Welcome to the Skull Session.
Get used to Justin Fields → Garrett Wilson all fall.
another angle of Justin Fields' first TD with the Jets just dropped pic.twitter.com/31c9vg2wzE
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 8, 2025
Have a good Wednesday.
THE COMPUTERS! It's Wednesday. You know what that means. This week, The Computers still view Ohio State as one of the best teams but not the best team in college football, as the Buckeyes rank No. 3 in the College Football Power Index and No. 2 in the SP+.
College Football Power Index
| TEAM | RECORD | FPI | WIN OUT | WIN CONF | MAKE CFP | WIN CFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OREGON | 2-0 | 24.6 | 9.3 | 33.8% | 81.6% | 18.2% |
| TEXAS | 1-1 | 22.4 | 7.2 | 26.5% | 62.9% | 11.2% |
| OHIO STATE | 2-0 | 22.3 | 11% | 28.9% | 82.1% | 14.5% |
| ALABAMA | 1-1 | 21.2 | 2% | 17.9% | 48.3% | 7.3% |
| USC | 2-0 | 20.9 | 2.1% | 16.1% | 61% | 7.8% |
SP+
| TEAM | RECORD | RATING | OFFENSE | DEFENSE | SPECIAL TEAMS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OREGON | 2-0 | 26.8 | 41.2 (2) | 14.8 (10) | 0.4 (3) |
| OHIO STATE | 2-0 | 26.1 | 37 (9) | 11.1 (2) | 0.2 (13) |
| ALABAMA | 1-1 | 25.4 | 39.3 (5) | 14.1 (7) | 0.2 (21) |
| GEORGIA | 2-0 | 23.3 | 36.8 (5) | 14 (6) | 0.5 (1) |
| OLE MISS | 2-0 | 23.1 | 37 (8) | 14.2 (8) | 0.3 (8) |
Matchup Predictor
| OPPONENT | DATE | LOCATION | PREDICTION |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO | 9/13 | COLUMBUS, OH | OHIO STATE 95.4% |
| WASHINGTON | 9/27 | SEATTLE, WA | OHIO STATE 76.5% |
| MINNESOTA | 10/4 | COLUMBUS, OH | OHIO STATE 91.6% |
| ILLINOIS | 10/11 | CHAMPAIGN, IL | OHIO STATE 74.3% |
| WISCONSIN | 10/18 | MADISON, WI | OHIO STATE 83.6% |
| PENN STATE | 11/1 | COLUMBUS, OH | OHIO STATE 64.6% |
| PURDUE | 11/8 | WEST LAFAYETTE, IN | OHIO STATE 94.9% |
| UCLA | 11/15 | COLUMBUS, OH | OHIO STATE 97.3% |
| RUTGERS | 11/22 | COLUMBUS, OH | OHIO STATE 88.4% |
| MICHIGAN | 11/29 | ANN ARBOR, MI | OHIO STATE 77.9% |
Movements from Week 1 to Week 2
- Ohio: 95.3% → 95.4%
- Washington: 77.8% → 76.5%
- Minnesota: 91.8% → 91.6%
- Illinois: 81.6% → 74.3%
- Wisconsin: 81.2% → 83.6%
- Penn State: 61.1% → 64.6%
- Purdue: 94% → 94.9%
- UCLA: 97.2% → 97.3%
- Rutgers: 90.3% → 88.4%
- Michigan: 70.7% → 77.9%
*evil hand rub*
Ohio State's odds to beat Michigan increase 7.2%.
I love to see it.
NAVARRO-H MY GOD HE’S GOOD. Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro is a gamer, a baller and a shot caller.
Last season, Navarro completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 2,423 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding another 1,054 yards and 18 scores on the ground. Against Rutgers and West Virginia this year, Navarro completed 69.4 percent of his throws for 486 yards and four touchdowns with another 180 yards and one score with his legs.
When asked about Navarro at his Tuesday press conference, Ryan Day called the senior signal-caller “a winner.”
“You watch what he’s done against two Power (Four) opponents, one Big Ten opponent — he’s done some really good things,” Day said. “He’s spread the ball around. He can make plays off-schedule. He’s got good quickness. Competitive player. Ultimately, he’s a winner. He did that last week. It’s a good challenge for us.”
If there’s a weakness to Navarro’s game, it’s his decision-making. Navarro threw 11 interceptions as a first-time starter in 2024, and he’s already thrown three in 2025, all in the second half of the Bobcats’ win over the Mountaineers. Advanced metrics from Pro Football Focus reveal Navarro had 17 turnover-worthy passes last season and another two this season.
