Skull Session: Chase Young's Dominance Against Nebraska, How Justin Fields Will React to His First Interception, and Mike Nugent Might Get Another Chance

By Kevin Harrish on October 3, 2019 at 4:59 am
The buckeyes have some black helmets in today's skull session.
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Happy Friday Jr., y'all. Every hour is another hour closer to Buckeye football.

ICYMI

Word of the Day: Draconian.

 UNBLOCKABLE. Michigan State has four injured starters on the offensive line and will likely be trotting out a true freshman to one of the offensive tackle positions.

To face this:

Young finished the game with a single sack (he's had at least 1.5 sacks in every other game) but as you can see from the snuff film footage above, that number really didn't tell the whole story.

From Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus:

There’s little doubt that Chase Young sits atop said list after yet another unblockable performance against Nebraska. He racked up five more pressures on only 11 pass-rushing snaps for a 96.8 pass-rushing grade. The junior is approaching rarified air, as his 96.5 pass-rushing grade on the season would shatter the previous PFF college record of 94.4 set by Josh Allen last season. We’re talking Myles Garrett-level physical tools with polish and production on another level from what we saw from Garrett at Texas A&M.

Saturday might be a convenient day for Brian Lewerke to fall extremely ill.

 THAT FIRST PICK FEELING. Interceptions happen, they just haven't happened to Justin Fields since a tipped pass in his senior year of high school – at least in a game.

See, Jeff Okudah's been keeping him humble in practice.

From Stephen Means of Cleveland.com:

"There are some days where he might not have a completed ball on him, and he always talks a bit of trash," Fields said his relationship with Okudah. "We're pretty good buds, and when I do complete a ball, I'm talking back at him. We have that friendly competition."

Michigan State will provide a defensive challenge Saturday that Ohio State hasn’t faced this season. The Buckeyes are heavy favorites, but there’s a chance his almost three-year streak without an interception could come to an end. If it does, he’s well prepared for how to bounce back. Even if he hasn’t had much in-game practice doing so.

He handled throwing picks well as a high school senior. He sees no reason why he won’t be able to do so as a college sophomore.

“I probably won’t treat it any different,” Fields said. “As (head coach Ryan) Day says, you have to move on to the next play and worry about the next play. I’m not going to dwell on it that much and play my game.”

I personally hope we never have to see a Justin Fields interception, but if it ever happens, let it be against Rutgers. Lord knows that program needs something.

 POSTMORTEM SUSPENSION. Nobody seemed to see it live, but Khalil Davis punched Josh Myers on Saturday. And he would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for the meddling Big Ten Conference...

This is a pretty non-story from an Ohio State perspective, because it really doesn't impact the Buckeyes at all, but it led to one of the most hilariously tinfoil hat Big Ten #takes I've ever seen from a non-Penn State fan.

This fellow actually seriously thinks that a Nebraska player got suspended because the Big Ten got left out of the playoff the two prior years.

More than that, if they were being "overprotective of Ohio State," they're doing an extremely shitty job. I mean, they missed what looks like a blatant punch on an Ohio State player during the game and are slapping him with a suspension that doesn't even remotely affect Ohio State.

 NUUUUUUUUUGE. We're currently a kicker away from the possibility of making a 53-man active NFL roster out of only former Ohio State players.

But folks, I've got some news.

If Nugent wins the job, Ohio State will be the only school in the country to tout this claim. A few come close, but the specialists put the Buckeyes over the edge (shoutout to Cameron Johnston and Jake McQuaide).

 SNEAK PEAK. The Buckeyes won't formally own the College Football Playoff Trophy for a few more months, but the fine folks at Dr. Pepper are letting us give it a little test drive.

You can take a look and snag a picture with Ohio State's future prize at two different Columbus-area Walmarts on Friday, for those eager to admire its goldy goodness.

  • Grove City (Noon – 2 p.m.)  1693 Stringtown Road, Grove City, OH
  • Westerville (3 p.m. – 5 p.m.) — 50 E. Schrock Road, Westerville, OH

The trophy will also be in attendance to watch its future owner blast Sparty in the 'Shoe.

 NOT STICKING TO SPORTS. Bizarre deaths of bulls baffle Oregon police and residents... What it's like to grow up in a U.S. murder capital... Vegan says that she's "poisoned for life" after accidentally being served a sausage roll... A blow-by-blow account of Notre Dame's restoration process... How the Beatles took recording technology to a new level in Abbey Road... DirecTV charges early termination fee after a woman dies at age 102...

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