Welcome to the Skull Session.
Emeka Egbuka will win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Book it.
Crown the Rookie
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 16, 2025
Tied for the Most Receiving Touchdowns in the @nfl through 2 Games
#DevelopedHere pic.twitter.com/goYzgau6Tk
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. The Buckeyes rose to No. 2 behind Oregon in the College Football Power Index but fell to No. 3 behind Penn State and Oregon in the SP+.
College Football Power Index
| TEAM | RECORD | FPI | WIN OUT | WIN CONF | MAKE CFP | WIN CFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OREGON | 3-0 | 24.2 | 9.2% | 32.6% | 76.7% | 15.8% |
| OHIO STATE | 3-0 | 22.3 | 9% | 25% | 77.1% | 13.8% |
| ALABAMA | 2-1 | 22 | 2.6% | 19.9% | 51.1% | 8.5% |
| GEORGIA | 3-0 | 21.5 | 4.4% | 28.6% | 76.5% | 12.9% |
| USC | 3-0 | 20.6 | 1.7% | 14.6% | 56.5% | 7% |
Ohio State's future opponents in the College Football Power Index: Washington (29), Minnesota (55), Illinois (23), Wisconsin (45), Penn State (7), Purdue (79), UCLA (93), Rutgers (44), Michigan (10)
SP+
| TEAM | RECORD | RATING | OFFENSE | DEFENSE | SPECIAL TEAMS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PENN STATE | 3-0 | 28.3 | 40 (5) | 11.9 (3) | 0.1 (39) |
| OREGON | 3-0 | 27.1 | 41.4 (2) | 14.6 (8) | 0.4 (4) |
| OHIO STATE | 3-0 | 26.5 | 37.3 (9) | 11.1 (2) | 0.2 (19) |
| ALABAMA | 2-1 | 26.4 | 39.8 (6) | 13.6 (6) | 0.2 (27) |
| OLE MISS | 3-0 | 22.6 | 38.5 (7) | 16.2 (13) | 0.3 (9) |
Ohio State's future opponents in the SP+: Washington (32), Minnesota (47), Illinois (16), Wisconsin (52), Penn State (1), Purdue (78), UCLA (85), Rutgers (46), Michigan (18)
Matchup Predictor
| OPPONENT | DATE | LOCATION | PREDICTION |
|---|---|---|---|
| WASHINGTON | 9/27 | SEATTLE, WA | OHIO STATE 76.5% |
| MINNESOTA | 10/4 | COLUMBUS, OH | OHIO STATE 93.4% |
| ILLINOIS | 10/11 | CHAMPAIGN, IL | OHIO STATE 69.7% |
| WISCONSIN | 10/18 | MADISON, WI | OHIO STATE 84.5% |
| PENN STATE | 11/1 | COLUMBUS, OH | OHIO STATE 65% |
| PURDUE | 11/8 | WEST LAFAYETTE, IN | OHIO STATE 94.4% |
| UCLA | 11/15 | COLUMBUS, OH | OHIO STATE 98.5% |
| RUTGERS | 11/22 | COLUMBUS, OH | OHIO STATE 89% |
| MICHIGAN | 11/29 | ANN ARBOR, MI | OHIO STATE 59.8% |
Movements from Week 3 to Week 4
- Minnesota: 91.6% → 93.8%
- Illinois: 74.3% → 69.7%
- Wisconsin: 83.6% → 84.5%
- Penn State: 64.6% → 65%
- Purdue: 94.9% → 94.4%
- UCLA: 97.3% → 98.5%
- Rutgers: 88.4% → 89%
- Michigan: 77.9% → 59.8%
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Michigan beats Central Michigan — a program so unserious that it allowed Connor Stalions to dress in a disguise on its sidelines — and all of a sudden the Buckeyes' chances to beat the Wolverines plummet 18.1%! What kind of operation is ESPN's Matchup Predictor running?!
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY... MONEY! According to documents The Columbus Dispatch obtained this week, Ohio State's athletic department netted $5.1 million from the football program's College Football Playoff win over Tennessee last season.
The documents state Ohio State grossed $19.7 million from the CFP first-round matchup, in which the Buckeyes dominated the Volunteers 42-17 before 102,819 people in the Horseshoe. The school paid almost $14 million to the CFP and $651,000 to staff and security to reach $5.1 million in profit.
