Welcome to the Skull Session.
C.J. Stroud – still good at football.
New season, same C.J. Stroud pic.twitter.com/if4GcLiWUj
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) August 9, 2024
Have a good Monday.
A COMPETITIVE EDGE. The Buckeyes love to trash talk. Well, some Buckeyes love to trash talk. The wide receivers and the cornerbacks do. The safeties, too.
This preseason, Ohio State pass catchers Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss and Jeremiah Smith, and pass defenders Denzel Burke, Davison Igbinosun, Jordan Hancock, Caleb Downs, Lathan Ransom and Jermaine Mathews Jr. have talked mess – and a lot of it. To me, that’s a mark of confidence I haven’t seen in the Ohio State football program for a long time.
Over the weekend, Eleven Warriors reporter Garrick Hodge wrote about Igbinosun, who has developed a reputation as one of Ohio State’s prominent trash talkers. What’s more, Igbinosun talks trash, and then he backs it up.
“Talking trash forces me to bring it every single day because I have to back it up,” he said.
Inniss called that Igbinosun’s “competitive edge.” He thinks a lot of Buckeyes have that this season and I would agree – not just because those Buckeyes run their mouths, but because those Buckeyes hold themselves to a public standard of excellence. I haven’t seen that in the Ohio State football program for a long time, either.
Remember when TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 270 yards and three touchdowns in Ohio State’s win over Tulsa in 2021? After the game, in which he broke Archie Griffin’s freshman record set in 1972, Henderson said, “I told y’all before the season that I had goals for myself, and I reached one of those goals today. But I have plenty more, so I have to keep working.”
We never learned what Henderson’s goals were. He never made them public.
But the 2024 Buckeyes?
Their goals are as public as can be.
Inniss said he’s “definitely gonna get” a punt return touchdown this season. The last Buckeye to score a punt return touchdown was Jalin Marshall in 2014. (It’s been 10 years! 10!)
Tate wants to surpass 1,000 receiving yards this year and become one of eight receivers to accomplish that feat, including Cris Carter, Terry Glenn, David Boston, Michael Jenkins, Parris Campbell, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. (twice). “I feel like it’s my time now. If not now, then when? I feel like I’m ready,” he said.
Hancock wants to record “at least five interceptions” in 2024. That would put him just outside the top 10 in Ohio State’s record book for single-season interceptions, where names like Mike Sensibaugh, Craig Cassady, Neal Colzie, Fred Bruney, Sonny Gordon, Vinnie Clark and Malik Hooker have been immortalized.
I could continue, but here’s the point: The 2024 Buckeyes have a competitive edge. That could be the difference between Ohio State beating Michigan, winning a Big Ten championship and winning a national title this season when it has not accomplished those three feats in the same season in a decade.
“BRING A LOT OF ENERGY.” Before Ohio State trainers shut Inniss down in spring football, the sophomore wide receiver had put himself on Ryan Day’s radar.
“I think you’re seeing a different player,” Day said in March. “His body changed completely from where it was last summer. When he’s in the right shape, he’s really talented. He has great short-area quickness. He has a competitive fire in him. He was really good in winter workouts. He got called out on the mat and won. He’s a fierce competitor, a football player, tough. The guy you want on your team, that’s Brandon Inniss.”
Now back to full strength, Inniss continues to make his presence felt – both on and off the field.
“He got voted onto the leadership committee on our team, which is about 16 to 20 of our guys who the team looks to as leaders,” Egbuka said. “You can see how people think of him on this team. They think highly of him. He comes in every day. He has a very fiery competitive nature and he puts in really hard work day in and day out. Even though he hasn’t seen the field too much yet, we have no concern that when he does step onto the field he will make a great impact.”
What could that great impact look like?
“I bring a lot of energy to the team. Coming off of last year, we needed more energy as a whole unit. I feel like I can be one of those high-energy guys that drives an offense and drives a team to be great,” Inniss explained.
Inniss then said Ohio State needed more energy and intensity in its loss to Michigan last year.
“After the ‘Team Up North’ game last year, just watching the film, I was disgusted (with) the whole game – not really with certain plays, but I feel like I could do a lot when I get on the field and bring more intensity to how we’re playing,” Inniss said.
Disgusted with the Michigan game?
Weren’t we all?
