Welcome to the Skull Session.
Trust the process.
Obsessed with the process pic.twitter.com/BMSGtKITs2
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) May 21, 2025
Have a good Thursday.
OHIO STATE OF THE UNION. This week, The Athletic’s Cameron Teague Robinson revealed results from what I will call his annual Ohio State of the Union™ survey. In it, he asked Buckeye fans to answer a series of questions before the 2025 season. Here’s a look at some of the questions and answers (from over 1,000 responses):
Jack Sawyer recently said winning a national championship is more important than winning The Game. Do you agree?
- Yes: 89.3 percent
- No: 10.7 percent
My answer: Yes
What’s your confidence level that Ohio State can end the four-game losing streak to Michigan this year?
- Very confident: 32.7 percent
- Somewhat confident: 44.3 percent
- Toss-up: 18.7 percent
- Somewhat skeptical: 2.9 percent
- Very skeptical: 1.4 percent
My answer: Somewhat confident
How would you grade Ryan Day’s performance in six years as Ohio State’s head coach?
- A: 63 percent
- B: 34.8 percent
- C: 1.7 percent
- D: 0.4 percent
- F: 0 percent
My answer: A (If I had the option to choose A-, I would. Day’s national championship boosts his overall grade, but four consecutive losses to Michigan hinder it.)
What would constitute a successful season for Ohio State?
- Win the national championship: 8.7 percent
- Big Ten championship, national title game appearance: 19 percent
- Big Ten championship, College Football Playoff appearance: 41.7 percent
- Win a game in the playoff: 7.6 percent
- Playoff appearance: 3.4 percent
- Beat Michigan: 19.5 percent
My answer: Big Ten championship, College Football Playoff appearance (Though I would love to see more than just an appearance. How about quarterfinals? How about semifinals?)
Teague also asked whether Julian Sayin or Lincoln Kienholz will be Ohio State’s QB1 this season, whether Jeremiah Smith will be a Heisman finalist, which regular-season game makes fans the most nervous, whether Ohio State will repeat as national champions and what the Buckeyes’ regular-season record will be this fall.
His last question regarded one of the offseason’s hottest topics: Kickoff times.
What is your favorite start time for Ohio State games?
- Noon: 34.2 percent
- 3-4 p.m.: 40.5 percent
- 7-8 p.m.: 35.3 percent
My answer: As a reporter, noon, because I get home at a reasonable hour and don’t lose sleep. As a fan, 7-8 p.m., because a game under the lights at the Horseshoe is a one-of-a-kind experience.
BEST PLAYERS OF THE 2000s. This week, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman ranked college football’s best players of the 2000s. One Buckeye cracked Feldman’s top 25: defensive end Chase Young.
NOTE: No. 1 Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, No. 2 USC running back Reggie Bush, No. 3 Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, No. 4 LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, No. 5 Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, No. 6 Miami safety Ed Reed, No. 7 Texas quarterback Vince Young, No. 8 Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, No. 9 Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, No. 10 Arizona State defensive end Terrell Suggs, No. 11 Pitt wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, No. 12 Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, No. 13 Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith, No. 14 Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and No. 15 Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.
No. 16 - Chase Young
Career: 99 tackles, 43 TFLs, 30.5 sacks, 8 PBUs, 9 FFs
Best season: 2019; 46 tackles, 21 TFLs, 16.5 sacks, 3 PBUs, 6 FFs
The Buckeyes have had almost as impressive a run of elite D-linemen as they have had with stud wideouts. The 6-6, 270-pound Young was at his best in 2019 when he became a legit Heisman contender after he dominated a top-15 Wisconsin team that had allowed only 10 sacks in its first seven games. Ohio State got half of that in a 38-7 blowout win, with Young producing four of those sacks and five TFLs.
According to Pro Football Focus, Young produced five of the top nine highest-graded games by a pass rusher in the FBS in 2019, including the top three. He won the Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and keyed the nation’s No. 1 defense that allowed fewer than 260 yards per game, and he finished fourth in the Heisman race despite missing two games.
Of all Ohio State’s best players from the 2000s, I don’t know if I expected Young to be the lone Buckeye in Feldman’s top 25. After all, Troy Smith won a Heisman, James Laurinaitis was a three-time All-American, Marvin Harrison Jr. was a back-to-back unanimous All-American, and I could go on and on about Ted Ginn Jr., Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, J.T. Barrett and more.
Man, Ohio State has had some studs in the past 25 years, hasn’t it?
BEST COACHES OF THE 2000s. Thanks be to The Athletic for another section of #content. Beyond Teague’s Ohio State of the Union and Feldman’s top players of the 2000s came Chris Vannini’s top coaches of the 2000s, where all three Buckeye lead men made the list.
