I'm sorry my Skull Session is late today. The past couple of days have more difficult and draining than I was prepared for.
As consolation, here is Chris Olave Mossing a true freshman in practice.
@chrisolave_ pic.twitter.com/OQTsw1lOOg
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 26, 2021
Word of the Day: Indiposed.
OUCH. I've gotta be honest, I'm so used to college football knowers universally praising my favorite football team that I'm not sure what to do when someone offers even a hint of criticism or negativity.
And Bruce Feldman kinda went in on the Buckeyes on the new episode of the Russillo podcast.
"The defense, I don’t know if they’re going to be that good. I think people forget, when Jeff Hafley got hired there by Ryan Day, that was a great hire. He made a profound impact on them defensively. I’m not sure how much different they’re going to be on defense. That’s an interesting one for me."
...
“I have more confidence in the Oklahoma defense than I do the Ohio State defense. It’s not by a ton, I don’t think Ohio State is going to be horrible on defense, I think they’ll be good on the defensive line, but they were really shaky last year. And they lost a bunch of linebackers.”
“To me, I don’t think it’s as much a C.J. Stroud thing, but I do think they are going to be in some shootout kind of games because of their defense, and you’re talking about a guy who’s never played at all. You had to be Justin Fields to kind of overcome the defense last year.”
...
“I think they probably will win the Big Ten, but I think they are a 10-2 kind of team, more than anything.”
...
“I don’t know if they’re that much better than Iowa, to be honest.”
There were more quotes, but you get the gist.
I don't think I have ever in my life been so offended by someone declaring that they think my favorite football team is going to win 10 games during the regular season, or comparing my team's defense to that of a top-5 team.
It's amazing that expectations have changed so much in Columbus that a fellow saying "I think that they will go 10-2 and win the Big Ten" illicits a response in my brain that makes me want to grab a pitchfork and burn him in effegy.
If the Buckeyes aren't a title contender, we ask for the manager. This is the way.
BRING BACK CHRIS. I have just learned that Brutus was not Ohio State's first mascot, and now I'm pining for the return of Chris.
Before Brutus, Chris the dog, was the unofficial mascot of Ohio State. Chris would attend football and basketball games, and rallies to perform tricks, such as jumping through hoops. He is pictured here in 1941 with his owner and cheerleader, Richard Armel. pic.twitter.com/b6ZnkX91ia
— OSU Archives (@BuckeyeHistory) August 26, 2021
It's hilarious that Ohio State's OG mascot was just a dog with a human name and it was better than at least 50 percent of the actual mascots in the Big Ten.
What can we do to get one of Chris' descendants on the field for game days? Is there a petition I can sign?
TROUBLE IN PARADISE. As if you couldn't tell by the preseason on-field results, it would appear that Urban Meyer's time in Jacksonville is not exactly going swimmingly.
"He's got to change a few things. He brought a bunch of college-like things to the program, which I don't necessarily agree with," (CBS Sports' Pete) Prisco said. "And I've heard some of the players aren't thrilled with him either, including having a microphone on the field, one of his assistants on the field during practice with a boom mic, telling everybody to hydrate and hustle and get to the next period.
"So, obviously he's a work in progress. He's been a good football coach everywhere he's been. It's a lot different when you recruit guys to your school and have a bunch of the top players, the five-stars, than it is trying to build something. So, it's going to be a challenge. I'm not giving up on what he can do in his first two games. I don't think that's fair to him. I don't think it's fair to the quarterback. But they're not off to a good start."
...
"From everything he's changed inside the building — they've added a bunch of new things, cryotherapy, all kinds of stuff has been added in that building at his request," Prisco said. "He has the biggest coaching staff in the NFL. It's enormous, so he got everything he wanted there. There's a trainer, a stretching coach, for every position when they stretch so that they all get the proper stretching. The team has gone above and beyond what he has requested, so now he has to win.
"And the problem is he said he had the best of the best on his coaching staff. It's clear that that offense is a disaster right now. They have no idea what they're doing. ... They have problems. They have a week to kind of fix them, or a couple weeks before the regular season. But right now, they do not look very good."
"... one of his assistants on the field during practice with a boom mic, telling everybody to hydrate and hustle and get to the next period."
Well, at least we know the report is accurate!
To be honest, I was higher on Meyer's chances in the NFL than most, especially because the consensus seemed to be that it was going to go over about as well as trying to swim across the Pacific Ocean in a suit of armor.
I always thought there was a solid chance he would come in and surprise some people with some early success before ultimately fizzling out and deciding it actually just wasn't for him anymore – pretty much like his last two coaching stints.
I still mostly think that's true, but the one think I didn't totally account for is just how bad his team is. Because they are just... very bad. I get that his schtick is already wearing thin on folks and that he's already facing early criticism, but that roster is just so terrible I'm not sure there's a coach in the country who could perform well.
Granted, he was also in charge of building that roster through free agency and the draft, so it's not like you can give him a complete pass here. Regardless, I'm gonna tune in this year!
NEW NORMAL. Someday, I'll probably be used to the idea of college football players getting free cars as part of an endorsement deal.
But today is not that day.
The new world of college sports: Ohio State football players Haskell Garrett, Miyan Williams, Zach Harrison, Chris Olave and C.J. Stroud getting new cars this afternoon as part of a partnership with Coughlin Chevrolet in Pataskala. pic.twitter.com/orjKZXtzqt
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) August 26, 2021
For what it's worth, I too am available for endorsement deals, Columbus car salespeople.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Yellow" by Coldplay.
NOT STICKING TO SPORTS. Tony Hawk's blood is being used in $500 limited-edition skateboards... Cops are dressing up like FedEX guys and arresting people for drugs... How drug cartels get chemicals for meth and fentanyl... The man preserving endangered colours... The 9/11 museum and its discontents... The great resignation is here, and it's real...
