Welcome to the Skull Session.
No more sleeps.
Work Week Done pic.twitter.com/mPWYJ241mO
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 30, 2024
The 2024 Ohio State football season kicks off at 3:30 p.m.
Have a great Saturday.
ZIPS GET ZILCH, NADA. The Akron Game Trailer made me think about how far Ohio State has come this offseason – the longest offseason ever.
“What’s a destination without the journey? It’s the journey that really tells the whole story," Archie Griffin said in the trailer. He later added, "This is just the beginning."
The beginning of the 2024 regular season? Yes.
The beginning of the 2024 Buckeyes' journey? No.
For the past three years, the Ohio State football program has suffered wounds. Three losses to Michigan, a loss to Georgia in the College Football Playoff and a loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl. No Gold Pants, no Big Ten titles and no national championships. Those painful results – the ones that create deep, deep scars – led to one of the greatest offseasons of all time.
TreVeyon Henderson, Emeka Egbuka, Donovan Jackson, Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton, Cody Simon, Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock and Lathan Ransom all returned for another year at Ohio State.
Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins, Seth McLaughlin, Will Kacmarek, Caleb Downs and Julian Sayin all committed to the Buckeyes out of the transfer portal.
Chip Kelly became Ohio State's offensive coordinator, Carlos Locklyn the running backs coach, James Laurinaitis the linebackers coach and Matt Guerrieri the safeties coach.
All of those additions were to ensure Ohio State's 2024 season doesn't end without hardware. They were to ensure Ohio State's 2024 season ends in greatness.
Griffin knows all about that.
“The journey to greatness is paved with more than just talent. It’s forged in the fires of relentless effort and unwavering commitment," Griffin said. "The road ahead won't be easy, but this is what we've been building toward. Our own journey unlike any other."
That journey continues on Saturday.
Ohio State 66 - Akron 0
THE MENU. Oh, it's good to be back...
The second Saturday of the 2024 college football season is here. This weekend, No. 14 Clemson and No. 1 Georgia will battle at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at noon, and No. 7 Notre Dame travels to No. 20 Texas A&M at 7:30 p.m. Outside of those contests, there are no ranked showdowns left on the TV schedule. Nevertheless, it's college football – and college football is great no matter the strength of the teams!
Here is a look at The Menu for Week 1 (Saturday):
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Clemson vs 1 Georgia (in Atlanta, GA) | 12:00pm | ABC/ESPN+ |
| Illinois State at 25 Iowa | 12:00pm | BTN |
| 8 Penn State at West Virginia | 12:00pm | FOX |
| UConn at Maryland | 12:00pm | FS1 |
| Virginia Tech at Vanderbilt | 12:00pm | ESPN |
| Bucknell at Navy | 12:00pm | CBSSN |
| Kent State at Pitt | 12:00pm | ESPNU |
| Austin Peay at Louisville | 12:00pm | ACCN |
| Indiana State at Purdue | 12:00pm | BTN |
| Chattanooga at 15 Tennessee | 12:45pm | SECN |
| South Dakota State at 17 Oklahoma State | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Towson at Cincinnati | 2:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Portland State at Washington State | 3:00pm | The CW |
| Kennesaw State at UTSA | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Akron at 2 Ohio State | 3:30pm | CBS/Paramount+ |
| Merrimack at Air Force | 3:30pm | CBSSN |
| Colorado State at 4 Texas | 3:30pm | ESPN |
| Eastern Michigan at UMass | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| ETSU at Appalachian State | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| FIU at Indiana | 3:30pm | BTN |
| Miami (Ohio) at Northwestern | 3:30pm | BTN |
| North Dakota at Iowa State | 3:30pm | FS1 |
| Ohio at Syracuse | 3:30pm | ACCN |
| 19 Miami (FL) at Florida | 3:30pm | ABC/ESPN+ |
| UTEP at Nebraska | 3:30pm | FOX |
| Western Illinois at NIU | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Boise State at Georgia Southern | 4:00pm | ESPNU |
| Old Dominion at South Carolina | 4:15pm | SECN |
| UC Davis at California | 5:00pm | ACCNX |
| Stony Brook at Marshall | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| North Texas at South Alabama | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Eastern Kentucky at Mississippi State | 6:00pm | SECN+/ESPN+ |
| Richmond at Virginia | 6:00pm | ACCNX |
| Norfolk State at East Carolina | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Campbell at Liberty | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Idaho State at Oregon State | 6:30pm | The CW |
