Skull Session: Aaron Craft Can Still Ball, Pro Football Focus Ranks Ohio State Third in 2023 Preseason Poll and Brice Sensabaugh “Not Settling” When It Comes to NBA Potential

By Chase Brown on June 28, 2023 at 5:00 am
Aaron Craft
Adam Cairns / USA TODAY Sports
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Mike. Mike. Mike. Mike. Mike. What day is it Mike?

Hump daaaay!

Laugh at these pictures of mini Ohio State football players and let's have a good Wednesday, shall we?

 F*** IT, WE BALL. Folks, even at 32 years old and in the thick of clinical rotations at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Aaron Craft can still hoop. The Buckeye legend proved it in the Kingdom Summer League at Ohio Dominican on Sunday.

I searched the Internet far and wide for Craft's stats from the contest, but alas, I could not find them. However, in the 45-second clip from 270 Hoops' Jake Spegal (a phenomenal dude, by the way), one can see that Craft scored in double figures and had a few helpers in the matchup. Knowing Craft, he probably had a few rebounds and added some steals, too. Maybe a few dives to the floor, for old times' sake.

Oh, the old times...

When Craft was the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, a four-time Big Ten All-Defensive Team honoree, a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time All-Big Ten player for Ohio State between 2010-14.

Or the less old times when Craft was an NBA D-League champion, D-League Defensive Player of the Year and two-time D-League All-Defensive first-team honoree with the Santa Cruz Warriors from 2014-16.

Or the less, less old times when Craft was a French League Cup winner and French League Best Defender for AS Monaco in 2018.

Or the less, less, less old times when Craft was a TBT champion with former Ohio State teammates William Buford, Jon Diebler, David Lighty, Evan Ravenel, LaQuinton Ross and others in 2019.

Or the less, less, less, less old times when Craft was named an Ohio State Athletics Hall of Famer in 2022.

Good times.

 PFF'S TOP 25. We're two months from the start of the 2023 college football season, which feels like forever from now but will arrive like a blindside hit from JT Tuimoloau come the Buckeyes' season opener with Indiana on Sept. 2 – at least for us media members, as the 13-week gauntlet of Ohio State football starts. But, like Tim May, I digress.

With those 60 days and change left until boots hit balls this fall, Pro Football Focus released an updated top-25 ranking via its ELO rating system, which “is an interactive system based on how well a team plays against their opponent and how well they are expected to play against their opponent,” according to the company's website.

Here is a look at PFF's top-five teams, which features Ohio State at No. 3:

1. GEORGIA BULLDOGS

The back-to-back national champs are the favorites to three-peat in 2023, a feat that has only been accomplished by one other school (Minnesota, 1934-1936). Georgia does lose some key pieces with 10 players being selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, tied for the most of any school. However, the Bulldogs went 15-0 in 2022 after having a record 15 players taken in the 2022 draft, proving head coach Kirby Smart simply reloads, not rebuilds.

2. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

Alabama is coming off a disappointing season for its standards by finishing 11-2 while missing the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide enter this year with two new coordinators and must replace three top-15 picks in the 2023 draft, one of them being quarterback Bryce Young, the first overall selection. 

Still, the last time head coach Nick Saban went consecutive years without making the College Football Playoff or BCS National Championship was in 2007-08, his first two years at the helm. Doubt him at your own risk.

3. OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

Despite having to replace quarterback C.J. Stroud, Ohio State will continue to have one of the most explosive offenses in the nation. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka aren’t just the best receiver duo in college football, they’re the two best receivers in college football. The Buckeyes also have one of the best backfields in the country with TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams and Dallan Hayden in addition to a top-10 tight end in Cade Stover. As for under center, Ohio State’s new quarterback will be either Kyle McCord or Devin Brown, who each were five-star recruits in their respective classes.

4. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

Not only is Michigan coming off back-to-back Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff appearances, it’s also returning most of its production from last year. One of the most surprising returners was running back Blake Corum, who set the PFF record for the highest-graded season by a Power Five player in 2022 (96.2). This is the best chance Jim Harbaugh’s had to bring a national championship to Ann Arbor.

5. TEXAS LONGHORNS

Outside of Ohio State, Texas has the best receiving corps in college football. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders are both top-four players at their respective positions and the Longhorns have excellent depth with Adonai Mitchell, Jordan Whittington and Isaiah Neyor all back. The question is, can Quinn Ewers deliver them the ball consistently? The former top quarterback recruit in the 2021 class was up and down in his first year as a starter, earning a 72.4 grade. If he lives up to the hype as a redshirt sophomore, Texas could finally be back.

Ohio State above Michigan, as it always should be – and will be this season.

