Welcome to the Skull Session.
Ryan Day has a plan...
Defending national champions? No. Attacking national champions? Yes.https://t.co/Fj6KoQajyx pic.twitter.com/XwHom6X8rH
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) July 22, 2025
Have a good Wednesday.
AGE IS BUT A NUMBER. We’ll cover a variety of stories from Big Ten Media Days now and in the future, but one I don’t want to overlook is this: Ryan Day had to check Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs, and Sonny Styles into their hotels this week.
Why?
Because none of them is 21 years old.
“We were checking in here at the hotel, and I was with the guys, and we went to the front desk and checked them in, and the lady behind the desk said, ‘Is there someone here who is over 21 that can check these guys in?’ They’re both 20, 20, and Jeremiah is 19,” Day told 10TV's Adam King with a smile.
"The lady behind desk said can someone over 21 check these guys in, it makes you realize how young and talented they are"
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) July 22, 2025
Love this story from Day - Styles, Downs and Smith are some of the best players in CFB.
Yet they aren't old enough to check into the hotel at media day: pic.twitter.com/8K3yt5H1Hx
He continued, “It just makes you realize how young and talented they are. But great young men. We went out to dinner with a few donors last night and got so much feedback on how impressive they were as young men. That’s a big part of this as well, the type of guys we have and the standard we hold them to.”
That’s hilarious, and I love it so much.
LIGHT THE CIG. I’m on record writing that Indiana coach Curt Cignetti talks too much. I still think that’s true. But (!) when he uses his many words to fire shots at the SEC, count me in!
At Big Ten Media Days this week, a reporter asked Cignetti what went into Indiana’s decision to cancel a future home-and-home series with Virginia. Cignetti’s answer featured a few bullets directed at the SEC.
“That was a scheduling philosophy that began before I was hired,” Cignetti said of scheduling Power Four nonconference opponents, “but I did sign off on it upon being hired, before our first season. Look, here’s the bottom line. We picked up an extra home game, and we play nine conference games. The two best conferences in college football — any football guy that’s objective will tell you — are the Big Ten and the SEC. Twelve of the 16 SEC teams play three G5 or an FCS game. Twelve of those teams play 36 games (with) 29 G5 games and seven FCS games, and one less conference game.
“So we figured we’d just adopt an SEC scheduling philosophy. Some people don’t like it. I’m more focused on those nine games.”
When he finished dunking on the SEC, Cignetti voiced his support for the 4-4-2-2-1 College Football Playoff format, which Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has backed while acknowledging the selection criteria remains “incomplete.” In the model, the Big Ten and SEC would each receive four automatic qualifiers while the ACC and Big 12 would each receive two. The remaining spots would go to one Group of Five automatic qualifier and three at-large teams.
National college football reporters have reported that the Big Ten doesn’t plan to compromise its stance on the 4-4-2-2-1 format if the SEC keeps its eight-game conference schedule. However, Cignetti, in another shot at the Southeastern Conference on Tuesday, said he wants to see a standardized schedule in both leagues — and, I am sure, the ACC and Big 12 — to help make the selection process easier for the CFP committee.
“Not only do we want to play nine conference games and have the (4-4-2-2-1) playoff format, we want to have play-in games to decide who plays in those playoffs,” Cignetti said. “Championship weekend, let’s play No. 3 vs. No. 6 and No. 4 vs. No. 5. You want to decide that on the field and make sure everybody’s strength of schedule’s what it needs to be? Let’s make everybody play nine conference games and on championship weekend, No. 3 will play No. 6, No. 4 will play No. 5 and there’s still room for another at-large in that format.
“And why shouldn’t the Big Ten have four AQs? Because Ohio State actually finished fourth in the conference at the end of the season. Indiana and Penn State were tied for second; they won the tiebreaker. Ohio State won the national championship. You want to put the best teams in the playoff? Give the best leagues the AQs, but make them earn it with play-in games. And we wouldn’t be opposed to Big Ten-SEC regular-season games every year. We need to standardize the schedule across the board if we want to have objective criteria for who should be in the playoffs and who shouldn’t, and we need to take the decision-making off the committee to some degree.”