Ticket sales generated 76% of the $19.7 million, as the 102,819 tickets sold resulted in $15 million. Other revenue included $1.3 million from concessions, parking and merchandise sales and $67,000 in premium seating food and beverage sales. Like other schools that hosted CFP games, Ohio State also received $3 million from the CFP to assist with operating expenses.
Ohio State's profit from the Tennessee game was significant considering the athletic department finished with a nearly $38 million deficit during the 2024 fiscal year, Bjork told The Columbus Dispatch's Joey Kaufman this week.
"It was huge," Bjork said, "because we had to finish with a surplus. That was the objective. That was how we mapped out the budget going into fiscal year 2025."
Bjork said the athletic department ultimately ended with a surplus, but he declined to share a specific number with Kaufman. I think it's safe to assume the surplus was sizable, considering Ohio State hosted eight home football games during the 2024 regular season as opposed to six in 2023. Tack on an additional $5.1 million the Buckeyes didn't expect to earn, and the number becomes even more significant.
"A $5 million net is nothing to sneeze at," Bjork told Kaufman, "especially when you didn't budget for it, and then you look at the competitive piece. You don't want to host because you want to be in the top four; you want the bye. Now, in this case, it worked in our favor."
$10.99 FOR THAT?! Soooooo, the Peacock broadcast was that bad, huh?
I know it's been a minute since Ohio State beat Ohio 37-9, but at some point this week, I had to address how terrible that Peacock broadcast was. From color commentator Chris Simms — a certified non-ball knower — calling Ryan Day “Jason Day,” to Simms and play-by-play man Paul Burmeister telling viewers to flip over to Notre Dame–Texas A&M, the whole production was a disaster.
Yes, Simms and Burnmeister really told viewers to turn the broadcast off.
"Chris and I would miss you if you left, but we would understand if you want to flip over to NBC," Burnmeister said. "Heck of a game going on in South Bend."
"Why are you still listening to us?" Simms added. "Go to the real NBC. It's company-on-company crime; we're OK with that. That's a good one right there. We know this one's over."
While it's true that Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M was absolute cinema, viewers should never, ever hear the hosts of a broadcast tell them to leave, especially not one that costs $10.99 (plus taxes and fee-fi-fo-fum fees!) to watch. That’s not just unprofessional — it’s clueless.
You can spend your hard-earned money however you please, but the next time Ohio State football plays on Peacock, spend your $10.99 on Chipotle instead and let Paul Keels, Jim Lachey and Tyler Danburg call the game the right way on the radio.
"HATE TO DISAPPOINT ALL THE HATERS OUT THERE." On Jan. 1, 2021, Ohio State broke Clemson. The Tigers haven't recovered.
From 2021 to 2024, Clemson went 40-14 and made just one College Football Playoff — last year, thanks only to the field expanding from four to 12 teams. Now, three weeks into 2025, the Tigers are 1-2, with losses to then-No. 9 LSU at home and Georgia Tech on the road.
While times have been tough at Clemson — tough given the Tigers' status as a perennial national title contender before the 2021 Sugar Bowl — Swinney delivered a sweeping defense for himself and his program on Tuesday.
"If they want me gone, if they're tired of winning, they can send me on my way because that's all we've done is win. So if they're tired of winning, we've won this league eight out of the last 10 years. Is that not good? I'm just asking. Is that good?" Swinney said. "To go to the playoff seven out of 10 years, be in four national championships, win it twice?
"If Clemson's tired of winning, they can send me on my way, but I'm gonna go somewhere else and coach. I ain't going to the beach. Hell, I'm 55. I've got a long way to go. Y'all are gonna have to deal with me for a while. I'm just getting going. I'm just now good enough to be a head coach. I just now am figuring it out. So we'll be around awhile. Let's hang in there. ... I got a long way to go, boys. Long way to go. Hate to disappoint all the haters out there."
The “haters” Swinney mentioned must be Clemson fans frustrated with the direction of their program. Because, as for me — a Clemson hater who doesn’t root for them — I couldn’t be happier that he’s still employed. As long as Swinney stays, the Tigers seem destined to remain good enough to stay relevant, but never great enough to return the heights they reached in the 2010s.
DAILY DUBCAST. Today's Eleven Dubcast enlists the help of Dan Hope as he prepares to examine the performances of all the Big Ten teams on the edge of conference play to make sense of the biggest surprises and disappointments thus far into the season.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Just the Two of Us" - Grover Washington Jr. feat. Bill Withers.
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