Welcome to the Skull Session.
Another night game?! In this economy?!
Game Time Announced
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) September 22, 2025
No. 1 @OhioStateFB Minnesota
Saturday, October 4th
7:30 PM
NBC
https://t.co/KbgyrE4Mjn@OhioStateFB | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/2DcyHGNZjM
Have a good Tuesday.
ONE STREAK LIVES, ONE STREAK DIES. The Buckeyes are 47-15-1 all-time coming off a bye week. They also have a 21-game winning streak dating back to 2005. Ryan Day has contributed nine wins to Ohio State’s perfect record over the past 20 years, including victories over Northwestern, Maryland (twice), Indiana, Michigan State, Iowa and… Marshall? Man, the Buckeyes’ first bye week of last season came at an interesting time.
Here’s a look at how Ohio State has performed coming off a bye under Day:
2019
- Ohio State 52, Northwestern 3 in Evanston
- Ohio State 73, Maryland 14 in Columbus
2020
- Ohio State 42, Indiana 35 in Columbus
- Ohio State 52, Michigan State 12 in East Lansing
2021
- Ohio State 54, Indiana 7 in Bloomington
2022
- Ohio State 54, Iowa 10 in Columbus
2023
- Ohio State 37, Maryland 17 in Columbus
2024
- Ohio State 49, Marshall 14 in Columbus
- Ohio State 21, Nebraska 17 in Columbus
This weekend, Ohio State will battle Washington in Seattle, where one of two streaks will come to an end: the Buckeyes’ 21-game run of victories coming off a bye, or the Huskies’ 22-game run of victories at home, which includes notable wins over Arizona in 2022, Oregon in 2023 and Michigan in 2024.
While we all know which streak will come to an end on Saturday, the context is important, as it proves that Washington has some extra juice when playing in Husky Stadium.
JUICE, JUICE, JUICE, THEY GOT IT. Whatever extra juice Washington has for home games, double it for this weekend. The school announced that the battle between the Huskies and Buckeyes sold out on Monday.
Saturdays game at the @GreatestSetting is SOLD OUT
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) September 22, 2025
Fans looking to attend the game are encouraged to purchase tickets through SeatGeek, the official ticket marketplace of Washington Athletics.
https://t.co/quHvCAUhBK pic.twitter.com/HKwedJmeZN
Husky Stadium, capacity 70,138, is considered one of the most difficult places to play in college football due to its location on Lake Washington and its design, which amplifies crowd noise, creating a loud and intimidating atmosphere for opposing teams.
Earlier this summer, I remember national college football commentator Josh Pate describing Husky Stadium as “amazing” when he visited for Washington’s 36-33 win over Oregon in 2023.
“When Washington’s good and there’s a big game there, I don’t care what the capacity is,” Pate said on his podcast. “Most of you will doubt this — I don’t think you’ve ever been there, and I hadn’t for a long time — so I mocked people when they told me how loud and intimidating Husky Stadium was.
“I got my mouth shut when I went up there for the Oregon game. It sounds like a runway at (the Seattle airport). It’s just amazing. Unbelievable sustained decibel level. And so, not only do you get beautiful scenery, you get an incredibly loud and hostile, intimidating environment.”
The stage will be set. The crowd will be deafening. The pressure will be relentless. Washington feeds off the stadium’s atmosphere, and Saturday will be no different. Ohio State’s job is to block it out, trust its preparation and prove it can win on one of the sport’s toughest road environments.
“HE’S LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE.” The Huskies will go as far as Demond Williams Jr. takes them on Saturday. Last week, both Matt Patricia and Ryan Day compared the sophomore quarterback to Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray — high praise for a player still early in his career.
“He’s quick. He gets out of the pocket. And he’s got a really strong, live arm,” Patricia said on Sept. 16. “Even when you think you’ve got him bottled up, he can get out. And that reminds me a lot of Kyler Murray.”
Day echoed the sentiment on his radio show Thursday: “He’s lightning in a bottle. He’s Kyler Murray. He’s a very good player. He’s got a strong arm. He’s quick, he’s fast and a really good football player. We’re gonna have to have a really good plan for him.”
Williams has backed up the hype. He’s been electric to start the season, completing 50 of 68 passes for 778 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 220 yards and two more scores in Washington’s wins over Colorado State, UC Davis, and Washington State. Against the Cougars last weekend, he went 16-of-19 for 298 yards and five total touchdowns.
The key to keeping him dangerous? Protection. In 2024, Williams took 15 sacks in just 153 dropbacks. Through three starts this fall, he’s been sacked six times on 91 dropbacks — an improvement, but still a crack in the armor. That’s where Ohio State’s “really good plan” could come into play. Expect Caden Curry, Beau Atkinson and Kenyatta Jackson Jr. — along with Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs — to spend Saturday afternoon trying to collapse the pocket and keep Williams on his heels.
WELCOME TO THEIR CRIB. To end the Skull Session, here’s a video in which former Ohio State golfer Neal Shipley took representatives from the Korn Ferry Tour through the Buckeyes’ golf facility before the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. I thought it was pretty cool!
While Shipley failed to make the cut after two rounds on Ohio State’s Scarlet Course, the Pittsburgh native earned his PGA Tour card for 2026 after winning two tournaments and recording seven top-10 finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour this season.
Last week, Shipley told reporters, including Eleven Warriors’ Dan Hope, he always believed he had the ability to play on the PGA Tour, but he thought it would take longer to get there than it has.
“I definitely felt like it was a possibility. I felt like I was miles and miles away from it, and I certainly didn’t envision myself two years out of college hitting the PGA Tour right away,” Shipley said. “This has been at a much more rapid pace than I anticipated, but a certainly welcomed pace.”
Shipley also said that he’s proud to have the opportunity to represent the Buckeyes at the highest level.
“I’m definitely trying to set the standard really high for us,” Shipley said. “I think this should be one of the best golf programs in the country.”
SONG OF THE DAY. "What Is Love" - Haddaway.
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