I know Cignetti ended that comment with his fists clenched, as I’m sure he didn’t appreciate last season’s discourse that 9-3 SEC teams Alabama, Ole Miss and South Carolina belonged in the CFP over Indiana. How do I know? He had some disdain-filled words for those programs in an interview with ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg on Tuesday.
“When a newbie likes us breaks the status quo, that’s going to create some waves. A team comes out of nowhere. But everything’s earned, not given. There’s no entitlement,” Cignetti said. “Nobody deserves to be in the playoffs because they’ve been in the playoffs four of the last five years. Do it on the field. If you get upset by a couple of teams, you shouldn’t get upset by it.”
One more time, for good measure.
“HE IS IMPROVING EVERY DAY.” Earlier this month, I wrote that former Ohio State offensive tackle George Fitzpatrick received praise from Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman during Big 12 Media Days — praise that indicated he could be the Wildcats’ Game 1 starter this fall.
“We needed some older guys as these younger guys grew,” Klieman said, “and George Fitzpatrick is one that was here in the spring that elevated himself to the top of the depth chart at left tackle.”
Unfortunately, Fitzpatrick suffered a medical emergency during a summer practice on July 16. According to WIBW’s Jason Kinander, Riley County Emergency Medical Services responded to a call at Kansas State’s practice facility at 4:36 p.m. From there, EMTs transported Fitzpatrick to Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan and, soon after, St. Francis in Topeka.
DEVELOPING
— Jason Kinander (@WIBWJason) July 21, 2025
K-State OL George Fitzpatrick suffered a medical emergency during practice last week. The team gave a statement to @WIBWsports.
He is improving every day.and we appreciate all who have cared for and supported him,https://t.co/dlFxEr1qEz
“George had a medical situation to which the training staff quickly responded,” the Kansas State football program told WIBW in a statement. “He is improving every day, and we appreciate all who have cared for and supported him as he continues to recover.”
One of the people who has cared for and supported Fitzpatrick is Ian Moore. The Ohio State offensive lineman posted on X over the weekend and asked his followers to keep Fitzpatrick in their thoughts and prayers.
“Please pray for a speedy recovery and no complications,” Moore posted.
I’ll ask you, dear reader, to do the same this week, please!
“HE IS A GENIUS.” Two weeks ago, I hosted the second 12th Warrior Happy Hour with former Ohio State and current Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins. After a handful of 12th Warriors peppered Dobbins with some questions, the metaphorical microphone came back to me, so I asked him this: After playing for Urban Meyer for two years and Ryan Day for one, what are some similarities and differences between them as coaches?
“Urban is a lot more old school. (Pause.) Um, yeah, he’s a lot more old school,” Dobbins said with a laugh. “But Urban will go to bat for his players. If he liked you, he’s gonna have your back. Like, he really will. He will stick by your side. He’s one of my favorite people. Looking back on my college career, he’s one of my favorite people I’ve ever encountered because he was tough. He gave you tough love, but he was always teaching you something. I loved him. I’m glad he recruited me. I’m glad he brought me in and gave me a chance. I don’t think he played true freshmen that much, but he gave me a chance as a true freshman. He threw me in the fire. I love him.”
Dobbins carries the same emotion for Day.
“Coach Day, I loved him a lot,” Dobbins said. “He was not as hard. He was not as old school. Like, old school is, ‘We’re grinding this b— out. No matter what, we’re grinding it out. I don’t want to hear nothing.’ Coach Day was a little more new school. He understood, you know, the different kinds of athletes nowadays, and he wasn’t as hard. He was still hard, but it was different.”
Both of those comparisons and descriptions were excellent. However, neither intrigued me as much as his next one.
“Urban’s offensive mind is very good. He’s a great offensive mind. But Ryan Day is like — he is a genius. I stand by it to this day. He’s a genius. He’s literally a genius. That’s why you always see all these open receivers every Saturday. And people are always like, ‘These Ohio State quarterbacks!’ Yeah, that’s because this guy is a genius. He’s scheming stuff like no other. He puts you in some situations where it’s so easy.”
In four years covering Ohio State football, I’ve heard some incredible praise for Day’s prowess as a football coach.
But that?
That takes the cake for me.
He’s a genius!
SONG OF THE DAY. "Mama, I'm Coming Home" - Ozzy Osbourne.
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