Welcome to the Skull Session.
Jack Sawyer shared his first impression of Jeremiah Smith on Tuesday.
Jack Sawyers first impression of Jeremiah Smith? pic.twitter.com/dgNivojXwR
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) July 23, 2024
I had a similar reaction when I watched Smith at Ohio State’s practices in March.
This kid is goooooooooood.
Have a great Wednesday.
BLOCK OUT THE NOISE. In a 15-minute press conference at Big Ten Media Days, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day expressed excitement for the 2024 season.
With one of the best rosters in America, Day understands the pressure surrounding the Buckeyes this fall, and his three-part solution for Ohio State to alleviate said pressure is simple: Focus on “the next step,” don’t let “distractions grab our focus” and become perfect in “the no-talent issues.”
“Our focus is on this preseason. It’s the next step. And, sure, a lot of coaches will say it, that you can’t focus on what happened the year before, and you can’t get too worried about what’s coming down the road, ” Day said. “But we all know there’s a lot of noise and a lot of hype around this team. What we can’t do is let those distractions grab our focus from what we need to do day in and day out. We know it’s gonna be a long season.
"We have to have a great preseason. We have to have a physical preseason. We have to lay the foundation for what’s gonna come as we head throughout the season. We are very, very excited about our guys. We have great experience in that locker room and some great talent. But it’s gonna take more than talent. It’s gonna take all the no-talent issues to get to where we want to be and reach our goals.”
Speaking of noise, Paul Finebaum of ESPN made some on Tuesday – eh, more like a lot on Tuesday. In an appearance on “First Take,” the television and radio host criticized Day for Ohio State’s performances against Michigan in each of the past three seasons.
“YOU STUNK IN ALL THREE GAMES.” Before I share Finebaum’s criticism, allow me to provide some context. On Tuesday, Day appeared on “Get Up,” where host Mike Greenberg asked, among other questions, how the Buckeyes have handled three consecutive losses to Michigan. Day's answer was then featured on “First Take,” where Finebaum decided to unleash on the Ohio State head coach.
DAY: “One of the biggest struggles that we have is when you lose a game like that, you have to wait another year to get back into that game. For our guys who decided to come back — we have about 12 guys who made the decision to come back, and that was one of the big reasons they decided to come back — we have to build every day and grow every day and count on the work we’re doing on a daily basis. That’s gonna matter as we get to the end of the season. What we can’t do is get too far ahead of ourselves and start to focus too much on that and get distracted. That’s just the bottom line. When you come to Ohio State, you have to win that game.”
FINEBAUM: “I have no idea what he’s talking about. I mean, he’s lost that game three years in a row and he’s talking about how his players are motivated to come back and play. I heard that three years ago, two years ago and last year, and you stunk in all three games. I mean, what are you talking about? Here’s the problem when talking about Ryan Day. You look at his record… and it’s gaudy. Nobody has a record like him. Except you can’t choke the biggest game of the year. If he can’t beat Michigan this year — he’s got probably the best team in the country along with Georgia, after Harbaugh leaves, after all those great players depart and after a national championship — he oughta be gone. It’s as simple as that. That’s the biggest game in the year in the Big Ten. And I realize that Ohio State played for a national championship a couple of years ago against Alabama — and only lost by 28 points. They’ve been to the playoffs, but still, that program hasn’t won a national championship since 2014 when Urban Meyer was there, so quit making excuses Ryan Day and quit acting like your players have given up something to come back. Three years ago, they came back. Two years ago, they came back. One year ago, they came back. It’s been the same result, 0-3 in the last three games against Michigan.”
Noise, noise, noise. It's all noise... it's all pressure.
Quick! What's the solution to alleviate pressure?!
Focus on “the next step,” don’t let “distractions grab our focus” and become perfect in “the no-talent issues.”
“IT’S A GREAT TIME TO BE A BUCKEYE.” You ever think about how wild January and February were in Columbus?
I do.
Those months were so wild that I had a BOOM Counter™ featured in multiple Skull Sessions keeping track of veteran Buckeyes returning and both transfers and high school prospects committing.
Six months later, Day remains grateful for Buckeye Nation’s support as Ohio State reloaded its roster and added Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins, Seth McLaughlin, Will Kacmarek and Caleb Downs. Day expressed his gratitude at Big Ten Media Days in an interview with Steve Wiltfong on On3.
Talked with Ryan Day about Ohio State's terrific 2025 recruiting class at Big Ten media day.
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) July 23, 2024
I think the thing that fires me up is the fact that none of these guys lead with NIL, he said. I mean, theyre not looking for that first. They want to be Ohio State Buckeyes. pic.twitter.com/LZHGEsDIP7
“The community rallied behind our players, and it started with the players who decided to come back this year. The (community) created the resources that we need to provide them an opportunity to want to be here. Because if it’s all equal, we feel great about what Ohio State is and the city of Columbus,” Day said. “It’s a great time to be a Buckeye for a lot of reasons. I am really thankful for all those people who have helped us and backed our players.”
