Welcome to the Skull Session.
We are still the champions, my friends.
The Buckeyes were honored today at the Ohio Statehouse by Governor DeWine, members of the Ohio Senate & the Ohio House of Representatives pic.twitter.com/ZOnJKH9rGI
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) May 7, 2025
Have a good Thursday.
NEW BEGINNINGS. This week, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg released his NFL draft confidential in which college coaches broke down the best fits, sleepers and surprises in the 2025 class. Rittenberg’s article featured comments from Ryan Day, who discussed Tyleik Williams landing with the Lions, Will Howard landing with the Steelers and more.
Although Tuimoloau and fellow end Jack Sawyer (fourth round, Pittsburgh) received more attention as college players, Williams going first among the defensive linemen didn't surprise Day, who called him "our most productive guy, just was solid, was consistent, was productive."
"Seeing him go there was really appropriate," he said.
Ohio State supplied a portion of the Day 3 draft value, especially on defense with linebacker Cody Simon (fourth round, Arizona Cardinals), safety Lathan Ransom (fourth round, Carolina), tackle Ty Hamilton (fifth round, Los Angeles Rams), cornerback Jordan Hancock (fifth round, Buffalo Bills) and cornerback Denzel Burke (fifth round, Arizona).
...
"I think they're going to play for a long time in the NFL," Day said. "We've had guys who have left in three years. These guys have been four or five years in the program, played a lot of football, played the longest season ever, played the most big games ever."
Howard had the longest wait among Buckeyes draft picks, as the championship QB went No. 185 overall to Pittsburgh.
"It's exciting, man, to see him go there, for their need, for their situation, it's a great opportunity for him," Day said. "You just get to the point where you just get stressed out because you don't know where it's going to be. You see these other guys getting drafted and just want to know where you're going to be. So I know those were a long couple days for him, but ultimately, a lot of relief knowing he's going to a great organization."
ICYMI: Howard landing with the Steelers also landed him on Ben Roethlisberger’s podcast, where he and Jack Sawyer answered a question that has divided Buckeye Nation for over 100 years: What’s more important, winning a national championship or beating Michigan?
“Winning a national championship,” Sawyer answered. “And don’t get — that takes no emphasis off how important The Game is. … When you win a national championship, if anyone tells you they’d rather go 1-12 and just beat the ‘Team Up North,’ you’re crazy. You know what I mean? You’re playing this game to win championships.”
Howard agreed.
“I think that the rational Buckeye fan would say, ‘Give me the championship every day of the week.’ I would hope so,” he said.
YOU’RE A HALL OF FAMER IN MY BOOK. Bowling Green and the National Football Foundation will honor Urban Meyer with an “On-Campus Salute” on Aug. 28 in recognition of the three-time national champion head coach’s upcoming induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Meyer’s salute will also serve as Eddie George’s first game as the Falcons’ head coach.
Former Falcon HC @CoachUrbanMeyer will return to BG and be honored during our Aug. 28 home game vs. Lafayette as part of the @NFFNetwork's Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, Presented by Fidelity Investments
— BGSU Football (@BG_Football) May 7, 2025
https://t.co/t2AJGH8no5
https://t.co/Y6K0jJvHyb pic.twitter.com/ENZewYTapb
"Bowling Green is where I started my head coaching career, and it's only appropriate that my first NFF On-Campus Salute is at Doyt Perry Stadium," Meyer said in the Bowling Green press release. "BGSU is a special place and was an integral part of my trajectory as a head coach. I inherited an incredible senior class in 2001 that inspired the nation's top turnaround in college football, going from 2-8 to 8-3. I was also surrounded by great staffs along the way – and that was especially true at BGSU. We cherished our time at Bowling Green, and I am proud to be a Falcon for the rest of my life. Shelley and I are looking forward to seeing many familiar and friendly faces when we return on August 28."
