Welcome to the Skull Session.
Bruce Thornton was incredible in Ohio State's win over Maryland. Incredible!
BANK IS OPEN pic.twitter.com/qAOLsuVOJ7
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) February 7, 2025
Have a good Friday.
THE PEOPLE. THE TRADITION. THE EXCELLENCE. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has a new contract – one that makes him the second-highest-paid coach in college football behind Georgia's Kirby Smart.
He deserves it.
Of course, he deserves it for his performance on the sidelines, where he has collected a 70-10 record, a national championship, four College Football Playoff appearances and two Big Ten titles, but he also deserves it for his persona in the office.
Remember Ohio State's mantra: "The People. The Tradition. The Excellence."
Remember Woody Hayes' motto: "You win with people."
This school, this program, is about people, and Day is one of the best people I've ever been around.
,
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) February 6, 2025
National Champion @ryandaytime has been extended a contract through 2031 as THE Ohio State Head coach pic.twitter.com/SvYsbnh44l
When Harry Miller wrestled with mental health issues, Day saved his life. "Sometimes it's a matter of life and death. The structure of having a coach like Coach Day who was receptive, having a staff like the mental health staff – the stuff that was in place at Ohio State saved my life," Miller said on ESPN in June 2022.
When Avery Henry battled cancer in 2023, Day stood beside him. "Coach Day was always by my side. I remember vividly him talking to me multiple times during my treatments and making sure I was always part of the team! Love our coaches and the thought they put into my family and me during our toughest times," Henry posted on X this week.
Even in less dire circumstances, Day proved himself to be a man of character, such as the seasons he helped Jack Sawyer mature on and off the field. "I appreciated how Coach didn't treat me like I was just some underachieving player. Honestly, he treated me more like a son," Sawyer wrote in The Players' Tribune in January. "He'd let me know when he was disappointed and when there was something I needed to work on. But he'd never try to 'prove a point' with me being one of those dictator types – he always made me feel like a human being. It felt like his criticisms were about my progress, not his ego."
How about when Day donated Ohio State-Tennessee tickets to Clark Willmore, a 4-year-old fan with Sanfilippo Syndrome? Or when Day and his wife, Christina, created the Nina and Ryan Day Resilience Fund and donated $1 million to it?
Yes, he deserves it – for more reasons than one.
Ohio State has its leader, now and for the future.
Cheers, Coach.
“I'M A REALLY BIG FAN OF BOTH.” Ohio State running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins have received public endorsements from one of the school's all-time great ballcarriers.
In an appearance on the Stripe Sports Podcast, Eddie George raved about Henderson and Judkins, who combined for 338 touches, 2,521 yards and 27 touchdowns as the Buckeyes claimed their ninth national title in 2024.
Eddie George revealed that when he interviewed with the #Bears for the head coaching job that Quinshon Judkins and or TreVeyon Henderson were definitely on their radar pic.twitter.com/ygBZXfuXcP
— BearsNetwork (@BearsNetwork712) February 5, 2025
"When I interviewed with the Bears for the head coaching position up there, we talked about personnel, we talked about needs, and his name was on that board," George said of Judkins. "I'm a big fan of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. I think they both have matured into quality backs. I'm glad to see they had opportunities to run the football, but once both were involved in the passing game, pass blocking – Quinshon Judkins is a grown man, and TreVeyon Henderson on the edges in terms of the passing game and being a receiver out of the backfield is amazing.
"TreVeyon showed that he has breakaway speed, but he can hit it between the tackles, and he has answers for a defense that makes him check his feet. He can bounce to the second hole and find it.
"Quinshon, if a guy is unblocked, he's gonna run through that first guy. He will make you miss with power or speed. I think Quinshon is a 1,500 to 2,000-yard running back, given the right system in the league next year. He can be that bellhorse guy. If the show is all his, he can deliver for you. I think he does everything well – breakaway speed, great balance, great vision. He's got the ability to break tackles in between the tackles and inflict pain on defenders. I'm really a big fan of both of those running backs."
Same, Eddie.
Same.
DEFENSIVE LINE U. Henderson and Judkins will become two of the few former Ohio State running backs currently in the NFL, joining Ezekiel Elliott, J.K. Dobbins and Trey Sermon. Meanwhile, JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton will become four of over a dozen defensive linemen in the professional league, joining Cameron Heyward, Johnathan Hankins, Joey Bosa, Jalyn Holmes, Nick Bosa, Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard, Dre'Mont Jones, Chase Young, DaVon Hamilton, Jonathon Cooper, Tommy Togiai, Tyreke Smith, Zach Harrison and Mike Hall.
And while Henderson and Judkins will look to trailblaze Ohio State's path toward becoming Running Back U, Tuimoloau, Sawyer, Williams and Hamilton will look to extend the Buckeyes' reign as Defensive Line U.
And, yes, Ohio State is Defensive Line U.
Check the numbers:
DLU Rankings Last 10 Years (NFL Production) pic.twitter.com/aMglKWsPnq
— Deeg (@DeegSports) February 5, 2025
From 2015-24, former Ohio State defensive linemen have recorded 330 sacks, 512 tackles for loss, 2,917 tackles, 46 forced fumbles and 137 pass breakups. Quick math tells me that's 33 sacks, 51 tackles for loss, 292 tackles, five forced fumbles and 14 pass breakups per season over the past decade.
Is that good?
I want to see that trend continue with the next class – and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next...
HE HAD THE RECEIPTS. When Will Howard committed to Ohio State in January 2024, some people shared what we can now call Freezing Cold Takes on social media:
— Jr (@dennysnight) February 6, 2025
Downgrade.
Mid.
Soft.
Those people hurled all the insults.
Howard responded with a season in which he completed an Ohio State-record 73 percent of his passes for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns. The latter two numbers rank third and fifth all-time behind the likes of Dwayne Haskins, C.J. Stroud, Justin Fields and J.T. Barrett. (I think we all know how good those quarterbacks were as Buckeyes.)
I think it's safe to say Howard proved his doubters wrong. Wouldn't you?
SONG OF THE DAY. “Prove You Wrong” - Sheryl Crow.
CUT TO THE CHASE. Baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter is sentenced to nearly 5 years in sports betting case... Devoted nap-takers explain the benefits of sleeping on the job... Watch a miles-long cluster of dolphins captured on drone video... How much is an Oscar trophy worth? The answer may shock you... Saquon Barkley Could! Go! All! The! Way!
