Skull Session: Chris Holtmann is “Hopeful” For Quick Kyle Young Return, Michigan's Jon Runyan Talks Chase Young, and Jeff Okudah Gives His Buckeye DB Mt. Rushmore

By Kevin Harrish on March 9, 2020 at 4:59 am
The Buckeyes are dancing in today's skull session.
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It's Monday and my body is still protesting the hour of lost weekend, but I'm expected to make a full recovery.

Song of the Day: "I'm Still Standing" by Elton John.

Word of the Day: Dolor.

 “HOPEFUL.” Ohio State opens Big Ten play on Thursday, and from how Chris Holtmann talked after the game, it sounds like Kyle Young's status might be a little more up-in-the-air than you'd like to hear.

You know what? Just make sure he's back for The Big Dance. If we need to sacrifice a Big Ten Title for a national title, that's fine with me.

 FREE JEFE. Here is definitive proof that if you ask Jeff Okudah good questions, you gt good answers!

Jeff mentioning "throwing me on the ground" as the first description of what Terry McLaurin did to him in practice is extremely on-brand for the receiver who I assume has the most double kill blocks in Ohio State football history.

Also, the correct answer for the Mt. Rushmore was Jack Tatum, Mike Doss, Antoine Winfield and Malcolm Jenkins, though I certainly respect Jefe putting himself up there.

 TO BLOCK THE PREDATOR. Ohio State tossed Michigan in a dumpster yet again this year, but if they're searching for moral victories (they are), they can hang their hat on the fact that Chase Young didn't get a sack against them, and Michigan offensive tackle Jon Runyan explains how.

"They knew that our game plan was to slide to where he was. They figured that out really early. So they started putting him to the three-technique side, when he usually plays on the weak side. [Translation: Young moved from the offensive left side to the right.] ... So we started incorporating the chip stuff. Then they started figuring that stuff out. So we started going with empty protection and sliding away from him. He did get me one time on an inside move with empty protection. Luckily, it was a quick throw.

"So we were just trying to give him different looks. People were saying that we triple-teamed him. I don't think you can ever triple-team somebody. It just doesn't make sense mathematically. But you do what you can to eliminate one of the best players in the country, and that's what we were doing."

...

Someone actually asked Young why he was held without a sack for three straight games at the end of his college career. "You'll see how they changed their whole offensive game plan for one guy," Young replied (semi-)patiently. Runyan's explanation confirms that: The Wolverines tried just about everything to slow Young down, and while it worked, they still got blown out.

"I don't think you can ever triple-team somebody. It just doesn't make sense mathematically."

Buddy, meet Wisconsin.

I'm continually baffled at the folks genuinely suggesting that Chase Young might not be very good because you can limit him if you adjust your entire offense strategy and redesign your gameplan and blocking scheme multiple times. That's like saying Barry Bonds wasn't very good at baseball because he was intentionally walked a lot and his teammates had to get all the hits.

And again, it's not like it proved to be a successful strategy. You scored three touchdowns and lost by almost 30. Congrats?

 MR. OHIO. If the Great State of Ohio is ever in need of a secondary flag, I nominate this patriot's glorious back flesh.

I have to assume he went straight to the tattoo parlor and had that signature permanently etched onto his skin. Odds of completing the set ain't looking good with Neil, Orville and Wilbur left unautographed, but this is extremely badass nonetheless.

I'm told this hero's name is Chris Morse, and I give him my sincerest salute. If he ever wants to add my signature to the Buckeye State backpiece, I'll gladly sign my name next to the only two-time Heisman winner, the first man on the moon, and the guys who invented manned flight.

 RIP. I can't say I woke up on Friday expecting to get a dude publically canned with a mere blog post, but here we are.

Well Pranav, it may be just be (sic) a question or two, but those questions are the difference between a job and a couch sitting at home.

To be clear, Pranav's crime here was not simply being a dumbass or doing his job poorly. Shit, if that's the standard, I would have been axed like five years ago. Pranav's problem was that he was the Dril corn cob Tweet incarnate.

Folks, it's okay to be wrong or make a mistake. It's not okay to deny reality, double down on your obvious mistake and try to retcon a scenario where you're actually correct.

Unfortunately for Pranav, he had to learn that the hard way.

... or learn nothing, deny reality and play the victim. Cool, cool, cool, cool.

 NOT STICKING TO SPORTS. A man draws a gun in a bar after becoming upset with a karaoke song... The debate about changing clocks... Ozzy Osbourne once called the police on himself while high on cocaine... How pandemics change history... Why is wine still so confusing?... Airlines are burning thousands of gallons of fuel flying empty 'ghost' planes... Sharks love jazz music but don’t get classical...

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