With his competitiveness and his work ethic, Inniss seems poised to have a breakout sophomore season in 2024. I think Egbuka would agree with that.
“He came up playing running back for a lot of his life. He played a little quarterback here and there. Now, he’s a receiver. He can do a lot of different things,” Egbuka said. “We try to put him in a position where he can be the most successful. And the position that makes him the most successful is just the ball in his hands.”
“WILL HOWARD’S BEEN GAMING.” On Wednesday, I submitted a vote of confidence in Will Howard as Ohio State’s QB1. At that time, the 6-foot-4, 237-pound quarterback had looked more comfortable in the pocket and added accuracy and zip to his passes. He had also showed off his wheels, running for an 80-yard touchdown in practice.
A little over 48 hours later, some of Ohio State’s wide receivers and cornerbacks offered rave reviews about Howard, making me feel great about that vote.
Emeka Egbuka
“You can feel kind of his fifth-year presence when he gets onto the field. He gets in the huddle, takes command of it and lets everybody know their assignments and what they got. He’s kind of like a field general out there. He has tremendous confidence in his ability, so that bleeds out throughout the entire offense and we’re able to play fast. … It’s all coming with time. He just continues to get better and better every practice.”
Denzel Burke
“Will Howard’s been gaming. He’s gotten a lot better. He’s been doing his things. Great reads. He’s only thrown one interception all camp. He’s a great leader, a great person, a vet. He’s a great quarterback. … For me, his pocket presence, how he handles his team, how he breaks the huddle, how he finishes plays, how he handles the live periods when it’s good on good and when the ball is down. Just seeing the ball he throws and what he’s been doing on the field moving the ball. He’s a great add to the team. … He’s definitely been balling. I’m really proud of him. He’s been going really hard, playing really well (and making) good decisions with the ball. Especially when you go against this defense, it’s not gonna be easy in practice, but he’s been making really good decisions and he’s been doing good.”
Brandon Inniss
“I would definitely say he looks more comfortable. He’s taken great leadership of the huddle and the offense. … He’s the leader. Everybody listens to him when he’s in the huddle. He’s the commander. The quarterbacks have been very good, but he’s been on a different level right now. … He makes plays every single day that you’re surprised by. It’s like, ‘There’s another play. There he goes again.’”
Jeremiah Smith
“He definitely made a big jump from the spring. I like his confidence. He’s starting to talk more — talk a lot of mess on the field. I like that about my quarterback. I love quarterbacks who like to talk and, you know, get around his players and make them feel good. … He talks on the field. He says a lot of stuff I can’t say, but he talks, for sure.”
Trash talk?
That’s a mark of confidence.
Confidence gives a competitive edge.
A competitive edge could be the difference.
Oh yeah, it’s all coming together.
As I said last week, I’m sold on Howard as Ohio State’s starter. Let him be the “field general,” the “commander” and the “vet.” Let him talk mess. And, most importantly, let him cook.
“FIRST SNAP, HE’LL BE STARTING.” Former Ohio State linebacker Anthony Schlegel assisted strength coach Mick Marotti this offseason in the weight room, leading the Buckeyes in winter workouts, summer workouts and more.
Now, Schlegel seems to be back on his regularly scheduled programming as a co-host on The Bobby Carpenter Show. Over the weekend, Carpenter asked Schlegel, “Is JJ Smith out there the first snap of the Ohio State offense?”
Schlegels answer?
Is J.J. Smith out there the first snap of the Ohio State offense?
— Bobby Carpenter Show (@BobbyCarpShow) August 11, 2024
"Yes, next question." -@schlegelvellie
presented by: @drinkgaragebeer pic.twitter.com/hVkETvFB2O
“Yes, next question,” he said with a laugh. “He’s got to earn it. … (But) JJ just wins. Remember this: leadership has no age. Playing time has no age. You gotta be a senior to play at Ohio State? False. (The) best players play. Dude goes out there during spring ball not taking one reps – nothing is given to him – he actually is taking threes. He earned it, went to the seconds and got a little dabble with the firsts. Boom, now he’s running with the ones. Offseason, winter conditioning, summer conditioning, wins everything. First snap, he’ll be starting.”
You heard the man!
First snap!
SONG OF THE DAY. "Evergreen" - Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners (feat. CAAMP)
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