During the On-Campus Salute, Meyer will return to Bowling Green to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that will remain on permanent display at the school. The event will provide Meyer one more chance to take the field and be recognized at Bowling Green, where he recorded a 17-6 record as a first-time head coach in 2001 and 2002. Meyer went on to coach at Utah, Florida and Ohio State. He won three national championships – two with the Gators and one with the Buckeyes – and ended his coaching career with a 187-32 record all-time.
All things considered, this is a cool gesture from Bowling Green.
You never forget your first!
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY… MONEY! Folks, USA TODAY featured an article this week with some of the wildest information I have ever read.
In the Year of Our Lord 2023, the Big Ten shelled out a $5.75 million bonus to Kevin Warren despite the former commissioner leaving the conference in mid-April to become the Chicago Bears president and CEO!
Warren, who started with the Big Ten in September 2019, was credited with just over $6.8 million in total compensation for 2023. That included nearly $1.1 million categorized as base compensation, which works out to an annualized total of nearly $2.9 million.
The bonus was awarded by the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors “for his accomplishments over his full tenure as commissioner, including his contributions to the new TV rights deal,” a conference spokesperson said.
...
While standing as an additional payment for his roughly 3½ years on the job, Warren’s bonus stands as one of the largest such payments in college sports since USA TODAY Sports began tracking pay of coaches and administrators in 2006, not including retention payments in which coaches became vested annually but were not due to be actually paid until the end of a fixed period or unless the coach was fired without cause.
But that’s not all.
The conference also, in the Year of Our Lord 2023, shelled out an almost $3.05 million bonus to Jim Delany despite the former commissioner retiring in 2020!
In July 2015, then-Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany became eligible for more than $20 million in bonus payments, based on estimated present value at that time, that he began receiving in 2018. (In 2023, according to the new return, Delany was credited with a net total of nearly $3.05 million that represented the sixth year’s worth of these payments that the conference says he will be receiving over a 10-year span, ending in 2027. So far Delany has received about $18 million worth of these payments. In addition, during the 2023-24 fiscal year, Delany Advisory Inc., received $400,000 for what the new tax record described as consulting services.)
That’s over $10 million to two men who no longer work for the Big Ten!
$10 million!
That’s wild!
Even more wild, Tony Petitti made less than both Warren and Delany, as the current commissioner received $2.65 million in 2023 – and he was the one who actually worked!
OLYMPIC VILLAGE. On Sunday, the Ohio State men's lacrosse team will host Notre Dame in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. This week, head coach Nick Myers joined 97.1 The Fan's Bishop and Friends to preview the matchup, calling the Buckeyes' facing the Irish a "tough draw."
“Listen, there’s no easy games once you get to the NCAA Tournament. But to get Notre Dame, the back-to-back national champs in the first round is a great challenge," Myers said. "It’s one that our men are excited about and focused on. We’re gonna need a great week of practice and effort to prepare. But we’re gonna empty the tank Sunday at noon, there’s no doubt about that.”
One more at home#GoBucks | https://t.co/ooxAJ7yheJ pic.twitter.com/DArDC7ltr2
— Ohio State Men's Lacrosse (@OhioStateMLAX) May 5, 2025
Bishop immediately asked the question fans have been wondering since last weekend: How did Ohio State, a 14-win team with Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, earn the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, especially when Maryland earned the No. 2 seed?!
“That’s a question I’m gonna let you ponder over because I’m not sure I have the right answer for you,” Myers said, somewhat laughing.
Despite Ohio State’s being severely underseeded – my words, not Myers’ words – the veteran head coach said the Buckeyes have an excellent mindset entering the Notre Dame game.
“We can handle what we can control,” Myers said. “We’re really proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish, and we are really focused on our next goal. We have one competitive goal left, and that starts with getting out of the first round and going to the next round. That’s really all we can focus on and all we can control. Our men have kind of had that back against the wall mentality since Feb. 1, so we’re gonna stay in that space, continue to hunt and focus our attention on what needs to be on, which is preparing for a very good and talented Notre Dame team on Saturday.”
I love it!
Get after it, Buckeyes.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Waffle House" - Jon Bellion (reference for Jonas Brothers).
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