Welcome to the Skull Session.
Time to secure another W.
Work Week Done pic.twitter.com/kICRv5hdDj
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 16, 2025
Have a good Saturday.
BAD LUCK AND POOR DECISIONS. Look, I don’t know what to write about this one. Ohio State is between a three-touchdown and four-touchdown favorite, and no one — not even Wisconsin beat writers — thinks the Badgers have a chance:
Colten Bartholomew, Wisconsin State Journal
The Buckeyes have one pretty good team left on the schedule in Michigan, so the biggest battle will be avoiding a sleepwalk session that allows lesser teams in the game until then. No secondary in the country can hang with Ohio State’s receiving corps, it appears, and the Badgers aren’t going to be the exception. Ohio State 49, Wisconsin 7
Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
It’s hard to give the Badgers much of a chance when they’re averaging about two scores per game. The last time they did more was against Middle Tennessee in Week 2. UW ranks 128th out of 134 teams in the nation in offense and 129th in scoring. That won’t come close to cutting it this week. Ohio State 41, Wisconsin 10
John Steppe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
No. 1 Ohio State was already going to be an incredibly difficult task this week, even if Wisconsin was having an OK-to-good season. But this UW team reached a new low with last week’s 37-0 loss to Iowa. The Buckeyes have yet to allow 10 or more points to an unranked opponent this season, and I don’t expect that to change against the beleaguered Badgers. Ohio State 54, Wisconsin 6
Andy Heckroth, SBNation
This is a matchup of two teams heading in opposite directions. Ohio State looks every part of being the No. 1 team in the country, while the Badgers look ready for the season to end right now. The matchup that scares me the most is the Buckeyes’ outstanding defense going against a Badger team, most likely, led by a third-string quarterback. Hunter Simmons had a rough night last week against Iowa, and I fear it’s going to get worse. Ohio State 52, Wisconsin 7
I have it, Ohio State 38, Wisconsin 3.
Yes, that’s fewer Buckeye points than all four Badgers beat writers predicted, but I don’t think Ryan Day has made comments about “style points” and “dictating the tempo” in recent weeks just to run up the score on former Ohio State player and coach Luke Fickell — whose program, as Bartholomew put it, continues to suffer from “a combination of bad luck and poor decisions.”
THE MENU. There are five top-25 matchups on Saturday. Five! There’s also Washington at Michigan, and the Wolverines likely won’t have star running back Justice Haynes available, which should generate some fear for Michigan fans and excitement for Ohio State fans!
- Washington at Michigan (Noon, FOX)
- No. 10 LSU at No. 17 Vanderbilt (Noon, ABC)
- No. 5 Ole Miss at No. 9 Georgia (3:30, ABC)
- No. 11 Tennessee at No. 6 Alabama (7:30, ABC)
- No. 20 USC at No. 13 Notre Dame (7:30, NBC)
- No. 23 Utah at No. 15 BYU (8, FOX)
| MATCHUP | TIME (ET) | TV/STREAMING |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Michigan at Miami (Ohio) | 12:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Central Michigan at Bowling Green | 12:00pm | CBSSN |
| Washington at Michigan | 12:00pm | FOX |
| #10 LSU at #17 Vanderbilt | 12:00pm | ABC/ESPN3 |
| #12 Georgia Tech at Duke | 12:00pm | ESPN |
| UConn at Boston College | 12:00pm | ACCN |
| Arizona at Houston | 12:00pm | FS1 |
| Baylor at TCU | 12:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Army at Tulane | 12:00pm | ESPNU |
| #14 Oklahoma at South Carolina | 12:45pm | SECN |
| West Virginia at UCF | 1:00pm | TNT/HBO Max |
| Kent State at Toledo | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Buffalo at UMass | 2:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Purdue at Northwestern | 3:00pm | BTN |
| Troy at ULM | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Wyoming at Air Force | 3:30pm | CBSSN |
