Skull Session: A “Funky Virus” Travels Through Ohio State’s Offensive Line and Ryan Day Makes Guardian Caps Mandatory for the Buckeyes During Preseason Practices

Marvelous Marv will make his NFL (preseason) debut on Saturday.

Listen up folks,

MHJ is hitting the field on Saturday

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 8, 2024

Have a good Friday.

 “A FUNKY VIRUS.” I have been under the weather this week. I think it’s the change of season. Not the calendar season — I know it’s still summer — but the season of life. At the start of Ohio State fall camp, I went from 0 to 100, from articles about a college football video game to actual college football. That led to stress, which led to a weakened immune system, which led to sickness. 

Or, I could have a virus? 

I think it’s the former, but it could be the latter. 

As for the Ohio State offensive line, it’s definitely the latter.

When I arrived at Ohio State’s seventh preseason practice, I watched Seth McLaughlin vomit all over the field. Later, Deontae Armstrong waddled to the locker room — we all know what that means — and when he returned to the field, he vomited on the turf not far from where McLaughlin let loose earlier.

While those Buckeyes braved a three-hour practice on Thursday, several linemen, including Josh Simmons, Carson Hinzman and George Fitzpatrick, missed the session with conditions I imagine were far worse than McLaughlin and Armstrong were so kind to let me see.

“We have a little bit of a funky virus going on with that group right there,” Ryan Day said after practice. “We’re hoping to flush that out by the end of the week because it created a little bit of guys being in and out. … But other than that, the (offensive line) has had a great offseason. We’re hoping we can kind of get in a rhythm with those guys here heading into next week.”

A reporter asked Day if the viral infection and the absences it caused would impact the staff’s evaluation of certain positions.

“It hasn’t affected us yet,” Day said. “It did a little bit today. We had a couple of things show up. A couple of guys on the offensive line had to double up, and I called them out after practice and gave them a shoutout because that wasn’t easy. Now, it wasn’t perfect. But they were tough and gritty and gutted it out.

“If this continues like this, then it will have an effect. If we can kind of flush this out here soon, then I think it’ll be a bump in the road. We’ll see how this weekend shakes out.”

 GUARDIAN CAPS. In 2022, Ohio State offensive lineman Zen Michalski and defensive tackle Tyleik Williams were among a handful of Buckeyes to wear Guardian Caps during fall camp. This preseason, Day made it mandatory for Ohio State’s players to wear the soft shells. The head coach chose that path after a conversation with Ohio State department of neurological surgery chair Dr. Russell Lonser.

“We had a meeting with Dr. Lonser, who is a neurosurgeon here on campus. He has had a relationship with the NFL subcommittee on concussions,” Day said. “We looked into it last year and allowed it to be optional for our players. But (Lonser) shared with us the data coming out of the NFL last season on those who had Guardian Caps going against each other. It was hard not to recognize it. There was definitely an improvement in that area based on the data we received.

"We made it mandatory for our team. The NFL, that was their policy here in the preseason, and we followed that. They’re gonna carry it into the season is what I’ve been told, so we’re gonna do the same thing.”

Ohio State running backs Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson, Sam Williams-Dixon and James Peoples sport Guardian Caps during the Buckeyes' seventh preseason practice.

According to the NFL, Guardian Caps reduce helmet force by 10% if one player is wearing the soft shell and by 20% if two players are wearing the soft shell. The NFL also has data showing that Guardian Caps have resulted in a 50% reduction in concussions for players who wear them during training camp. 

“If it can protect our players and it’s safe, then we’ll do that,” Day said. “We wanted to see the data. The data has shown that we should do it, so that’s what we’re doing. The guys have embraced it. There was really no pushback from our players.”

This NFL season, teams will allow players to wear Guardian Caps in regular-season games. Since the NFL has opened that door, I wouldn’t be surprised if the NCAA adopts a similar rule in the future. If and when it does, will an Ohio State player ever wear a Guardian Cap in a game? If a player did, what would that Guardian Cap look like? Could it look like a classic Ohio State helmet?

Time will tell.

 “IT’S A GREAT STORY TO THIS DAY.” Jim Tressel’s podcast, “It’s All About the Team,” is off to an exceptional start. Through 13 episodes, the former Ohio State head coach has interviewed guests like A.J. Hawk, Day, Nate Ebner, Maurice Clarett, Marcus Freeman and Cameron Heyward.

In this section, I want to discuss something Tressel discussed in his episodes with both Freeman and Heyward. That’s the time Heyward knocked out some of Freeman’s teeth during The Game in 2010.

“It’s a great story to this day,” Freeman said, reflecting on the moment that occurred while he was a graduate assistant for Tressel and the Buckeyes. “It’s freezing cold. It’s the Ohio State-Michigan game. Cam makes a huge play, and I’m young, and oh man, I have to go chest bump him. We go up and I see him just coming. Cam knows one speed, and that’s speed. He comes. We chest bump. And I just remember stumbling and I felt my teeth. One tooth was gone, and the other tooth was halfway chipped off. And I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’”

Freeman said he crawled on the ground looking for his missing tooth but couldn’t find it. He recalled Luke Fickell screaming through the headset, “Hey, it doesn’t matter. You gotta coach. We gotta coach. Let’s go!” So Freeman asked a trainer for some gauze and moved on.

“I didn’t get much sympathy,” Freeman told Tressel with a laugh.

Two episodes later, Freeman asked if Heyward remembers knocking Freeman’s teeth out.

He didn’t.

“Wait, I knocked Marcus’ teeth out?” Heyward asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Tressel answered. “In fact, he was just on our podcast. He said you made a big play, and you came running off, and he was a GA, and he jumped up to chest bump you, and you knocked his front two teeth out.”

“He didn’t tell me!”

“Well, he was down on the field looking for his teeth. He said his wife was crying because of the way he looked after the game. But she’s happy now. It’s all good.”

“Well, I’m sorry, Free.”

Freeman was spot on.

It’s a great story to this day.

 SOMETHING TO PROVE. In 2022, Emeka Egbuka was one of the best receivers in college football. Then, in 2023, he fell off the map due to an ankle sprain. But here he is, back at Ohio State, ready to remind everyone how great he can be.

For example...

Same @emeka_egbuka, different day pic.twitter.com/nHVFoHB2JJ

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 8, 2024

That's a baaaaaaaaaad man, folks.

I think he'll have something to prove this season. Don't you?

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Mama Said Knock You Out" - LL Cool J.

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