I dedicate this Skull Session to Bunkers Bar and Grill in Vandalia. My barber, the world renowned Michael Treon of Piqua, recommended it.
He has never lied to me a day in my life. Bunkers served the kingpin wings of the Miami Valley—yes, even better than Nick's in Xenia.
ICYMI:
- While it's right to be excited about Nick Bosa and Chase Young, don't sleep on Jonathon Cooper.
- Earle Bruce showed that while winning is great, winning while looking good is even better.
- Reserve your (or your business’) spot next to the life-size statue of Woody Hayes coming to Newcomerstown!
Word of the Day: Oeuvre.
HOCKEY? HOCKEY. Since emerging as the blood-soaked victor of the War of the Five Skulls back in March of 2014, I don't recall a single instance of the Session leading with hockey.
Yet here we are on the precipice of a massive hockey weekend for both programs.
We start with the men, who face Michigan at 7:30 p.m. in Columbus' Nationwide Arena for the Big Ten semifinals. BTN will broadcast while 1640 AM The Fan has your local radio call.
From Aubrey Nelson of Eleven Warriors:
The Buckeyes and Wolverines don’t need any extra incentive to beat the tar out of each other, but they’ll have a little extra on the line this week anyway. Ohio State and Michigan square off in a single-elimination Big Ten semifinal game on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The tilt will take place downtown at Nationwide Arena since the OHSAA wrestling tournament occupies the Schott.
Both teams ride a wave of momentum into the semifinals. Third seed Michigan is on a seven-game winning streak. Second seed Ohio State is unbeaten in its last five outings.
Both teams also feature electrifying scorers. The Wolverines’ Tony Calderone (18) and OSU captain Mason Jobst (16) lead the Big Ten in goal scoring. Whether they’re scoring the goals or setting them up, B1G Player of the Year finalists and Philadelphia Flyers prospects Cooper Marody (12-32—44 for Michigan) and Tanner Laczynski (15-26--41 for Ohio State) are always a threat.
The stage is even bigger for the women, who face Boston College at 1 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
This will be the first ever NCAA Tournament appearance for the women's program. ESPN3 will stream.
2017-18 has been a season to remember for the women’s hockey Bucks. They claimed a place among the conference and national leaders early in the year and held their position throughout. They finished the regular season in second place in the WCHA and at No. 6 in the national polls. And, though they were bounced from the conference semis, the Buckeyes made the NCAA tournament as the final at-large selection.
This is the first time in program history that Ohio State has made the big dance. But, while the tournament appearance is an important milestone for the program, it isn’t the ultimate goal for the Buckeyes. They are three wins from a national title and hoping to bring some hardware back to Columbus. To do so they’ll have to take down the best teams in the country, starting with the super-charged offense of No. 4 Boston College.
Best of luck to both teams. Let's hope the golden era of Buckeye athletics under Gene Smith never ends. (It won't.)
DEPEND ON MACK. It's my belief that Dwayne Haskins' arm will elevate the entering receiving corps this fall. Perhaps the biggest boon could belong to Austin Mack, third-quarter hero from Ann Arbor.
Mack's position coach thinks the same.
From landof10.com:
Austin Mack’s 24 catches for 343 yards ranked fourth and sixth, respectively, among Ohio State wide receivers in 2017. So with every player ranked ahead of him in both categories returning, why does it feel like he’s poised to become the Buckeyes’ best receiver in 2018?
The answer lies in the context. Mack, a 4-star receiver from Fort Wayne (Ind.) Bishop Luers in the Class of 2016, is off to the best start of any wide receiver on the roster. His 2017 numbers were better than the combined second-year numbers put up by Ohio State receivers Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, Johnnie Dixon and K.J. Hill.
“People lose sight of the fact that he was a true sophomore,” wide receiver coach Zach Smith said. “He had a really good year for a true sophomore. Now it’s time to have a big-time junior year. This has got to be a big step in his career. From what I’ve seen in two days, it looks like he’s trying to make that step. I expect him to be one of the best in the country. That’s what he has to be. He’s taking steps to do that.”
If Mack becomes one of the best in the country—look out, opposing defenses. Hopefully the days of them stuffing the box and daring Ohio State to throw the ball deep are over.
The running backs should appreciate the help.
UPSET ALERT. Those that would know claim Ohio State is destined for a No. 5 seed and the dreaded 5-12 matchup in the NCAA Tournament. What seems up in the air is location.
It will either be San Diego or Boise State. As somebody who has been to both, let me say they're exactly the same this time of the year.
From The Toledo Blade:
In Ohio State’s case, even their seeding looks to be set. The Buckeyes (24-8) likely are headed for a No. 5 seed, and most projections have them traveling across the country.
ESPN, CBS, and SBNation all project Ohio State as a fifth seed, in line to play in the 5/12 game notorious for upsets. ESPN has OSU playing in Boise, Idaho, while CBS and SBNation both predicted the Buckeyes to start the tournament in San Diego in their most recent projections.
Ohio State, which will play in its first NCAA tournament in three years, will have at least 13 days between games. The Buckeyes dropped a Big Ten quarterfinal March 2 against Penn State, and will not play until March 15 at the earliest.
I hope the cosmos misguide the oracles. I want no part of the 5-12 matchup. It's just terrible juju for a team that overachieved to draw a scrappy opponent who wrongly sees itself as the underdog thanks to the arbitrary committee ranking.
PRYOR AT CROSSROADS... AGAIN. Stop me if you heard this before: After betting on himself and failing to produce in Washington last season, Terrelle Pryor is once again looking to prove his doubters wrong as he enters free agency.
From bleacherreport.com:
Could it possibly deflate for good this offseason? Such dread never enters his mind.
"Failure is not an option," he says, simply.
Still, I connected with him via LinkedIn, and it's fitting he's on there. Pryor may have no choice but to find a new job, in a new profession, if things go wrong at his next stop.
But for now, he's too talented not to have a job…somewhere.
I hope the Browns take a flier on him. Tyrod Taylor is going to need all the help he can get.
BROWNS AWARE OF BUCKEYES? Could this be the year the Cleveland Browns draft a Buckeye? Well, they're at least aware of the talent wave down I-71, which is an improvement on years past.
Check out the best performances from Ohio State prospects at the Combine. pic.twitter.com/mIV837LPYH
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) March 9, 2018
If your instinct is "I would never wish upon the Browns drafting a Buckeye," you might want to check out the trades Cleveland made yesterday. I'm ordering season tickets Monday.
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