Welcome to the Skull Session.
Nights in the Shoe >> pic.twitter.com/iknFRAg6cw
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 15, 2025
I wish we had more of them!
Have a good Tuesday.
GOT STATS? Ohio State is 3-0 and ranked No. 1 in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll, but where do the Buckeyes rank nationally in scoring offense/defense and total offense/defense? Here's a look:
| OFFENSE | VALUE (RANK) | DEFENSE | VALUE (RANK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| POINTS/GAME | 40.3 (26) | OPP POINTS/GAME | 5.33 (2) |
| YARDS/GAME | 475.3 (27) | OPP YARDS/GAME | 227.7 (14) |
| 3D CONVERSION | 46.4% (43) | OPP 3D CONVERSION | 25.6% (16) |
| 4D CONVERSION | 50% (70) | OPP 4D CONVERSION | 44.4% (48) |
| RZ SCORING | 86.7% (73) | OPP RZ SCORING | 0% (1) |
| RUSH YARDS/GAME | 192 (45) | OPP RUSH YARDS/GAME | 109.3 (48) |
| PASS YARDS/GAME | 283.3 (28) | OPP PASS YARDS/GAME | 118.3 (11) |
Imagine reading that chart in 2020... or 2021... or even 2022.
It's Ohio State's defense, not its offense, that has been the strength of the team through three weeks. For years, Buckeye Nation wondered, “Can the defense hold up when the offense inevitably carries us in matchup games?” Now the question is the exact opposite: “When will the offense catch up to the defense?”
When that happens — that being better execution in the red zone and a reliable run game with CJ Donaldson, James Peoples and Bo Jackson — look out, college football.
SEEING RED ZONE. Take another look at the chart above. Notice the section OPP RZ SCORING? See how the number is 0%? That’s because Ohio State has yet to allow a red zone score through three games.
That’s correct.
According to CFB Focus’ Mike Wachsman — known as "The Facts Man" to Buckeye Sports Bulletin writers and readers — Ohio State, Oklahoma, BYU, and Indiana are the only teams in college football that haven’t surrendered a red zone touchdown this season. But the Buckeyes stand alone as the only team in 2025 that hasn’t allowed a red zone score of any kind.
That's impressive.
To make it more impressive, Ohio State has only allowed its opponents to enter the red zone twice this season. Both came against Texas, and both of the Longhorns' drives resulted in a turnover on downs — one at the 1-yard line and one at the 9-yard line.
4th and Goal DENIED @OhioStateFB defense with the BIG STOP#FOXFieldPass pic.twitter.com/CZCM7llTyW
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 30, 2025
SUPER SAYIN. In three games as Ohio State’s QB1, Julian Sayin has completed 56 of 71 passes (78.9 percent) for 779 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
For comparison, here are statistics from former Ohio State quarterbacks under Ryan Day:
- Justin Fields: 52-of-74 (70.3 percent) for 657 yards and nine touchdowns against FAU, Cincinnati and Indiana
- C.J. Stroud: 63-of-101 (62.4 percent) for 963 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions against Minnesota, Oregon and Tulsa
- Kyle McCord: 53-of-76 (69.7 percent) for 815 yards, six touchdowns and one interception against Indiana, Youngstown State and Western Kentucky
- Will Howard: 51-of-74 (68.9 percent) for 795 yards, six touchdowns and one interception against Akron, Western Michigan and Marshall
Measured against his predecessors — and considering his competition of top-ranked Texas, Grambling State and Ohio — Sayin looks more than comfortable. He’s not just holding his own; he’s excelling.
Through Week 3, Sayin’s 78.9 percent completion rate ranks second in the FBS behind Miami’s Carson Beck (79.3 percent). At the same time, Sayin’s 199.8 passer rating ranks third behind USC’s Jayden Maiava (215.5) and Texas Tech’s Behren Morton (208.4), while his 11 yards per completion rank fourth behind Maiava (14.1), Georgia Tech’s Aaron Philo (13.3) and Morton (11.4).
And here’s another stat that jumps off the page: According to Big Ten Network, Sayin’s first nine career touchdown passes — one in 2024 and eight in 2025 — have averaged 41 yards apiece. The scores covered distances of 9, 16, 40, 47, 47, 49, 61 and 87 yards.
GO OFF, KELSEY! Former Ohio State and current Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell earned first-team All-WNBA honors from the Associated Press this week.
AP confirming what we all knew
— Ohio State Womens Basketball (@OhioStateWBB) September 15, 2025
Congrats to alum Kelsey Mitchell on being named First Team All WNBA by @AP #GoBucks | #DevelopedHere pic.twitter.com/nva04XoWka
With Mitchell’s Indiana teammate, Caitlin Clark, sidelined for almost the entire season with an injury, Mitchell led the Fever to the playoffs while draining a WNBA-best 111 3-pointers and scoring 890 total points (20.2 PPG), which ranked second in the league behind three-time MVP A’Ja Wilson’s 937 (23.4 PPG).
This season, Mitchell led Indiana in playing time, logging almost 1,400 minutes across 44 starts. The Cincinnati native set new franchise records for points scored in a single season while becoming the Fever’s leader in career 3-pointers made (669). She also set a new franchise record for the most 30+ point games across her career, earning her 11th earlier this year.
For her play this season, Mitchell was named a WNBA All-Star for the third consecutive year. She was also a two-time WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
DAILY DUBCAST. Today's Eleven Dubcast welcomes back Kyle Jones to preview the next episode of Film Study following the win over Ohio and explore which areas of execution the Buckeyes should tune up during the team's bye week.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Baby, I Love Your Way" - Big Mountain.
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