Day then praised individuals and businesses in Columbus who have offered sponsorships and endorsements to athletes, calling the contributions vital to the Buckeyes.
“When you’re in Columbus, there’s a lot of other opportunities outside of just what goes on with collectives,” he explained. “Those things are (important). Our guys are so marketable. I think that’s another thing that I’ve really appreciated here is that our guys are marketable at Ohio State. We have two million people in the Greater Columbus Area. Our fan base is so big that (our players) can make money with what goes on with the collectives, but they also get the opportunity to make a bunch from endorsements as well.”
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| CB | DEVIN SANCHEZ | ★★★★★ | #5 NATL | #1 CB |
| CB | NA'EEM OFFORD | ★★★★★ | #7 NATL | #3 CB |
| QB | TAVIEN ST. CLAIR | ★★★★★ | #9 NATL | #2 QB |
| LB | RILEY PETTIJOHN | ★★★★★ | #29 NATL | #3 LB |
| S | FAHEEM DELANE | ★★★★ | #35 NATL | #2 S |
| WR | QUINCY PORTER | ★★★★ | #45 NATL | #7 WR |
| LB | TARVOS ALFORD | ★★★★ | #47 NATL | #5 LB |
| OT | CARTER LOWE | ★★★★ | #49 NATL | #6 OT |
| DE | ZAHIR MATHIS | ★★★★ | #62 NATL | #6 Edge |
| RB | BO JACKSON | ★★★★ | #77 NATL | #4 RB |
| DE | ZION GRADY | ★★★★ | #80 NATL | #7 Edge |
| DE | LONDON MERRITT | ★★★★ | #121 NATL | #15 DL |
| TE | NATE ROBERTS | ★★★★ | #148 NATL | #7 TE |
| DT | MAXWELL ROY | ★★★★ | #229 NATL | #27 DL |
| WR | DE'ZIE JONES | ★★★★ | #293 NATL | #40 WR |
| S | DESHAWN STEWART | ★★★★ | #295 NATL | #25 S |
| DT | TRAJEN ODOM | ★★★★ | #298 NATL | #34 DL |
| TE | BRODY LENNON | ★★★★ | #354 NATL | #18 TE |
| S | CODY HADDAD | ★★★★ | #384 NATL | #21 ATH |
| LB | ELI LEE | ★★★★ | #387 NATL | #39 LB |
| DT | JARQUEZ CARTER | ★★★★ | #395 NATL | #42 DL |
| RB | ISAIAH WEST | ★★★ | #551 NATL | #45 RB |
| WR | BODPEGN MILLER | ★★★ | #596 NATL | #94 WR |
| OL | JAKE COOK | ★★★ | #641 NATL | #40 IOL |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite | |||
While NIL has become an important part of the program’s short and long-term health, Day said collectives, endorsements and sponsorships should still take a backseat to a player’s desire to win games, conference titles and national championships. Ohio State’s top-ranked 2025 recruiting class has encouraged Day in that regard. He said none of the Buckeyes’ commits “lead with NIL” when discussing their futures in Columbus.
“That fires me up,” Day said. “It’s the fact that none of these guys lead with NIL. I mean, they’re not looking for that first. They want to be Ohio State Buckeyes. They’ve embraced the tradition and know how important it is to be a Buckeye. They want to win a national championship when they’re here.”
While Wiltfong had Day’s attention, he asked him to share how Ohio State needs to close out the 2025 class.
“The big one is probably the offensive line that we really need to finish strong with,” Day responded.
Sooooooo… David Sanders Jr. and Josh Petty?
Got it.
WHAT THE DUCK? As Big Ten Media Days started in Indianapolis, an inflatable duck was spotted on the White River. Of course, that duck represented Oregon, one of four new schools added to the Big Ten this summer, along with UCLA, USC and Washington.
The Oregon Duck has arrived in Indianapolis for #B1GMediaDays! #B1GFootball x @TheOregonDuck pic.twitter.com/cpL1quw4Lk
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) July 23, 2024
Should a massive Oregon Duck in the White River amuse me? Maybe not. But it did on Tuesday – and so did this tweet from "The Duck," the official X account for Oregon's webfooted mascot.
— The Duck (@TheOregonDuck) July 23, 2024
Head coach Dan Lanning, quarterback Dillon Gabriel, tight end Terrance Ferguson and linebacker Jeffrey Bassa will attend Big Ten Media Days on Thursday. Oregon is a popular preseason pick to contend with Ohio State for the Big Ten title this season. The Buckeyes and Ducks will square off in Eugene on Oct. 12.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Last Resort" - Papa Roach.
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