Skull Session: Ohio State Won And That's All That Matters, C.J. Stroud Can Run It and J.T. Tuimoloau Had a Good Follow Up to His Penn State Performance

By Chase Brown on November 7, 2022 at 5:00 am
C.J. Stroud
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Welcome to Indiana week. It's time for the Buckeyes to beat the Hoosiers (again).

How would you like to start your day with the absolutely lovely voices of some players from the Ohio State football team?

Hand them a Grammy right now.

Let's have a good Monday, shall we?

 A WILD WEEKEND. Look, I won't sugarcoat Ohio State's performance against Northwestern on Saturday. The team didn't play well, regardless of how much the weather impacted the game. And it did, as 30+ mph winds and a torrential downpour of rain on a grass surface tend to do.

But at the end of the day, the Buckeyes won a football game, and – even more importantly – they claimed a victory amid a weekend where many talented teams in college football did not. We're looking at you, Tennessee, Clemson and Alabama.

​​So, while I believe it's fair to be upset with Ohio State's overall effort over the weekend, Buckeye Nation should also understand how the fan bases of the three teams mentioned above feel. I'm confident they'd much rather be where the Ohio State faithful are today, cheering for an undefeated team ranked No. 2 in the AP and Coaches Polls instead of dealing with the fallout of a late-season loss.

This week, it is essential to keep the perspective that it is always, always, always better to correct, improve and move forward following a win than a loss.

Yes, the Buckeyes have issues, specifically in the toughness department and the offense's short-yardage efficiency. But they have two more weeks to figure that out before the game (or The Game) that really matters: a potential top-three showdown with Michigan in the Horseshoe on Nov. 26.

 "MORE OF A RUNNER THAN A THROWER." While watching C.J. Stroud run for 79 yards against Northwestern on Saturday, I laughed thinking about Stephen A. Smith of ESPN's First Take claiming that the Ohio State quarterback is "more of a runner than a thrower" sometime in the future.

I mean, it wouldn't be the first time.

But in all seriousness, who had Stroud running the football on their Northwestern Game Bingo Card? How about Ryan Day calling a few read options for his quarterback? Both were a surprise to everyone on Saturday, including Day, who admitted in his postgame press conference that he'd prefer Stroud not to run unless absolutely necessary.

But that's the thing: Stroud running the football was necessary against the Wildcats. And for someone who isn't traditionally known for his running ability, Stroud shined when allowed to use his legs and collected 79 yards on six carries with a long run of 44 yards.

Stroud's 79 rushing yards were the most by an Ohio State quarterback in a road game since J.T. Barrett totaled 105 against Michigan State in 2016. Not even running Dwayne Haskins or Justin Fields, who broke the NFL record for single-game rushing yards by a quarterback on Sunday, rushed for as many yards on the road as Stroud had on Saturday against Northwestern.

 HE'S STILL GOOD. Many wondered how J.T. Tuimoloau would follow up his other-worldly performance against Penn State last week with an easier matchup against Northwestern lined up for Saturday.

And, yeah, the kid is still good. I'll use this clip as my evidence:

Tuimoloau recorded four tackles, one tackle for loss and a pass breakup that he almost intercepted in the Northwestern game.

While Tuimoloau's stats might look underwhelming, it's only because of what he put on paper against the Nittany Lions the week prior. In any other circumstance, this is an excellent game for Tuimoloau, especially when considering the Wildcats only threw the ball 17 times.

Look for Tuimoloau to continue his hot streak against Indiana, who ranks No. 113 in the nation with 3.11 sacks allowed per contest. In other words, time for Tuimoloau and the Rushmen to feast on the Hoosiers as the Block O student section chants, "Who's your Daddy!" *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*

 THIS AND THAT. Before I wrap up the Skull Session with a banger Song of the Day and Them Links, there are a few things to which I will turn your attention.

First, The Ohio State University men's basketball team starts its regular season tonight against Robert Morris at 7 p.m.

Fourth and finally, could an NHL hockey game be coming to Ohio Stadium? Some executives in the professional league told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic that they are looking for ways to make it work.

From Portzline's article:

The NHL and the Blue Jackets have been meeting with Ohio State officials for several years in an attempt to stage an outdoor game in Ohio Stadium. But it could be the expansion of college football’s playoff system that finally makes it happen.

The biggest hurdle, all parties have agreed, is that Ohio Stadium is not winterized. It hasn’t needed to be, as the last game played each year is typically in mid- or late November before the deep winter freeze settles into central Ohio.

But college football’s decision to expand its playoff format from four teams to 12 will include the option for the higher-seeded teams to host first-round games, likely during the second or third week of December.

“Imagine if Ohio State was hosting a game and they couldn’t play a home game there,” said NHL executive vice president Steve Mayer, who coordinates the league’s special events. “Just imagine that.”

The College Football Playoffs board has said that the new system will start no later than 2026, but it has pushed its commissioners to have a plan in place as soon as 2024 or 2025.

Mayer told The Athletic that the NHL clubs and sites for next season (2023-24) have already been determined, with the public announcements coming later this season. The Blue Jackets and Ohio Stadium are not on next year’s list, he said.
But beyond that?

“I believe fully that it’s gonna get solved, I really do,” Mayer said of the stadium being winterized. “I think it’ll happen.”

Mayer said the primary focus would be to have Ohio State winterize the Horseshoe. However, that process would cost "millions of dollars, not hundreds of thousands," so the NHL's proposal would need to really hit home on the potential return on investment from ticket sales and other revenue streams from fans attending the stadium that can hold more than 100,000 fans.

According to Mayer, conversations between the NHL and Ohio State's athletic operations department have been "very productive" in recent years. While he doesn't expect an outdoor game to be played in Ohio Stadium soon, it's something he wants fans to keep on the radar.

“We’ve been looking at solutions, trying to figure it out,” Mayer said. “It’s been three or four years. Now, the pandemic delayed things. But every conversation we’ve had has been positive. The people in the room … we get the impression they’d like to do it.”

It appears the expansion of college football’s playoff system could be the new dynamic the negotiations needed to move forward fruitfully. And nothing gets done quicker at Ohio State than when the football program needs it.

Alright, folks. I think that's it for me. Enjoy the Song of the Day and Them Links. See you tomorrow.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones.

 CUT TO THE CHASE. Singer-rapper Aaron Carter dies in California at age 34... Busy night: All 30 teams on the NBA’s schedule for Monday... Last total lunar eclipse for three years arrives Tuesday... The National Park Service wants humans to stop licking this toad... If bumblebees can play, does it mean they have feelings? This study suggests yes.

DON'T FORGET: Vote for Ohio State women's ice hockey defenseman Sophie Jaques to win the AAU James E. Sullivan Award (Click here).

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