| Nevada at Troy | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Tarleton State at Baylor | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Tennessee Tech at Middle Tennessee | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bethune-Cookman at USF | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| North Alabama at Memphis | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Central Arkansas at Arkansas State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UNLV at Houston | 7:00pm | FS1 |
| Sam Houston at Rice | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UT Martin at 18 Kansas State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| WKU at 5 Alabama | 7:00pm | ESPN |
| Furman at 6 Ole Miss | 7:00pm | SECN+/ESPN+ |
| Abilene Christian at Texas Tech | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| 7 Notre Dame at 20 Texas A&M | 7:30pm | ABC/ESPN+ |
| Fresno State at 9 Michigan | 7:30pm | NBC/Peacock |
| UCLA at Hawaii | 7:30pm | CBS/Paramount+ |
| Idaho at 3 Oregon | 7:30pm | BTN |
| Alabama A&M at Auburn | 7:30pm | SECN+/ESPN+ |
| Southern Miss at Kentucky | 7:45pm | SECN |
| James Madison at Charlotte | 8:00pm | ESPNU |
| Grambling State at Louisiana | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| HCU at SMU | 8:00pm | ACCNX |
| Robert Morris at Utah State | 8:00pm | KMYU/MWN |
| Nicholls at Louisiana Tech | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Georgia State at Georgia Tech | 8:00pm | ACCN |
| Lamar at Texas State | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Texas A&M-Commerce at San Diego State | 8:00pm | truTV/Max |
| Southern Illinois at BYU | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Southeast Missouri at New Mexico State | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| New Mexico at 21 Arizona | 10:30pm | ESPN |
| Wyoming at Arizona State | 10:30pm | FS1 |
| Weber State at Washington | 11:00pm | BTN |
MY PICKS. Someone cooked here...
That's what I said when I looked back on My Picks from the 2023 college football season. Last fall, I went 26-12 in selecting spreads from college football games across America. I capped off the season with a 5-0 record in the New Year's Six and College Football Playoff picks (thanks be to Ole Miss, Georgia, Oregon, Alabama and Washington).
- Penn State at WVU (+8.5): Penn State has quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen as weapons on offense. It has defensive end Abdul Carter, linebackers Kobe King and Dominic DeLuca and defensive back Kevin Winston Jr. as weapons on defense. Still, the Nittany Lions will be on the road in Morgantown and Milan Puskar Stadium. Penn State wins, but WVU covers behind an inspired performance from quarterback Garrett Greene.
- Miami (Ohio) (+3) at Northwestern: F— it, we ball. Miami is a contender for the Group of Five bid in the 2024 College Football Playoff. What better way to start the 2024 season than with a win over a Power Four school on the road? I like the Redhawks to upset the Wildcats in their makeshift football stadium off the shores of Lake Michigan.
- Notre Dame (+3) at Texas A&M: Marcus Freeman will have one of the best defenses in America this season, with Benjamin Morrison, Howard Cross III and Xavier Watts set to be its stars. The Irish will also feature Duke transfer quarterback Riley Leonard on offense, as well as a trademark tight end threat in Mitchell Evans. Given the team's talent and experience, I expect Freeman and Notre Dame to leave Kyle Field with a win, though the game could be a mess, and the final score could be close.
BACK TO THE BUCKEYES. In 1893, the Heisman Trophy's namesake, John Heisman, became the head football coach at Buchtel College, now known as Akron University. Before Heisman went on to coach at Auburn, Clemson and Georgia, he provided a boost to the Buchtel program, leading his team to a 12-6 win over Ohio State in a five-team tournament at the 1894 Ohio State Fair.
While Ohio State holds a 5-0 record over Akron in the 130 years since – the Buckeyes secured wins in 1895, 2001, 2007, 2011 and 2021 – former Eleven Warriors reporter Jeremy Birmingham asked Day this week if he's discussed the program's lone loss to Akron with his team.
"Have you let everyone know that 130 years ago, Akron won 12-6?" Birmingham asked.
"I have not," Day responded.
The pressroom erupted in laughter.
Day's quip was Joke of the Day™. Then Tim May asked the Ohio State head coach if he planned to watch the Connor Stalions documentary on Netflix.
"No," Day said with a smile.
That response landed. It landed, for sure.
But I digress.
As I mentioned above, Ohio State should have no issues with Akron on Saturday. And if the Buckeyes somehow suffer a loss to the Zips – well, cancel the season.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Hells Bells" - AC/DC.
CUT TO THE CHASE. NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars begins steep climb to rim of a crater... Sweaty corn is making it even more humid... Newborn rattlesnakes at a Colorado ‘mega den’ are making their live debut... Ohio's hidden gem: The best hiking trail in America almost never was.