All things considered, Day said Ohio State’s defense must be prepared for Navarro to make plays in the Horseshoe. In fact, Day said that for all of the Bobcats’ players.
“When you’re from the state of Ohio, having a memory of playing in the Horseshoe during your college career is significant. We know these guys are gonna be playing with their hair on fire,” Day said.
WIDE RECEIVER CALEB DOWNS? Ohio head coach Brian Smith had a hilarious Freudian slip at his press conference on Monday. Here’s what happened:
When a reporter asked, “Ohio State is the No. 1 team in the country, but they also have arguably the best players in college football with Caleb Downs and Jeremiah Smith. What goes into preparing to deal with those two?” Brian Smith responded, “Two of the best receivers in the country, for sure. Our defense has their hands full with that one.”
Coach?
You good?
While I cannot guarantee this is true (maybe Brian Smith does think Downs is a wide receiver!), I think the 45-year-old had Carnell Tate on his mind, not Caleb Downs. Tate has complemented Jeremiah Smith with seven catches, 118 yards and two scores in Ohio State’s wins over Texas and Grambling State.
“Our defense definitely has our hands full, which is challenging, what you want to take away,” Brian Smith continued, still incorrectly referring to Downs and Jeremiah Smith. “I think what it does do, though, is put the pressure on them, which is a nice change. Because when you’re the No. 1 team in the country, and with the money that is invested into top-10 programs in the country every single year, there’s an expectation of not only winning but the manner in which you win.”
Brian Smith could be surprised when it’s Tate, not Downs, who takes the field Saturday as Ohio State’s WR2. I don’t think his defensive backs will be. What could surprise them, however, is Jeremiah Smith and Tate’s talents compared to wide receivers at Rutgers and West Virginia.
Ohio’s defense — which ranks No. 59 in points allowed (22 per game) and No. 53 in yards allowed (324.5 per game) — allowed Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis to complete 18 of 23 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1. The Bobcats bounced back against West Virginia quarterback Nicco Marchiol, limiting him to 15-of-26 passing for 178 yards and one interception in Week 2.
Neither quarterback is Julian Sayin — and neither has weapons like Smith, Tate, Brandon Inniss and Max Klare. Expect Ohio State to get what it wants through the air this weekend, with or without wide receiver Caleb Downs.
MEK CALLED GAME. Emeka Egbuka called his shot in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
In the locker room on Sunday, Mike Evans told Joe Bucs Fan that before Egbuka scored his second touchdown to put Tampa Bay in front 23-20, the rookie receiver called the route he should run to score what would become the game-winning touchdown.
“Right before he caught the last touchdown, he like called it,” Evans said. “He wanted a post route. He said, ‘I’m about to game one.’”
Evans added, “We were in the huddle and he said we need to run this certain play and I’m going to game (the cornerback). And I was just like, ‘Maybe we do need to run it.’ And then literally he runs the post and touchdown, next play.”
Ohio State fans should be familiar with Egbuka calling out game-winning plays before they happen. In last season’s national championship game, Egbuka told Will Howard, Devin Brown and assistant quarterbacks coach Riley Larkin that Jeremiah Smith could beat Notre Dame cornerback Christian Gray one-on-one.
Emeka Egbuka spoke Will Howards 56-yard pass to Jeremiah Smith on 3rd-and-11 (3rd-and-Jeremiah) into existence while watching film earlier in the game.
— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) January 28, 2025
We need to run a go-ball on 29. Look at the inside leverage he has when (Carnell Tates) attacking him. pic.twitter.com/EMEN82BRxR
“We need to run a go-ball on 29,” Egbuka said. “Look at the inside leverage he has when (Carnell Tate is) attacking him.”
During Ohio State’s final drive, Howard connected with Smith on a 56-yard pass now known in Buckeye Nation as “Third-and-Jeremiah.”
Egbuka had a performance deserving of NFL Rookie of the Week honors in the season opener, as he recorded four catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns against a division rival. He’ll look to build on that performance on Monday against his former Ohio State teammate C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans.
DAILY DUBCAST. Today's Eleven Dubcast enlists the help of Dan Hope to discuss comments made by Ryan Day yesterday about the NCAA's proposal for one transfer portal in January and how that could impact regular College Football Playoff semifinalists such as Ohio State.
SONG OF THE DAY. "The Big Goodbye" - AJR.
CUT TO THE CHASE. Apple’s iPhone 17 line-up includes a new ultra-thin model and $100 price hike for Pro model... Father and son speak out after viral Phillies-Marlins game confrontation... 60 years later, Sandy Koufax's perfect game is still amazing... Eagles star Jalen Carter fined $57,222 for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
