Skull Session: Ohio State’s Student Appreciation Day is Almost Here, The Silver Bullets Have Unlimited Potential in 2024 and The 1870 Society Starts Its 10 Units Strong Campaign

By Chase Brown on March 29, 2024 at 5:00 am
C.J. Hicks
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

Ohio State football is relentlessly at work.

Have a Good Friday.

 STUDENT APPRECIATION DAY. In recent weeks, the Ohio State football media team has released a series of five videos on X featuring THE Block O, THE Archie Griffin, THE Black Stripe, THE State, and THE Students.

While THE Block O, THE Archie Griffin, THE Black Stripe and THE State videos didn’t have a sense of timeliness to them, THE Students did. This weekend, Ohio State football will welcome the school’s students into the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for “Student Appreciation Day,” where Ohio State’s players will compete in practice drills and a live scrimmage in front of their classmates.

In 2023, JT Tuimoloau, Davison Igbinosun and Carnell Tate flashed in the Student Appreciation Day scrimmage. Tuimoloau and Igbinosun later became two of Ohio State’s top defensive contributors in the regular season. Meanwhile, Tate emerged as one of the more reliable members of the Buckeyes’ freshman class.

With Tuimoloau, Igbinosun and Tate back in uniform for 2024, there’s a chance the trio of Buckeyes could be scrimmage standouts for the second straight season. However, students (and the media) could be more focused on the quarterback battle between Will Howard, Devin Brown, Lincoln Kienholz, Air Noland and Julian Sayin – or the development of Ohio State’s offensive line.

Regardless of who shines (and who doesn’t), Student Appreciation Day is one of the football team's best offseason events. This Saturday, the vibes will be immaculate.

 DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS. The old adage defense wins championships could be valid for the Buckeyes in 2024, a fact that feels incredible to write about a Ryan Day-coached team.

This season, Ohio State's defense will be one of the best in America as Jim Knowles enters year three as defensive coordinator. Players like Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton, Cody Simon, Sonny Styles, Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock and Lathan Ransom will also start in their third year in the system. Davison Igbinosun will be in year two, and Caleb Downs – a future top-five pick, according to his former Alabama teammates – will be in year one.

That's eleven warriors.

According to Bill Connelly of ESPN, those eleven warriors will define the 2024 college football season. In a recent article for the Worldwide Leader, Connelly stated that Knowles and the Buckeyes could have one of the best defenses ever assembled this fall. And if that defense reaches its potential, the Buckeyes could be hard to stop.

Remember a year ago, when we were all talking about how much Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles had to prove after a disappointing debut season in Columbus? Safe to say, he proved it. The Buckeyes held seven of 12 FBS opponents to their fewest yards per play of the season, allowed more than 17 points just once all year and jumped to second in defensive SP+. With their worst offense in 12 seasons, per SP+, they still went 11-2 and had the ball with a chance to beat eventual national champion Michigan. Even with a bit of an overhaul underway on offense, they'll probably begin 2024 with a top-three ranking in the preseason polls.

Knowles' third Buckeyes defense returns 10 of the 14 players who saw at least 300 snaps last season, including tackle Tyleik Williams (9 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 4 breakups), ends JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer (combined: 16 TFLs, 11.5 sacks), linebacker Sonny Styles (a team-leading 10 run stops) and corners Davison Igbinosun and Denzel Burke (combined: 1 interception, 15 breakups, 4.5 TFLs). OSU also added Alabama transfer Caleb Downs, who was already one of the best safeties in the country as a true freshman.

I get goosebumps when I think about how good Ohio State's defense will be this season.

In 2023, we said the Silver Bullets were back.

In 2024, are the Silver Bullets... still around?

It's been so long since Ohio State had consecutive seasons with dominant defenses that I'm not quite sure what to call it.

Regardless, Ohio State will mean business on that side of the ball, so I expect a Saturday or two where the opponents have donuts for points. Is it too much to ask that the Buckeyes don't allow a point until the Oregon game? (The first three opponents are Akron, Western Michigan and Marshall).

 THE JAEDON LADEE XP. Jaedon LeDee’s college basketball career is over.

UConn defeated San Diego State 82-52 on Thursday, sending LeDee and the Aztecs home from the NCAA Tournament. The Sweet 16 battle was a rematch of the NCAA championship game last season, which UConn won, 76-59.

The No. 103 overall recruit in the 2018 class, LeDee committed to Ohio State over Baylor, Houston, Texas, Arizona and UCLA. However, after one season with the Buckeyes — in which he made 26 appearances and averaged 3.1 points per game —  the 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward departed from Columbus.

Once he entered the transfer portal, the Houston native returned to the Lone Star State and played at TCU for two seasons. LeDee didn’t make much impact for the Horned Frogs, recording 2.7 and 5.8 points per game in his two seasons.

LeDee entered the transfer portal a second time and landed at San Diego State.

The third school’s the charm.

After a redshirt season in 2021-22, LeDee established himself as one of San Diego State's top contributors amid the program’s run to last season’s national championship. In 2023-24, LeDee’s numbers exploded, and he averaged 21.5 points (on 56.4% shooting), 8.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest.

LaDee's college career ended with an 18-point, eight-rebound performance against the defending national champions. That's not a bad way to go out – not bad at all.

*raises a glass*

Cheers to a great career, Jaedon LeDee. Cheers.

 10 UNITS STRONG. ATTENTION: Former Ohio State defensive back Tyvis Powell has a message for Eleven Warriors readers about a new campaign from The 1870 Society, Ohio State football’s premier name, image and likeness collective.

Here is all of what Powell said but in written form... 

Buckeye Nation,

The 1870 Society is excited to announce the launch of the 10 Units Strong Spring Game Experience.

Here’s the deal: Each coach on the Ohio State football staff will be able to be sponsored by one lucky bidder via the online auction for the experience. The highest bidder for each coach’s package will receive an interactive experience with their coach at the 2024 Spring Game. The package for each coach will include:

Two (2) Pre-Game Field Passes
Four (4) Tickets to the 2024 Spring Game
Pre-Game Photo with the Coach You Sponsor
Social Media Shoutout from the Coach You Sponsor

The coach will wear an authentic Ohio State jersey with the name and number of your choice during the 2024 pre-game activities. This jersey will then be signed and given to YOU.

Last but not least, there will be ONLY TWO Honorary Coach packages for Team Scarlet and Team Gray. The winner of these packages will be able to watch the 2024 Spring game from the sideline while wearing Official Coaching Sideline gear provided by The 1870 Society.

Don’t miss your chance to see the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes up close and personal. Go Bucks!

Just imagine – you're at the Shoe for Ohio State’s spring game and Brian Hartline runs out of the tunnel with an authentic jersey with a name and number you selected by you. Oh, and afterward, he will autograph that same jersey and hold it up with you as you take a photo on the field.

That sounds awesome.

You won't want to miss your chance at this one-of-a-kind experience.

 SONG OF THE DAY. “I Wanna Be With You” - The Raspberries.

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