Welcome to the Skull Session.
This is cool...
Birds Eye view Marv @MarvHarrisonJr pic.twitter.com/hVNLGJl5Pe
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 18, 2024
The first of many to come.
Have a good Thursday.
“IT FEELS LIKE HOME.” Ryan Day’s Tuesday press conference started with a question about Will Howard.
A former Kansas State standout who transferred to Ohio State in January, Howard has spent the past eight months in Columbus. This week, a reporter asked Day to share characteristics and qualities he’s seen in Howard since his arrival.
“I think you get a chance to see his demeanor when you guys get an opportunity to spend time with him. And I think you’re getting to see his command the more you watch him play. I think that’s probably the thing that jumps out and also just an area of confidence that he has experience in big-time games, and he’s played a lot of college football,” Day said. “To me, those are the big things that jumped out early on. We’re two games in, but it’s good to see him getting more and more comfortable every day he’s in the building.”
Appearing at the podium not long after his head coach, Howard agreed that he’s more comfortable at Ohio State. After two games as QB1, in which he’s completed 35 of 54 passes (64.8 percent) for 520 yards and four touchdowns, Howard shared that he feels at home as a member of the Buckeyes.
“I’m definitely more settled in. It just feels right. It feels like home,” Howard said. “I said the first game felt a little bit like an away game and all that, but I’m settled in now. Like, this is what (Ohio State) does. I get the routine. I get the game week. I get what it looks like. It’s cool, man. I’ve played in front of big crowds – obviously, those were two of the biggest crowds I’ve played in front of – but I’ve played in the games.
“I don’t get super nervous anymore. I try to appreciate it and accept it for what it is. I only have one year here. I’m gonna appreciate every moment I have out on that field playing in front of these fans. It’s a blessing.”
Ohio State’s talent adds to Howard’s appreciation, as the veteran quarterback understands the Buckeyes have the potential to win a Big Ten and national championship in 2024.
“I want to take it one day at a time and not let any moment pass me by,” he said. “It’s a pretty cool opportunity I have and that we have as a team this year. I think we have a really special group. We want to soak in every last minute we can and make the most out of this season.”
THE HOME-RUN HITTER. It’s no secret that Chip Kelly loves to run the football. It’s also no secret that Chip Kelly loves TreVeyon Henderson.
When a reporter asked Kelly what stands out about Henderson on Tuesday, the Ohio State offensive coordinator gushed over one of his two (!) all-conference ballcarriers (with the other, of course, being Quinshon Judkins).
“What’s impressed me the most about TreVeyon is his work ethic. He’s a guy that is out there every day. He only knows one speed. You never have to talk to Tre about effort. He’s always trying to get better. You watch him during walkthroughs; he’s meticulous with his steps, where his hand placement is, he’s not going through the motions,” Kelly said.
Kelly then spoke music to all ears in Buckeye Nation, sharing that Henderson – being the home-run hitter Day has called him for years – is one swing away from knocking a ball out of the park.
“I think he’s an explosive play waiting to happen. I’ve seen those on highlight tapes of what he’s done here in the past, and I think he’s close. He’s really close. Hopefully, in the next couple of Saturdays, we’re gonna see him really take one not only through the second level but the third level and go all the way because he has that kind of speed, which I think is kind of rare. He’s one of the fastest kids on this team and can really, really move,” Kelly said.
This season, Henderson has carried the ball 18 times for 131 yards and two touchdowns in 56 snaps. His longest attempts have been a 16-yard run against Akron and a 21-yard run against Western Michigan.
For his career, Henderson’s longest attempts have been a 70-yard reception touchdown vs. Minnesota in 2021, a 41-yard touchdown run vs. Penn State in 2022 and a 75-yard touchdown run vs. Minnesota in 2023.
Yeah, he’ll break one off soon.
