Welcome to the Skull Session.
On Memorial Day, we remember the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the United States military. This selfless act deserves more recognition than a day off work and a barbecue, so attend a memorial ceremony or participate in a personal moment of reflection today.
Have a good Monday.
BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE. While Memorial Day offers us the chance to honor all American men and women who died in service to the United States, I want to salute two members of Ohio State’s Varsity O Hall of Fame who made the ultimate sacrifice for The Land of the Free: Don Scott and Fred Norton.
Don Scott, All-American quarterback
Scott arrived in Columbus after a decorated high school career at Canton McKinley. A 6-foot-2, 210-pound athlete, Scott was a do-it-all kind of player for the Bulldogs, playing quarterback, fullback, offensive line, defensive line, kicker and punter across four seasons. At Ohio State, Scott was a standout tailback and quarterback, earning two All-American selections while leading the Buckeyes to the 1939 Big Ten title. After that year, he also helped the basketball team reach the Final Four before Ohio State fell to Oregon, 46-33, in the national championship.
Though Scott would become the No. 9 overall pick in the 1941 NFL draft, he instead volunteered his services in World War II. Scott participated in the Civilian Training Program, a government-funded program launched to develop men into pilots should the need arise. Soon after, he entered the Army Air Forces as a commissioned pilot and completed 10 bombing missions.
On Oct. 1, 1943, Scott perished at 23 years old when his B-25 bomber crashed during training exercises in England. One month later, Ohio State’s Board of Trustees named the school’s airport Don Scott Field. Ohio State commemorated 80 years of Don Scott Field on May 4, 2023.
A Marblehead, Ohio, native, Norton came to Columbus as a 5-foot-11, 175-pound kid nicknamed “The Smiling Irishman.” Thanks to decorated careers in baseball, basketball, football, and track, he would later become Ohio State’s first four-sport letterman.
Fred Norton
Captain of the baseball and basketball teams, Norton’s main accomplishments came on the football field, where he was Chic Harley’s lead blocker and helped the Buckeyes win the 1916 Big Ten title. More than just a blocker, Norton scored five touchdowns in Ohio State’s 128-0 destruction of Oberlin and scored six times in the Buckeyes’ 46-7 win over Indiana that same season.
After his Ohio State career, Norton enlisted in the Reserve Corps and became a PFC in Ohio State’s school of aeronautics. In January 1918, he was sent to France to battle the Germans. Six months later, as leader of the 27th “Eagle” Pursuit Squadron, Norton took two anti-aircraft rounds to the chest in a dogfight. He managed to land his Nieuport 28 behind Allied lines but died from his wounds and complications from pneumonia. Norton died at 23 years old.
Sometime Monday, as you reflect on the freedoms made possible by the American soldiers who died in service of the United States, take a moment to honor them all, including Ohio and Ohio State’s Don Scott and Fred Norton.
THE BEST PROGRAM OF THE 2000s. Last week, The Athletic started its Best of the 2000s series. I've included most, if not all, of the articles its writers released in the Skull Session because most, if not all, included some Ohio State #content. Here's a quick recap of those articles:
- Best Players of the 2000s: Chase Young (No. 19)
- Best Coaches of the 2000s: Ryan Day (No. 11), Jim Tressel (No. 7) and Urban Meyer (No. 2)
- Best Games of the 2000s: Ohio State vs. Michigan in 2006 (No. 18), Ohio State vs. Georgia in 2022 (No. 10) and Ohio State vs. Miami in 2002 (No. 6)
I return this week with another edition of the Best of the 2000s series — that is, the Best Programs of the 2000s, which featured Ohio State at No. 1 overall.
| CATEGORY | STAT | RANK |
|---|---|---|
| WIN % | .840 | 1 |
| BCS/NY6 BOWLS | 20 | N/A |
| NATIONAL TITLES | 3 | N/A |
| CONFERENCE TITLES | 9 | N/A |
| TOP 10 WINS | 39 | 1 |
| TOP 25 WINS | 84 | 2 |
| TOP 10 RANKINGS | 75.4% | 1 |
| TOP 25 RANKINGS | 92.7% | 1 |
| LOSING SEASONS | 1 | N/A |
Only one program has spent nearly the entire century competing at an elite level — and it’s not Alabama, which was mediocre for six of the eight seasons before Nick Saban got rolling. Whereas Ohio State had only five seasons out of 25 in which it won fewer than 10 games (and one of those was an eight-game 2020 season). It’s won three national championships, played for three more, and craziest of all, it has been ranked in the Top 25 in nearly 93 percent of the 411 AP polls since 2000.
Ohio State is like gold.
It's durable and desirable.
It's a symbol of power and wealth.
It's a trusted store of value, especially in times of uncertainty.
It's recognizable, has lasting appeal, continued demand and an enduring role in our culture.
Ohio State is GOLD, Jerry! GOLD!
THE BEST OF THE BEST. A national championship and second straight perfect academic progress rate has helped make 2025 Ohio State football's year. For as much success as Ohio State had in athletics, the school has matched it in academics, as over 12,000 students received degrees earlier this month.
But that's not all!
Last week, the U.S. News and World Report — the same outlet that reported Ohio ranked as the No. 38 state in America — revealed Ohio State is the No. 41 national university in the United States. (The Buckeyes were the No. 7 school to appear from the Big Ten, checking in behind Northwestern, UCLA, Michigan (bleh), USC, Illinois and Wisconsin.)
While I know Ohio State is not Princeton, MIT, Harvard, Stanford or Yale, I feel all kinds of pride knowing I (and many of you) have a degree from THE, one of the best colleges or universities in the U.S. of A!
"IT CANNOT BE WORSE." In the latest episode of The Triple Option Podcast, Mike Vrabel recalled the time Urban Meyer interviewed him to be Ohio State's defensive line coach in 2012.
It went poorly.
In fact, it went so poorly that Meyer told him to go home, think about what he said and how he said it and come back the following morning for another attempt.
"It was an improvement," Meyer said of Vrabel's second attempt.
Vrabel served as Ohio State's defensive line coach in 2012 and 2013. He later became an assistant coach for the Houston Texans (2014-17) before becoming a head coach for the Tennessee Titans (2018-23) and New England Patriots (2025-present).
The Cuyahoga Falls native said he used his first interview with Meyer as an icebreaker for the interviews he conducted with the Titans and has continued using it for interviews with the Patriots.
"Whatever interview you have, it cannot be worse than my first interview," Vrabel said.
In an appearance on ESPN's Manningcast last fall, Vrabel recalled another hilarious moment between him and Meyer. This one was about how Meyer, during his lone season (well, half a season) with the Jacksonville Jaguars, didn't recognize Vrabel after running into him.
"Do I know you?" Meyer asked.
"Yeah, I'm head coach of the Titans," Vrabel responded, "And I worked for you for two years."
Bruh.
SONG OF THE DAY. "America the Beautiful" - Ray Charles.
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