NOTE: No. 1 Alabama’s Nick Saban
No. 2 - Urban Meyer
Accomplishments: Three national championships, two additional undefeated seasons, seven conference championships, nine top-five finishes
Only two coaches have won a national championship at multiple schools, and they top this list. Meyer won two at Florida in 2006 and 2008 before stepping away due to health concerns. He returned at Ohio State a few years later and opened with an undefeated season in 2012, though the Buckeyes were banned from the postseason due to the Tattoogate scandal under Tressel, but then won it all in 2014. Meyer also went undefeated at Utah in 2004 with Alex Smith at quarterback, as the Utes became the first program from outside a power conference to reach a BCS bowl. His 187-39 record is good for a winning percentage of 85 percent. It’s one of the most impressive runs in history, behind only the guy who ended Florida’s run.
NOTE: No. 3 USC’s Pete Carroll, No. 4 Georgia’s Kirby Smart, No. 5 Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, No. 6 Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops
No. 7 - Jim Tressel
Accomplishments: One national championship, three BCS title game appearances, six Big Ten championships, seven top-five finishes in 10 seasons
Tressel arrived at Ohio State all but guaranteeing a win over Michigan, and his tenure ended with a 9-1 record against the Wolverines, launching two decades of rivalry dominance. He won the 2002 national title, beating the heavily favored Miami Hurricanes for the first 14-0 season in the FBS since 1897, and he reached two more title games in 2006 and ’07, both lopsided losses. His Buckeyes ruled the Big Ten with an iron fist before he was forced to resign after lying to NCAA investigators about the infamous Tattoogate scandal. It’s ultimately a shorter tenure with an abrupt exit and NCAA concerns like Harbaugh, but one with no downswing.
NOTE: No. 8 Stanford and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh (bleh), No. 9 Texas and North Carolina’s Mack Brown, No. 10 Boise State and Washington’s Chris Petersen
No. 11 - Ryan Day
Accomplishments: One national championship, three Big Ten championships, four CFP appearances, two national championship appearances, 70-10 record, six top-10 finishes in six seasons
It’s still fascinating to look back and think Day was on the hot seat, at least in the eyes of some observers and fans, before the run to the 2024 national championship. Day had taken the Buckeyes to the championship game following the 2020 season, and they were a last-second missed field goal away from reaching the 2022 title game. It’s just that dang Michigan game. Day is 49-5 against Big Ten opponents, but four of those losses have come to the Wolverines. His 87.5 winning percentage in Columbus is higher than Urban Meyer’s, and future national championship runs could be on the table. He took over an elite program near the top and kept it at the top, limiting his upside on this list, but his track record as a head coach is also shorter than everyone else, so there’s room to rise.
Day certainly has room to rise, and I know that’s a scary, scary thought for the rest of the college football world. He’ll be up there next to Saban and Meyer in no time.
WILL HOWARD. While Aaron Rodgers continues to decide whether he wants to be a Pittsburgh Steeler, Will Howard has still had the chance to talk to and learn from a future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
In an interview with Kay Adams this week, Howard said he’s had frequent conversations with Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger since Pittsburgh selected him with its sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. That includes an appearance on Roethlisberger’s Footbahlin’ podcast, as well as some other communication while Howard navigates rookie minicamp in his native state.
“We actually have the same agent, so we got connected through that,” Howard said on Up & Adams. “He’s been really good. He’s been super supportive of me through this whole process. Throughout now being a Steeler, getting to know him, he’s been really helpful for me. He texted me checking in last week, you know, just being a really good mentor. I can see him being a good mentor for me going forward. He’s been super nice to me so far.”
As Steelers staff writer Bryan DeArdo pointed out this week, Roethlisberger and Howard have a lot in common. “Despite successful high school careers, neither quarterback was seriously pursued by the big in-state school,” DeArdo wrote. “Roethlisberger, after being lightly recruited by Ohio State, ultimately went to and starred at Miami University before being taken by the Steelers with the 11th overall pick in the 2004 draft. Howard dreamed of playing at Penn State, but he ultimately chose Kansas State over Kansas after Penn State went MIA.”
After leading Ohio State to a national title, Howard hopes to make the most of his opportunity with the Steelers while following in Roethlisberger’s footsteps.
“Growing up, for me, watching Pittsburgh, it was Big Ben,” Howard said. “Big Ben was that guy. He was Pittsburgh. He was the Steel City, the blue collar, the gritty guy. And I want to be that, too. I want to bring that edge, that energy. I think I did a pretty good job of it at Ohio State. I like to kind of pride myself on that, and I’m going to try and bring it to the Steel City.”
I can’t wait to see it, One-legged Willy — just not against the Browns, please and thanks.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Self Care" - Mac Miller.
CUT TO THE CHASE. AI misuse to blame for a newspaper’s summer book list recommending nonexistent books... Swiss evacuate livestock by hoof and helicopter because of landslide risk over Alpine village... Loose pet kangaroo keeps police hopping — again — in Colorado... The Fall Guy: Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is not a scammer... Tempers flare as Eagles defend tush push in heated debate.