Kelly’s praise ended with an explanation that Henderson is more than an open-field or perimeter ballcarrier. According to Kelly – who knows a thing or two about talented, well-rounded running backs – Henderson is also a physical runner between the tackles. He also excels in pass protection, with his pancake block against Akron being just one point of evidence.
Think TreVeyon Henderson liked this big block? @TreVeyonH4 x @OhioStateFB#B1GFootball on CBS pic.twitter.com/Tp1NSIDkKd
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 31, 2024
Yeesh.
“I'm excited to see him take that to the next level, but I love his physicality as he runs. I love what he’s done in pass protection for us in our first two games. I’m excited to see him grow this season,” Kelly said.
“I JUST COULDN'T BE PROUDER.” I made a note of Day’s Tuesday comments about Marvin Harrison Jr. in the Wednesday Skull Session. Now, I will make note of Day’s comments about C.J. Stroud.
This past weekend, Stroud completed 24 of 32 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns in the Houston Texans’ 19-13 win over the Chicago Bears. One of his passes, an 18-yard completion to Nico Collins, went viral because the former Ohio State quarterback evaded two Bears defenders, escaped the pocket and delivered an absolute DOT on the run to Collins.
C.J. Stroud doing C.J. Stroud things. pic.twitter.com/7GeuODj0kO
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 16, 2024
On Tuesday, a reporter asked Day if he had seen the viral pass, leading Day to sing praises for his former quarterback.
“No, I actually didn’t see it. I did watch a few of the plays – and somebody said to me that he had just made a sick throw, but I never caught it with my eyes,” Day said. “But I did text him after the game. I’m just proud of the way he’s handled himself, the way he’s endeared himself into that organization, the way he’s built hope into that organization, the way guys are rallying around him, the way he’s playing. I just couldn’t be prouder of the way he’s going about his business on a day-to-day basis. He’s got a lot of people here pulling for him.”
It’s me.
I am one of those people.
I know you are, too.
I WANNA GO BACK. A record-breaking number of students enrolled at Ohio State’s Columbus campus this fall.
On Tuesday, Ohio State announced that its freshman class totals 9,530 students for the autumn semester, the largest in the school’s 154-year history. (Ohio State turned 154 years old on Tuesday, so please wish the school an H154BD in the comments.)
“The historic first-year enrollment numbers speak to the exceptional value of an Ohio State education. We are excited to welcome this record-breaking class as they begin their academic careers on the Columbus and regional campuses,” Ohio State president Ted Carter stated in a press release. “Ohio State remains a top choice for students and their families. We are committed to offering our Buckeye community an affordable and accessible education.”
According to a school enrollment report, Ohio State’s previous record-high freshman class was 8,602 students in 2020. The 2023 freshman class totaled 7,983 students in the autumn semester.
Sheridan Hendrix of The Columbus Dispatch reported last month that Ohio State interim provost Karla Zadnik told the board of trustees that the school “intentionally increased” the number of students in this year’s freshman class following two smaller classes (2022 and 2023) and the graduation of a large class in May. Zadnik added that more than 70 percent of the 80,000 applicants in the 2024 class were Ohioans.
With the addition of 9,530 freshmen on Ohio State’s Columbus campus, the school’s total enrollment across all campuses (Columbus and regional) increased to 66,901, up about 2 percent from the previous year.
Ohio State’s press release also noted that students at the Columbus campus are graduating on time. The campus’ four-year graduation rate reached a record high of nearly 73 percent last year, while its six-year graduation rate remained around 88 percent.
I don’t know about you, but reading all of this information about Ohio State students makes me want another year at my alma mater.
How does the song go?
I wanna go back to Ohio State, to old Columbus town, to the stadium to hear the band, by far the finest in the land. I wanna go back to Ohio State, to old Columbus town, I wanna go back, I gotta go back, to Ohio… Ohio… Ohio…
SONG OF THE DAY. "I Wanna Go Back to Ohio State" - TBDBITL.
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