Welcome to the Skull Session.
The Brotherhood is real.
When they its a Brotherhood for life, I think this is what theyre talking about.
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) August 31, 2025
After the massive opener between Ohio State and Texas, former Buckeye Hero Kanu had a line of OSU players waiting to give him a hug. pic.twitter.com/UFqeBkRh78
Have a good Monday.
GOOD, CLEAN FOOTBALL. Throughout the preseason — and especially last week — Ryan Day preached that Ohio State needed to play a nice, clean game to beat Texas in the season opener.
“I think when you look back on (the 2024 Cotton Bowl), those penalties really hurt us,” Day said Aug. 26. “They set us way behind the sticks. We have to play better football than that. They’re a very disciplined team, and we have to do a better job than we did in that game.”
The Buckeyes answered Day’s call, committing just two penalties for 15 yards compared to Texas’ six for 50 yards. (Each team technically had one more penalty in the third quarter — an Ohio State holding and a Texas unsportsmanlike conduct — but they offset. The Longhorns’ mistake proved costly, erasing what would have been a safety that gave them two points and possession.)
One could argue (it’s me, I’ll argue) that Texas should have been called for more penalties in the contest. For example, this somehow did not garner yellow laundry from the… one, two, three… referees standing within a 15-yard radius.
But I digress.
I am proud of Ohio State’s disciplined football against Texas. I’m also impressed with Davison Igbinosun, who avoided both holding and pass interference penalties across 67 snaps. According to Pro Football Focus, Texas targeted him seven times on Saturday. The veteran cornerback allowed five catches for 59 yards but also registered a pass breakup and led the Buckeyes with 10 tackles.
After the game, an NFL general manager told Jordan Schultz that Igbinosun looked “dominant” in the season opener.
“Prototypical size and length,” the GM said. “He can really press you.”
FWIW, that same GM had similar praise for Jermaine Mathews Jr.
“Not just impressive ball skills, but you just love how well he tackles, which is rare for a young DB,” he said. “Very sound football player.”
“MANNING AND SARK GOT BILL BELICHICK-ED.” Arch Manning had a poor performance in the season opener, completing 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception. While there could be several reasons Manning didn’t live up to his reputation as, well, a Manning and a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky believes the explanation is simple: Manning and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian got “Belichick-ed.”
"Arch Manning and Sark got Bill Belichick-ed."
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) September 1, 2025
@danorlovsky7 on Texas' loss to Ohio State pic.twitter.com/tR75sVmYzE
“Arch Manning and Sark got Bill Belichick-ed,” he said, seated across from Paul Finebaum on ESPN’s Get Up. “Arch will not see another defense that is as sophisticated, as complicated, as much as (Ohio State) changed pre-snap to post-snap. I’m not telling America that Arch didn’t have some misses. Of course he had some misses — mechanically, he got worse as the game went on. But that game, specific to Arch, went the way it did because of Matt Patricia for Ohio State and that Ohio State secondary.”
Later in the broadcast, Orlovsky provided examples of how Patricia made Manning second-guess himself for four hours on Saturday.
Lose the math battle
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) September 1, 2025
Lose the vision@GetUpESPN pic.twitter.com/kGmtqyDKOX
Matt. Patricia. Masterclass.
Oh, and Orlovsky’s questions about Downs, “Who are you? What are you?” I ask the same questions repeatedly. NFL personnel shared some of their answers with Schultz this weekend, describing Downs as someone with “flawless instincts,” high intelligence and “scary closing speed.” However, here was the best description: “There’s some Earl Thomas and Eric Berry to him. Just a special, special player.”
GOING OUT ON TOP. Lee Corso’s College GameDay send-off was perfect. The tuxedo, the Brutus Buckeye headgear — all of it was perfect.
"Give me my first love!"
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 30, 2025
Lee Corso's first-ever headgear pick belonged to Brutus and the Buckeyes and it's only fitting that his last one is the same pic.twitter.com/A8Fgj8b3TR
Ohio State delivered for Corso after he picked the Buckeyes for the 46th and final time. So did all of the other teams Corso picked, as his predictions for Tennessee, LSU, South Carolina, Miami and Florida State to win this past weekend all came true.
Corso didn't miss pic.twitter.com/vSiAGXvTI8
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 1, 2025
According to ESPN PR, Corso’s final appearance on College GameDay was the pregame show’s most-watched episode ever, with an average of 3.5 million viewers and a peak audience of 5.1 million viewers when Corso donned the Brutus Buckeye headgear at Ohio Stadium’s 50-yard line.
Thank you to all the fans who tuned in for Lee Corso's final @CollegeGameDay show!
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) August 31, 2025
3.5M viewers (ESPN/ESPNU)
Most-watched episode EVER
5.1M viewers - highest reg. season quarter hour avg. peak EVER
Per Nielsen Fast Nationals
Final Big Data + Panel viewership available pic.twitter.com/0xilp0Ij7q
What a legend.
Corso will be missed!
CRIMSON AVALANCHE OF TEARS. I cannot believe Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos called out Alabama in June, and the Seminoles still beat the Crimson Tide in the season opener.
Here’s what Castellanos said: “I dreamed of moments like this. I dreamed of playing against Alabama. They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.”
Alabama didn’t stop Castellanos.
It didn’t stop Florida State, either.
In the Seminoles’ 31-17 win over the Crimson Tide, Castellanos completed 9 of 14 passes for 152 yards while running the ball 16 times for 78 yards and one touchdown. (Yeesh, just 14 passes to beat the Crimson Tide by 14 points!) Florida State also utilized six more ballcarriers in the matchup, as Micahi Danzy, Ousmane Kromah, Gavin Sawchuk, Jaylin Lucas, Roydell Williams and Caziah Holmes combined for 30 carries, 158 yards and three scores.
Florida State’s defense also rose to the occasion, as defensive linemen Daniel Lyons, Stefon Thompson and Deamontae Diggs each collected sacks, and four more players recorded tackles for loss. The Seminoles’ constant pressure limited Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson to 23-of-43 passing for 254 yards and two touchdowns, with star wide receiver Ryan Williams hauling in five catches for just 30 yards.
All in all, Florida State put BTA, and I loved every second of it.
DAILY DUBCAST. Today's Eleven Dubcast welcomes Kyle Jones to tease this week's Film Study that will heap praise upon the debut of Ohio State's new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia for his all-out perplexing of Archie Manning and Texas.
SONG OF THE DAY. “War Pigs” - Black Sabbath.
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