Welcome to the Skull Session.
The grind never stops.
Daily deposits pic.twitter.com/jjTZVZuJdS
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) June 18, 2025
Have a good Thursday.
LIVE, LOVE, BERT. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia got BAB’d. That’s a new term I made up. It’s like an RKO, short for Randal Keith Orton – watch out! watch out! watch out! watch out! – but instead it's BAB, short for Bret Arnold Bielema.
Here’s what I mean.
In an appearance on the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast this week, Pavia threw shade at the Big Ten.
“You want to play with the best, you don’t want to play with the Big Ten. … You ignore those calls,” Pavia said. “The Big Ten, you have like Ohio State, Oregon… Michigan, Penn State. The SEC, you got all dogs. You really only have four games a year (in the Big Ten). … The SEC, it’s like week after week after week. Like, you’re going to get beat on. The Big Ten, you’re not getting beat on with Purdue, Nebraska.”
Pavia later added: “You only have to score seven points to beat Iowa.”
After hearing Pavia’s comments, Bielema didn’t hold back.
“I understand what he’s saying, right? And he is regurgitating what’s being said to him, I think, probably,” Bielema told reporters on Tuesday. “Listen, the Big Ten, I grew up in this league. Was very successful at Wisconsin – my first bowl game, we beat an SEC team (Arkansas) that I actually ended up working for later, right? I think that on any given Saturday, anybody can get anybody. And that’s what played out in the bowl game, right?”
Great day talkin' ball in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/bDPRl71Oo3
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) June 18, 2025
Then, Bielema went for the BAB.
“I think in the last three years, the evolution of college football with the portal, NIL, has created a level playing field that has never been seen before, and I think it’s trending more that way than going back to the way (it was). A lot of people want to live in the past.”
Oh, Bret, how I love you.
SPRINTING TO THE END ZONE, JOHNNIE D! Former Ohio State wide receiver Johnnie Dixon has entered the coaching ranks.
Rivals’ Adam Beadle reported Tuesday that Dixon, a West Palm Beach, Florida native, will coach wide receivers at Hamilton High School, an Arizona powerhouse with seven state championships. Dixon confirmed the report on social media and in a comment to Eleven Warriors.
“It feels great, man,” said Dixon, who shared that he had helped with the program’s JV team last fall. “The most exciting thing for me is having the chance to make an impact on the younger generation of players and helping them grow both on and off the field.”
Dixon had a productive career with the Buckeyes, collecting 67 receptions for 1,146 yards and 16 touchdowns across five seasons and 40 appearances. His best seasons came in 2017 and 2018, when he hauled in 18 catches for 422 yards and eight scores from Joe Thomas Barrett and 42 catches for 669 yards and eight scores from Dwayne Haskins.
Following his Ohio State career, Dixon signed with the Houston Texans in 2019 as an undrafted free agent. While the 5-foot-10, 200-pound pass catcher didn’t make the Texans’ 53-man roster, he signed with the Arizona Cardinals and spent two seasons on the team’s practice squad. Dixon’s final NFL experience came as a member of the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad in 2021.
In 2022 and 2023, Dixon became a standout for the USFL’s New Orleans Breakers, recording a total of 71 catches for 825 yards and nine touchdowns in back-to-back years with the franchise. Dixon was named the USFL Offensive Player of the Week after a nine-catch, 136-yard, two-touchdown performance in his second season.
Now trading in his pads for a whistle, I wish Dixon the best of luck at Hamilton. I hope he has as much success as he did on Oct. 28, 2017!
WELCOME TO THE BIG LEAGUES. Ian Gecse’s “road to the show” is complete.
Ohio State club football coach (and Eleven Warriors alum!) James Grega announced Tuesday that Gesce has been added to the varsity program’s roster. The junior tight end becomes the third club player to receive the call-up in the past two years, joining defensive backs Zach Hayes and Glorien Gough, and the fifth overall, also following De’Shawn White in 2018 and Chris Booker in 2019.
“We are so excited for Ian to get this opportunity. From the moment he joined our team, his talent on the football field was undeniable,” Grega said in a statement. “While we will miss his athleticism and locker room presence, we are thrilled that he was able to achieve the goal he set for himself. I have no doubt he will continue to thrive and bring toughness and hard work to Ryan Day’s locker room.”
NEWS: Tight end Ian Gecse has accepted a roster spot with @OhioStateFB, becoming the third club football player in two years to be elevated to the varsity roster. https://t.co/OpFi3v7Gvl
— Ohio State Club Football (@ClubFootballOSU) June 17, 2025
As a Grandview Heights graduate, Gesce followed in Luke Lachey’s footsteps with the Bobcats. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound athlete joined the club football program as a sophomore in 2024, collecting eight catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He also earned reps at defensive end, recording six tackles and one sack.
Gesce led Ohio State in receiving yards in its national title game win over Clayton State. In fact, it was Gesce’s 34-yard reception that set up the Buckeyes’ game-winning score in the 20-13 victory!
Like I said about Dixon above, I wish Gesce the best of luck on the varsity team. I hope he remembers the key to being a big leaguer is the three Rs: readiness, recuperation and conditioning!
PAY IT FORWARD. Braxton Miller and his foundation have partnered with logistics company Ready-2-Execute (R2X) to provide critical resources and support to underserved youth attending Eastland Preparatory Academy in Columbus. Those resources include 110 computer monitors, 145 desks and 110 chairs.
Miller and R2X’s founder, Joel Hale, were teammates and roommates at Ohio State. Hale recently partnered with former Ohio State offensive tackle Reid Fragel to launch Ready-2-Insure, a new venture focused on empowering businesses and individuals through insurance solutions.
Miller and Hale’s official donation event to Eastland will occur on June 23.
SONG OF THE DAY. "DON'T SHOOT" - Jon Bellion.
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