Skull Session: Landing Tanner McCalister Has Been a Home Run for Ohio State, Six Buckeyes Earned Player of the Game Honors and Isaac Likekele Will Shine for the Basketbucks

By Chase Brown on October 25, 2022 at 5:00 am
Tanner McCalister
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Can anyone tell me what it is that Gee Scott Jr. said here?

 THE GLUE GUY. When Tanner McCalister announced his transfer from Oklahoma State to Ohio State, many expected the veteran safety to be the player that would bridge the gap between Jim Knowles and the players on the defense.

He was precisely that for the Buckeyes in spring ball, summer workouts and fall camp – a real glue guy that held everything together. However, through seven games this season, he's become much more than a translator of the Mad Scientist's Ivy League dialect for his teammates.

McCalister has also been an impact player for the Buckeyes, as making tackles and forcing turnovers has become routine for the Rockwall, Texas native. That was clear on Saturday when he picked off both Spencer Petras and Alex Padilla, helping to generate 10 points for the Ohio State offense.

That wasn't the first time McCalister's talent flashed for the Silver Bullets this season. Remember when he tracked down Wisconsin receiver Skyler Bell like a center fielder tracks down a pop flly at the warning track?

I mean, seriously. That may go down as one of the plays of the year for the Ohio State defense. It was that impressive.

Overall, McCalister has been a pleasant surprise for the Buckeyes this season. I'm happy his relationship with Knowles was so strong – one that Knowles labeled as father-son – that he chose to play his final year of college ball in Columbus.

 PLAYERS OF THE GAME. Despite playing his best game as a Buckeye, McCalister was not named a defensive player of the game for his performance against the Hawkeyes. That distinction belongs to Tommy Eichenberg and Zach Harrison.

And, yeah, that makes sense. Eichenberg – labeled the leader of the defense by Ryan Day – has been nothing short of dominant all season and was again on Saturday as he scored Ohio State's first defensive touchdown of the year. Harrison's efforts were well-documented in Monday's Skull Session, but let me say again that he was excellent.

Offensively, Julian Fleming and Cade Stover were the players of the game. Everyone had that heading into the matchup with Jaxon Smith-Njigba available and Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka in action. Of course, you can't forget C.J. Stroud, TreVeyon Henderson or Miyan Wiliams always having a good chance to claim the award, too.

That's the beauty of this offense. When one player isn't at the top of his game, another one will pick up the slack.

At least one of the special teams players of the game was as you would expect as Noah Ruggles was automatic against Iowa, nailing his four field goal attempts and all six extra points. Chip Trayanum was the other Buckeye to pick up the accolade with a standout performance on kick coverage.

 INTRODUCING “ICE.” Over the weekend, the Ohio State men's basketball team dropped a video introducing Isaac "Ice" Likekele, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound guard from Arlington, Texas, to Buckeye Nation.

I'm excited to see what Likekele can do for Ohio State this season and even more excited to find out what the heck this team will look like as a unit. With so many question marks from transfers and freshmen, it's tough to predict where the Buckeyes will end the season.

Could this be the first Chris Holtmann-led team to reach the Sweet 16? Certainly. Will they be? I have no idea! But the season begins in 13 days, Buckeye fans, so it's time for us all to buckle up and find out.

 PARRIS CAMPBELL, EVERYONE. Parris Campbell was one of my favorite Ohio State players in the mid to late 2010s, especially in his final season with the program in 2018.

It was Campbell's speed and quickness that always stood out to me. His big-play ability was unmatched. When the ball was in his hands, he always had the potential to make a house call – like this one against Michigan four years ago:

Hopefully, Campbell can avoid that pesky injury bug this season and in the future. I have a feeling we will see a lot of plays like this from him for the Colts or whichever other team picks him up next year if he does.

 SONG OF THE DAY. “Sweet Child O' Mine” by Guns N' Roses.

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The Stark Beauty of Lost Things

Jan 1, 2021; New Orleans, LA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Luke Farrell (89) celebrates his touchdown reception against the Clemson Tigers with tight end Jeremy Ruckert (88) during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Russell Costanza-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State Accomplishes Its Most Important Goal for Post-Spring Transfer Window: Retaining All of Its Key Players

Ryan Day
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