Welcome to the Skull Session.
Scottie Scheffler is... inevitable.
The winner's handshake belongs to Scottie Scheffler. pic.twitter.com/nECKhKFueJ
— Golf on CBS (@GolfonCBS) June 1, 2025
Have a good Monday.
"THEY'RE A GREAT PARTNER." Ohio State’s 2025 season opener with Texas will kick off at noon.
That frustrates Ross Bjork.
“For these kinds of games, especially a nonconference season opener, playing at night has a special feel,” Bjork told The Columbus Dispatch’s Bill Rabinowitz last week. “We tried as many different options as possible, including moving the game to Sunday night.”
Like Fox Sports’ Michael Mulvhill and Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte before him, Bjork confirmed that Del Conte denied Ohio State’s request to move the game from Saturday afternoon to Sunday night.
Ohio State has announced its non-conference kickoff times and TV networks.https://t.co/SSGfQWCkQz pic.twitter.com/fjtNecsKvW
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) May 29, 2025
Bjork said he “can’t blame Texas” for their lack of cooperation, but still believes Ohio State fans deserved a night game for the premier matchup. Rather than aim his arrows at Mulvhill or Del Conte, Bjork pointed at the TV contract the Big Ten signed with Fox, CBS and NBC in 2022 and explained that the “lack of flexibility” made moving the kickoff to another time almost impossible.
“They’re a great partner,” Bjork said of Fox. “They tried (to move the game). They have the first pick each week. There was no way they were not going to choose the Ohio State-Texas game. Here’s the bottom line: The lack of flexibility that’s built into the current TV contracts between Fox, CBS and NBC did not allow this game to be moved to another window.”
He later continued: “We get the way the contracts are written. All we were hoping for is a little more balance and a little flexibility, and that’s not possible given the current makeup of these TV contracts.”
** sighs **
You know…
I blamed Mulvhill.
I blamed Del Conte.
I blamed Mulvhill again — kind of.
But I once was blind, and now I see.
If all of this has to do with contracts and legal jargon, this is all Kevin Warren’s fault — and of course it’s all Kevin Warren’s fault!
“LIKE I NEED THIS STRESS.” Last week, Ryan Day joined Nick Saban for the Golden Bear Pro-Am at the Memorial Tournament. In an interview with Rabinowitz — whom I must thank for another section of #content in the offseason — Day said he was reluctant to play in the event before Memorial Tournament director Dan Sullivan persuaded him to do it.
“It’s like the job isn’t stressful enough. I’m saying to myself as I’m driving over here,” Day said with a laugh. “Like I need this stress in my life. But even over the last shot, I’m thinking to myself, ‘I’ve made it this far. I’m not going to shank it and hit somebody, right?’ I was holding my breath.”
Day relished his time with Saban, revealing he and the seven-time national champion head coach talked throughout the round about both golf and football.
“He’s been a great supporter of the coaches as he’s transitioned over to the media side and also an ambassador for the game,” Day said.
In an interview with 97.1 The Fan’s Steph Otey, Saban admitted to having “a little Buckeye in me” while referencing the time he coached defensive backs for the Buckeyes in 1980 and 1981. Perhaps Day and Saban discussed Ohio State, too. Who’s to say?
Justin Thomas chose not to last week, but he did compliment Day’s golf game.
“He said, ‘I’ve never done one of these. I’m going to be nervous,’” Thomas told cleveland.com’s Stefan Krajisnik. “But he hit a lot of really good shots. He definitely struck me as somebody that, if he gave it some time and some practice, really could be a solid player.”
Day, who described himself to Rabinowitz as a “ham-and-egg” golfer, would be honored if he heard Thomas’ comment. Assuming he hasn’t, I think he’ll be satisfied knowing he didn’t strike anyone in the gallery on Wednesday.
“This is a wonderful course, a difficult course,” Day told Rabinowitz. “But the No. 1 thing here is raising money to help people and be a part of such a great organization.”
OLYMPIC VILLAGE. This past season, the Ohio State women’s golf team honored fallen and disabled military members through the Folds of Honor program. (If the program sounds familiar, it’s the same one the Memorial Tournament honored during its Friday round in 2025.)
“I think at the end of the day, when we look back, we want to know that there was a purpose for them and what we get to do and carry on their legacy and go on another mission with them is pretty tremendous,” coach Lisa Strom told WSYX’s Kellyanne Stitts.
Strom has participated in the Folds of Honor program throughout her coaching career, which previously included stops at Texas State and Kent State. She brought the program to Ohio State in 2024-25 after her players chose to honor Sgt. Anthony Campbell this season because of his connection to Ohio State Golf Club facilities manager Thomas Oswald.
Oswald connected Strom and Campbell’s widow, Emily, via email last summer.
“I remember reading (the family’s email) in the evening at home thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, like how amazing and special this is. To be able to do this not only for Emily and their family but also for Thomas has been a huge impact on our program.”
Ohio State women's golf team honors fallen soldiers through @FoldsofHonor
— Lisa Strom (@lisastromgolf) May 31, 2025
https://t.co/DnOSLwC9wg
Sgt. Campbell was a member of the Ohio National Guard and Air Force Reserve. He died in 2009 while deactivating an enemy explosive device in Afghanistan and “was credited and honored for saving several soldiers, airmen and civilian lives.”
“When they wanted to honor him after all this time, it was very humbling,” Emily told WSYX. “What they do for fallen heroes and their families is more than words can express. He loved his career and would not have changed a thing.”
Throughout the season, Ohio State’s players took turns carrying “Tony’s bag,” which the team created as a tribute to his sacrifice. Strom told WSYX the program plans to auction off the bag to raise money for Folds of Honor, which will, in turn, use the funds to provide scholarships to the families of fallen or disabled military members.
That rocks.
If you would like to assist Ohio State’s mission and purchase a raffle ticket to win Tony’s bag, click here. All proceeds directly benefit Folds of Honor and will contribute toward the program’s goal to raise $5,000 in scholarships for Ohio families.
OLYMPIC VILLAGE, PART TWO. Former Ohio State baseball star Scott Klingenbeck died at 54 years old, the program announced last week.
At Ohio State from 1990-92, Klingenbeck earned 28 career wins for the Buckeyes, which ranks fifth in program history. He also had 25 complete games, trailing only Mark Dempsey, another one of the school’s former greats.
Klingenbeck was a second-team All-American in 1991, when he won 11 games as one of the NCAA’s most dominant arms. The Baltimore Orioles drafted him in the fifth round one year later, and following back-to-back seasons in the minors, he pitched for the Orioles seven times during the heart of Cal Ripken Jr.’s career in 1994 and 1995.
Our program mourns the loss of Scott Klingenbeck, who passed away unexpectedly last week. Scott played for the Buckeyes from 1990-92, before going on to play in the MLB. Our thoughts are with all of Scott's family and loved ones.
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) May 30, 2025
https://t.co/md91xhu2C6 pic.twitter.com/TYcKUyhBKL
Over the next two years, Klingenbeck made 28 appearances as a relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins. The Cincinnati native and Oak Hills High School graduate then ended his MLB career in his hometown, taking the mound four times for the Reds in 1998.
In an obituary from Vitt, Stermer and Anderson Funeral Services, Klingenbeck’s loved ones remembered him for “his infectious spirit and dedication to his passions.”
“His vivacious personality was characterized by a happy-go-lucky demeanor that endeared him to all who knew him,” the obituary reads. “In his later years, he was often described as a big teddy bear, providing warmth and kindness to his family and friends.”
Rest in peace, Scott.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Magic" - Pilot.
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