Welcome to the Skull Session.
The Shoe at night is a special place.
The Shoe at Night for Game 2 pic.twitter.com/G2q8CNu8FS
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 4, 2024
Just one more sleep, folks.
Have a good Friday.
“IT WILL BE ANOTHER GREAT TEST.” Western Michigan took a 14-13 lead over Wisconsin in the fourth quarter of its season opener last week. However, the Badgers went on to score 15 unanswered points in the final 14 minutes to escape with a win at Camp Randall Stadium.
After the game, Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell called the game “a challenge” and offered Western Michigan credit for its well-crafted game plan.
“It was a challenge. I think, more than anything, you have to find ways to win. That was what we did tonight. We’ve harped on the fourth quarter, and it came down to that,” Fickell said. “I got give them a lot of credit. They came in here with a plan and did a pretty darn good job of sticking to the plan. … It was a test. It was definitely a test. That ballgame came down to the fourth quarter.”
While the Broncos did not complete its upset bid, Western Michigan head coach Lance Taylor felt proud of his team’s performance. In a press conference this week, Taylor said he hopes his team comes out with the same hunger and passion at Ohio State as it did at Wisconsin, all the while praising the Buckeyes as a “disciplined football team” that doesn’t beat itself.
On what stands out about Ohio State
“We’ve got a great opportunity this week against a really good Ohio State football team, a nationally ranked top-five opponent. They are really good. They are really talented on all three levels, in all three phases. Coach (Ryan) Day has done an excellent job, him and his staff, of building a great roster. I was really impressed as I watched these guys on film of how disciplined they play. Not only are they really good players, but they are a disciplined football team. They don’t beat themselves. They’re where they should be. They make the plays that they should. Really good football teams do that. It will be a great challenge for us.”
On his team’s desire to compete, no matter the competition
“We have seven kids on our roster from the state of Ohio. A lot of kids from that state grew up probably watching the Buckeyes, probably cheering for the Buckeyes and hoping that they would play for the Buckeyes. Now they get an opportunity to play there — just on the other sideline. I think our team as a whole has been excited. They were really excited last week to go play a really good Wisconsin team. They are really excited this week to come back and play a nationally-ranked Ohio State team and really to continue to compete.
“That’s what I’ve seen about this group — that’s what I love about this group — is what we saw on Friday (against Wisconsin). This group plays hard for each other. The bond and brotherhood off the field show up on the field. They play really hard for each other. There’s no quit in them. They’re gonna give us everything that we ask of them and more on Saturday. It will be another great test for us.
“(It’s important to not allow) external factors to determine how we play. Whether it’s Ohio State and they’re ranked No. 2 in the country or whatever — no matter whether you’re playing on TV, or it’s a night game or the crowd noise — not allowing external factors to dictate how we play but showing up and playing to the Bronco standard every single play and every single week.”
On what he wants to see from his team against Ohio State
“The biggest thing I want to see is playing to the Bronco standard. I say that all the time. But it really doesn’t matter who the opponent is. It doesn’t matter where we play, if we play up to our standard — and that means relentless effort; we talk about attitude, we talk about toughness, taking care of the football, getting takeaways, discipline, no self-inflicted wounds. If we play up to that standard and take care of those four categories, we’re gonna give ourselves a chance to win a lot of games this year and be in a lot of football games there at the end like were were on Friday. I want to continue to play to our traits and our standard.”
OK, Coach.
Game on.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Like Taylor, Ryan Day will enter Saturday’s contest with respect for his opponent.
“When you watch the film, you’re seeing them play a Big Ten opponent, which gives us more of a barometer for what we’re dealing with. They played Wisconsin strong. They are physical up front. They have some really good skill players,” Day said. “It looked like a Big Ten-style game overall. There was a point where that game was in the balance. I know that has our guys’ attention.”
For those who see Day’s comment and think, “Come on, Coach, it’s Western Michigan,” I recommend looking back to Sept. 26, 2015, when the Buckeyes welcomed the Broncos to Columbus in Week 4. Coming off a national championship in the inaugural College Football Playoff, Ohio State was loaded at all 22 positions and should have beat Western Michigan 100-0. Instead, the Buckeyes beat the Broncos 38-12.
Cardale Jones went 19-of-33 for 288 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. J.T. Barrett, who replaced Jones late in the contest, completed one of three passes for zero yards and a pick. The Ohio State defense held Western Michigan to 12 points but allowed 328 yards of total offense, including 128 yards (and one touchdown) to wide receiver Daniel Braverman.
Ezekiel Elliott (16 carries, 124 yards, one touchdown), Curtis Samuel (four touches, 99 yards, one touchdown) and Michael Thomas (six catches, 80 yards, one touchdown) had memorable performances. Cameron Johnston did, too, recording 206 yards on four punts (51.5-yard average).
But the fact that I mention Ohio State’s punter among a list of standouts should reveal what kind of performance the Buckeyes had – if you couldn’t already tell.
It was bad.
That said, Ohio State cannot look past Western Michigan on Saturday. Do I think the Buckeyes are in danger of an upset loss? No. But how Ohio State looks against inferior opponents matters. When kickoff arrives at the Shoe, the Buckeyes must be at their best.
Play hard. Play fast. Play violent.
Build a lead. Build confidence. Build depth.
And, above all else, get to the first bye week with a clean bill of health.
“HE’S THE ULTIMATE CHEAT CODE.” Jeremiah Smith impressed us all with his six-catch, 92-yard, two-touchdown performance in Ohio State’s season opener.
After Ryan Day called Smith “built different” in his postgame press conference, Cameron Teague of The Athletic interviewed South Florida Express founder Brett Goetz and 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins for more insight on the freshman phenom.
First, Goetz.
“There’s nothing he does or will do that will surprise me because I know how good he is,” he told Teague. “It was cool (to perform well) out of the gate, though, because there was so much build-up.”
Second, Ivins.
“His floor is the ceiling for 99 percent of the other football players,” he said. “You know what you’re getting every single snap, every single rep. He’s the ultimate cheat code.”
Ivins also revealed that Ohio State strength coach Mick Marotti told him he’s never seen an athlete like Smith.
“The only person who he said is close was Percy Harvin,” Ivins told Teague.
In three seasons at Florida, Harvin collected 327 touches as a rusher, receiver and returner. He recorded 3,781 yards and 32 touchdowns.
And remember: Marotti said Harvin was the only person close to Smith as an athlete.
Wow, wow, wow… wow.
SORRY FOR BREAKING RULES. There’s a few rules I’ve learned since becoming the Eleven Warriors Skull Session writer in 2022. One of them is not to discuss “That Team Up North” on a Friday. Over the past two years (and change), I’ve broken that rule a few times. I will, unfortunately, have to break it again today – but ever so slightly.
It is Friday, so viewer discretion is advised, but here’s a video from Secret Base about the rivalry between Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer.
I'll just leave that there.
Back to my regularly scheduled NO TTUN Fridays at Eleven Warriors.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Respect" - Aretha Franklin.
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