5 (12) | 7.3 (1) | 1.8 (7) |
| OREGON | 26.4 | 45.1 (1) | 18.2 (16) | -0.5 (84) |
| OHIO STATE | 25.1 | 31.6 (33) | 8.0 (2) | 1.5 (20) |
| PENN STATE | 23.3 | 32.7 (30) | 10.6 (4) | 1.3 (28) |
Yet, one look at Ohio State's compilation of box scores proves that, yes, indeed, the Buckeyes were an average offense compared to the rest of college football in 2023. Ohio State – with the national championship between Michigan and Washington (Go Huskies! Go Huskies! Go Huskies!) to be played – ranks 48th and 45th in the FBS at 407.5 yards and 30.5 points per game.
Those numbers become even harder to swallow when, from 2019-22, Ohio State's defense ranked second (2019), 10th (2020), 20th (2021) and 23rd (2022) in SP+. But in 2023, the Buckeyes' defense ranked second. Ohio State also ranks third and second in the FBS at 265.4 yards and 11.2 points allowed per game.
With Tyleik Williams and Cody Simon set to return and Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Ty Hamilton, Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock still on the fence, the Ohio State defense has a chance to be special – and I mean special – next season. But will the Buckeyes' offense meet the same standard? That remains the question of the offseason, one I never believed I'd ask of a Ryan Day-coached Ohio State team.
YES, PLEASE. I'm sure this has been discussed 1,000 times over in the Eleven Warriors Forum, but what's one more time, huh? Former Ohio State quarterback and current ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit had a take earlier this week that the College Football Playoff national championship should always be played at the Rose Bowl:
Ive been saying this for years and Ill say it one more time. As the world of CFB changes in so many ways I really wish the leaders and decision makers would just make the @rosebowlgame the host for the National Championship EVERY YEAR!! The setting-beauty-field-and history of
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) January 2, 2024
I’ve been saying this for years and I’ll say it one more time. As the world of CFB changes in so many ways I really wish the leaders and decision makers would just make the Rose Bowl the host for the National Championship EVERY YEAR!! The setting-beauty-field-and history of that place is unparalleled. Last night (Michigan vs. Alabama) was another chapter in its long and incredible history of memorable moments.
Initial reaction: Yes, please.
Moments after the initial reaction: Yes, please.
Many moments after the initial reaction: Yes, please.
I would love nothing more than for the national championship to be played at the Rose Bowl every year. As Herbstreit posted, the setting of the Rose Bowl, the beauty of the sunset over the San Gabriel Mountains and the history of the Rose Bowl Game make it the perfect selection for a perennial national championship venue.
Unfortunately, if we are being honest, there's too much money to go around for the CFP to settle on one location. We'll get SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles), Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas), NRG Stadium (Houston), AT&T Stadium (Dallas), Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis) and Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) plus other new venues on constant rotation, which is – bland and uncool, yes – but also understandable.
If the CFP ever does settle its championships in one location, however, the Rose Bowl can be and should be the destination.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Charmed" - Stella.
CUT TO THE CHASE. Exploding toilet at a Dunkin’ store in Florida left a customer filthy and injured, lawsuit claims... Unsold Christmas trees are on the menu for elephants and bison at the Berlin Zoo... (CW: Arachnophobia) The largest male specimen of the world’s most venomous spider has been found in Australia... 13-year-old Tetris winner dumbfounded after beating game... Beyond the ball drop: a pickle, pine cones and a MoonPie will mark the new year.
