Skull Session: Lou Holtz Says Ryan Day “Knows How to Win,” D'Angelo Russell Returns to Ohio State’s Campus and Denzel Burke Names His Buckeye DB Mount Rushmore

By Chase Brown on August 30, 2024 at 5:00 am
Ryan Day
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

One more sleep.

Have a good Friday.

 “RYAN DAY KNOWS HOW TO WIN.” Man, remember when Lou Holtz called Notre Dame "a better football team" than Ohio State? Remember when he said the Buckeyes lacked toughness — that the top-10 showdown in South Bend, Indiana, would be "a full damn day's work" for Day and his team?

How could you not?

Holtz's comments led Day to scream I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE LOU HOLTZ IS RIGHT NOW! after Ohio State defeated Notre Dame, 17-14, in comeback fashion. (The Buckeyes trailed the Irish, 14-10, with 1:26 remaining before Kyle McCord led the team on a game-winning drive that ended with a Chip Trayanum 1-yard touchdown run.)

Day's memorable rant occurred on Sept. 23, 2023. Almost a full year later, Rob Oller of The Columbus Dispatch tracked down Holtz to discuss the 2024 Buckeyes.

Does Holtz think Ohio State is a worse team than Notre Dame? Does he believe the Buckeyes still lack toughness?

No, and no.

Instead of demeaning Day and Ohio State a second time, the 87-year-old chose to compliment the head coach and his team.

"I think they should be No. 1," Holtz told Oller. "They have four preseason All-Americans (Denzel Burke, Caleb Downs, Emeka Egbuka and Donovan Jackson). They're a great football team, and Ryan Day knows how to win."

That's on record.

A great football team.

Ryan Day knows how to win.

What a difference a year makes.

 #LOADING... D'Angelo Russell visited Ohio State's campus this summer, and on Wednesday, the former Ohio State men's basketball star posted a YouTube video that documented his return to Columbus.

As Russell participated in the men's basketball program's annual "Vet Week," Russell's film crew followed him around the Schottenstein Center. The crew then traveled with him to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, where Russell experienced an "official visit" with the football team. Russell also interviewed Jake Diebler and Day in both locations.

Two moments from the video stood out to me. One, the comment Russell made to Diebler soon after the latter called Ohio State his "dream job." Two, how Day described The Game and "the pain" the Buckeyes have experienced the past three seasons.

So, one: the comment Russell made to Diebler inspired me to have complete belief in the program Diebler will create at Ohio State.

"We do this vet camp; this is the second annual. We want to make it as many years as we can, continue to give back and do what we want. It feels so natural with someone like yourself in this position," Russell said. "There's not gonna be another head coach in this position that's gonna appreciate this and worked as hard as you and have the passion behind it to run through a brick wall than you. Your players are gonna be a product of that. Once Ohio State has your blood in it — and it's, like, boom, boom, boom, three years, four years — it'll be like, 'He's exactly what we thought he was gonna be.' Don't be surprised by this future success that's coming your way. I've seen it. I feel it now. I feel like this is so big. We're gonna be here. We're gonna be in the Final Four... and it's gonna be like, 'Yeah, I'm a proud Buckeye.'"

And, two: Day's description of The Game and how the Ohio State program has handled three consecutive losses to Michigan has me so excited to see the Buckeyes and Wolverines clash in late November.

“As you put your team together, as you put together the scheme, as you do all those things, that game has to be where you start. You almost kind of work back from there. That's something I've kind of recognized here in the last couple of years you have to do. Whether it's your roster, the way you practice, the way you scheme — to win that game is where it starts,” Day said. “This year, more than ever, our guys have felt the pain of the last couple of years. We wake up every morning and think about The Game, work The Game. That's how you show respect for the rivalry. It's to wake up and think about it every day.”

I'll say it — those are good quotes!

 WOW, WOW, WOW... WOW. I love Chipotle. I love it. I could eat Chipotle for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Like, I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week, 365 days a year. So, when Chipotle announced Ohio State student-athletes — both scholarship and walk-on — would receive a card granting them free Chipotle for their entire athletic season, I became jealous.

In addition to a new advertisement titled "THE" that features Ohio State football stars TreVeyon Henderson, Denzel Burke and Jeremiah Smith, Chipotle announced Thursday that "every scholarship and walk-on student-athlete at The Ohio State University will receive a customized card granting them free Chipotle for the entirety of their respective athletic seasons." The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation also created a scholarship for students enrolled in Ohio State's college of food, agriculture and environmental sciences.

From a Chipotle press release:

The passion for Chipotle among Ohio State athletes is fervent. Ohio State is among the top five four-year universities that consume the most Chipotle.

"With so many Buckeyes routinely visiting our High Street restaurant on campus and our strong connection to the Columbus community with a Restaurant Support Center in the Arena District, we wanted to pursue a partnership that would increase access to real food for all student athletes at Ohio State," said Chris Brandt, Chief Brand Officer at Chipotle. "Typically, only a few star athletes secure NIL deals and brand partnerships, but we wanted to reward all Buckeyes with real ingredients to support their pursuit of academic and athletic excellence." 

Chipotle's Real Food for Real Athletes platform focuses on supporting athletes across all levels by providing proper nutrition through real food and fresh ingredients.

"We are thrilled for this continued partnership with Chipotle," said Ohio State's Assistant Athletic Director of NIL, Logan Hittle. "This collaboration highlights our commitment to helping student-athletes thrive both on and off the playing surface while partnering with a brand that shares our passion for excellence and authenticity."

I know I said I was jealous before, but on a serious note, cheers to Chipotle for including all of Ohio State's phenomenal athletes in this deal.

As college athletics becomes more about which sports create revenue, football, men's basketball and some other sports will remain at the forefront of name, image and likeness deals and transactions, so it's nice to see one of them honor all the Buckeyes who work countless hours on their craft and represent Ohio State in their respective programs.

 CORRECTIONS NECESSARY. In a social media post from CBS Sports this week, Denzel Burke named his Mount Rushmore of Ohio State defensive backs. He selected Denzel Ward, Shawn Springs, Marshon Lattimore and Jeff Okudah.

Those picks are great. But they're incorrect.

Jack Tatum. Shawn Springs. Mike Doss. Malcolm Jenkins.

Think I'm wrong?

Debate me in the comments.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "The Runaways" - Cherry Bomb.

 CUT TO THE CHASE. Ohio regulators: Marijuana sellers can’t give out food from ice cream truck... Police in Iowa captured a water buffalo that had been on the loose since Saturday... Claw machine games are Rio de Janeiro’s new public enemy... On the road with F1 Fan Favorite Max Albon, who would like to see what Montana is all about... Jim Donovan stepping down as Browns radio announcer.

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