PFF's Max Chadwick wrote that Ohio State should have no problem on offense in 2023 despite replacing C.J. Stroud at quarterback and Paris Johnson Jr., Dawand Jones and Luke Wypler on the offensive line. What eases his concern? Mainly the fact that the Buckeyes still have “the best receiver duo in college football” in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka and the combination of TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams in the backfield.

As for the defense, Chadwick didn't have much to add. However, with most of its production returning for another season under second-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, I wouldn't think he has a negative perception of the Silver Bullets as they shoot into the 2023 season.

While I only provided the top-five teams above and the article headlines PFF's top 25 teams, the ELO ratings created rankings for all 131 FBS teams. Here is a breakdown of where Ohio State's 12 regular-season opponents were listed:

  • Indiana: 87
  • Youngstown State: N/A, FCS School
  • Western Kentucky: 104
  • Notre Dame: 11
  • Maryland: 42
  • Purdue: 44
  • Penn State: 7
  • Wisconsin: 39
  • Rutgers: 77
  • Michigan State: 46
  • Minnesota: 24
  • Michigan: 4

 “I'M NOT SETTLING.” Former Ohio State men's basketball forward Brice Sensabaugh was selected No. 28 overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2023 NBA draft on Thursday. As he prepares to make Salt Lake City his new home, the Orlando, Florida native is excited for what the next chapter holds.

From Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch:

“I like it a lot,” Sensabaugh said [of Utah]. “I like the mountains. I’m from Orlando so it’s a big change of scenery. It’s beautiful, for sure.”

...

When he declared for the draft, Sensabaugh was viewed as having the potential to move into the latter end of the lottery. Instead, he nearly slid into the second round. That was a surprise, as was being taken by Utah.

“It was kind of a shock to me, but my agent works really hard for me and I think he tried his best to put me in the right position and I’m super confident he did that,” Sensabaugh said. “I’m super confident in the future. It was shocking, yeah, not even having a workout here but I got the call and they were super pleased with it. They stressed they want me to get to work right away and I’m ready for it.”

As he starts to make Salt Lake City home and build connections with his new team, Sensabaugh said he’s not worried about his role or how he’ll fit into the team’s future plans. There’s just one thing that he is stressing.

“One thing that’s guaranteed is I’m not settling,” he said. “When it’s all said and done, I don’t want to have regrets. That’s probably one of my worst fears. ... The biggest thing that I keep hearing is the business side, how it’s cutthroat and a cold business in a sense. Nothing’s really guaranteed. I’m just looking forward to working and solidifying my spot to stick around for a while.”

I love Sensabaugh's mentality as he approaches his rookie season in the NBA: Never settle and do his best to solidify a spot.

Outside of the Oklahoma City Thunder, whose roster had an average age of 23.14 in 2022-23, Utah is one of the best places for a young player like Sensabaugh to develop. The Jazz are young but talented, with Lauri Markannen and Collin Sexton needing some offensive assistance, specifically from behind the arc – where Sensabaugh thrived in his lone season at Ohio State, shooting at a 40.5% clip from 3-point range and 48.2% overall.

I'm excited to see what Sensabaugh can do in the NBA summer league and how his game translates to the next level, even if the offseason competition won't feature the more prominent names in the sport. Hopefully, he can find his rhythm early and often and ride that momentum into the regular season when it arrives in late October.

 "WOW, SAME." At 12:13 p.m. on Tuesday, Dan Hope dropped a tweet in the Eleven Warriors Slack that showed a Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 53 Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord received via a name, image and likeness partnership with (Marky) Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet in Columbus.

About one hour later, Johnny Ginter replied, "Wow, same."

Mr. Ginter is a rich man, it appears. He must have generational wealth because sports journalism doesn't pay that well. I would know.

All kidding aside – and full acknowledgment that Ginter does not, in fact, drive a fancy car but rather a more family-oriented vehicle with his wife and daughter – McCord will whip a Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 53 around Columbus in 2023, revealing his new wheels in an Instagram story that was posted to Twitter by others, including Front Office Sports:

According to MotorTrend, the base price of a Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 53 is $103,650 but can reach prices as high as $140,000 depending on upgrades to the exterior and interior. So, uhhhhhh, not cheap.

Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet has been a frequent partner of Ohio State's top players since NIL legislation was passed on July 1, 2021. Its deals have included partnerships with McCord and Jack Sawyer, who chose a souped-up Chevy Silverado over the smaller, sleeker Mercedes-Benz that McCord will drive.

While I support name, image and likeness benefits for student-athletes – I want that to be clear – it still feels weird to see 18-to-23-year-olds show off their brand-new cars or other perks from NIL. What once caused trouble for Terrelle Pryor is now commonplace in “amateur“ sports.

 SONG OF THE DAY. “Superstar” by Lupe Fiasco (feat. Matthew Santos).

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