Skull Session: TV Ratings Could “Maybe” Factor Into Automatic CFP Bids, NFL Scouts “Universally” Love Emeka Egbuka As a Person and Fairway Fore Hope Returns in 2025

By Chase Brown on April 22, 2025 at 5:00 am
Rece Davis and Ryan Day
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

Ohio State is NFLU.

Have a good Tuesday.

 HOW TO RUIN A SPORT (SPEEDRUN). In the wise words of Mark Jackson, Momma, there goes that man. Wait, no. In the wise words of Mark Jackson, What happened to the game I love?

Before the College Football Playoff committee meets in Dallas on Tuesday, ESPN’s Heather Dinich delivered intel on some of the criteria the committee has considered regarding automatic bids and seeding for future playoffs:

“One possibility, which could be viewed as a compromise, is having conferences earn automatic bids through their play each season," she wrote. "A model in which each Power 4 league can earn guaranteed spots through a combination of its teams’ overall records – and…”

Here’s where it gets wild.

“… maybe even TV ratings, according to a source – could be presented. The highest-ranked conferences would earn the most automatic bids.”

Come again for Big Fudge?

As one of the sport’s most marketable teams, Ohio State would benefit from ratings-based criteria. However, and that is a massive however, it would be ludicrous for the committee to use it. 

Heck, it’s ludicrous that the committee has even considered it. 

ESPN owns media rights to the College Football Playoff. You know what else ESPN owns the media rights to? The SEC… and the ACC, MAC, Big Sky and C-USA. That said, the Worldwide Leader controlling who receives access to their invitational based on when the network slots kickoffs throughout the season would devolve the sport into utter chaos.

The committee cannot let that happen.

If it does, that decision cannot stand.

 “UNIVERSALLY BELOVED.” In the Monday Skull Session, I mentioned how NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero had named Emeka Egbuka as a “potential surprise first-rounder” in the NFL draft. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it will be no surprise when Egbuka comes off the board in the opening 32 picks, as he reported Monday that Egbuka “figures to be selected somewhere in the 20s” on Thursday.

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard played with a number of NFL prospects on the school's national championship team last season. Asked earlier this month on The Adam Schefter Podcast to point out one teammate who is set to have a special NFL career, Howard didn't hesitate.

"One guy I've been saying over and over, and I think he's a special guy, is Emeka Egbuka," Howard said. "He's been special throughout his whole career here, and he's going to be special at the next level. I see something different with him, man. He's got unbelievable route-running ability, he's got great speed, he's got some of the best hands that I've been around. On top of that man, he's one of the best guys I've been around. He's super into his faith, understands the game like a quarterback. You could sit him down in a quarterback meeting and he spit stuff out damn near like I could, and it's pretty impressive. I know he's got a really bright future ahead of him."

Egbuka figures to be selected somewhere in the 20s.

In addition to Schefter’s intel, ESPN’s Peter Schrager also reported Monday that Egbuka and former Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker are two prospects “who have won the interview process and are universally beloved as people.”

Get ready to hear Roger Goodell call your name, Emeka.

 VOLUMBUS? I remember “Neyland North” as if it were yesterday. Yet, I have no memory of “Volumbus.” 

When Tennessee visited Ohio State on Dec. 21, 2024, Volunteer fans took over parts of campus (and Columbus), calling their conquest “Volumbus.” Here are some examples posted to social media on Dec. 20, the night before kickoff:

Oh, how I love those videos. Those Vols fans had no idea – and I mean no idea – what was about to happen to their beloved football team in less than 24 hours. That is, a beatdown for the ages.

 FAIRWAY FORE HOPE. After raising over $90,000 for families facing cancer-related financial challenges in 2024, The Field House Fairway For Hope returns in 2025 on June 16 at The Ohio State University Golf Club.

The event, which former Ohio State wide receiver Chris Fields started in honor of his late brother James, has stated goals for 2025: to raise over $150,000 to provide a one-time payment of $2,500 to assist 40 patients in active treatment financially. This amount reflects the average monthly cost to meet basic household needs for a family facing cancer treatment. Fields and The Field House Cancer Foundation also plan to invest funds in patient support initiatives, awareness and advocacy.

Several former Buckeyes will attend the event and help the foundation reach its goal:

  • Jim and Ellen Tressel
  • Terry McLaurin
  • Archie Griffin
  • Adam Griffin
  • Chris “Beanie” Wells
  • Dre’Mont Jones
  • DeVier Posey
  • Evan Spencer
  • Mike Adams
  • JJ Sullinger

According to a recent email from the foundation, a handful of team spots remain for the event, “which promises an unforgettable experience, with a legendary line-up that you won’t want to miss.”

The email also added: “While we continue to heal from (the loss of James), it is our deepest honor to help families like James’, easing their financial burdens in a time when the weight of illness can feel too heavy to carry alone. … Thanks to you, James’ legacy lives on through the support we offer to cancer families. Your generosity has created a lasting impact that not only honors his memory but also provides a vital lifeline to those in need.”

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Horoscope" - Jon Bellion and Pharrell.

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