| Akron at Ball State | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| NIU at Ohio | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| UTSA at North Texas | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Temple at Charlotte | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Texas State at Marshall | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Coastal Carolina at Appalachian State | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Old Dominion at James Madison | 3:30pm | ESPNU |
| UNLV at Boise State | 3:30pm | FS1 |
| SMU at Clemson | 3:30pm | ACCN |
| #4 Texas A&M at Arkansas | 3:30pm | ESPN |
| #5 Ole Miss at #9 Georgia | 3:30pm | ABC/ESPN3 |
| #1 Ohio State at Wisconsin | 3:30pm | CBS/Paramount+ |
| Michigan State at #3 Indiana | 3:30pm | Peacock |
| #7 Texas Tech at Arizona State | 4:00pm | FOX |
| #22 Memphis at UAB | 4:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Mississippi State at Florida | 4:15pm | SECN |
| Southern Miss at Louisiana | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Washington State at #18 Virginia | 6:30pm | The CW |
| #8 Oregon at Rutgers | 6:30pm | BTN |
| Maryland at UCLA | 7:00pm | FS1 |
| Penn State at Iowa | 7:00pm | Peacock |
| #21 Texas at Kentucky | 7:00pm | ESPN |
| Hawaii at Colorado State | 7:00pm | Spectrum/MWN |
| Georgia State at Georgia Southern | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| #11 Tennessee at #6 Alabama | 7:30pm | ABC/ESPN3 |
| #20 USC at #13 Notre Dame | 7:30pm | NBC/Peacock |
| Pitt at Syracuse | 7:30pm | ACCN |
| Florida Atlantic at #19 USF | 7:30pm | ESPNU |
| #16 Missouri at Auburn | 7:45pm | SECN |
| #24 Cincinnati at Oklahoma State | 8:00pm | ESPN2 |
| #23 Utah at #15 BYU | 8:00pm | FOX |
| Nevada at New Mexico | 9:45pm | FS1 |
| Lafayette at Oregon State | 10:00pm | The CW |
| Florida State at Stanford | 10:30pm | ESPN |
OUR PICKS. Because I’m hot, hot, hot.
Last week, I went 4-1 in Our Picks, while Dan went 2-3 and Andy went 1-4. I would like to thank Tim Skipper (and Jerry Neuheisel) and UCLA, Eli Drinkwitz and Missouri, Curt Cignetti and Indiana, and Lincoln Riley and USC for their work last weekend. Brent Venables and Oklahoma, on the other hand… Dan thanks you, but not me!
Andy: 12-23
Chase: 20-15
Dan: 16-19
No. 10 LSU at No. 17 Vanderbilt (-1.5)
Vanderbilt?! Favored?! Against a top-10 team?! Oh, it’s Brian Kelly and LSU? That makes sense. The Tigers rank No. 104 in scoring offense (19.8 points per game) and No. 92 in total offense (344.2 yards per game) this season, while the Commodores rank No. 4 (42.8) and No. 14 (465.6) in those same categories. The spread falls close to a pick ‘em because of the teams’ defenses, as LSU ranks No. 4 in points allowed (12.2) and No. 22 yards allowed (316.4) per game, while Vanderbilt ranks No. 43 (22.6) and No. 41 (349).
Andy: Vanderbilt
Chase: Vanderbilt
Dan: LSU
No. 5 Ole Miss at No. 9 Georgia (-7.5)
Both of these teams escaped with wins last week. Despite trailing 10-0, Georgia beat Auburn 20-10, thanks, in part, to a controversial call on a goal-line “fumble” from the Tigers. Meanwhile, Washington State — yes, Wazzu — had a last-minute drive to tie or win the game in Oxford but ran out of time. The Rebels’ narrow win feels like more of a red flag than the Bulldogs’ needing a come-from-behind victory, though this Georgia team hasn’t looked like the ones that dominated week after week en route to back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022.
Andy: Ole Miss
Chase: Ole Miss
Dan: Ole Miss
No. 11 Tennessee at No. 6 Alabama (-8.5)
It’s the Third Saturday in October, which means Alabama vs. Tennessee. Top-15 tests are nothing new for the Crimson Tide, and that experience could be key against the Volunteers. Tennessee’s passing attack — one of three 300-yard offenses in the SEC — will challenge Alabama, but Joey Aguilar and Co. haven’t faced a pass defense like the Tide’s, which ranks third nationally in passing yards allowed and has more interceptions than touchdowns allowed.
Andy: Tennessee
Chase: Tennessee
Dan: Tennessee
No. 20 USC at No. 13 Notre Dame (-9.5)
Notre Dame opened the season with losses to Miami on the road and Texas A&M at home. At the time, the Irish’s CFP hopes looked so over. But Marcus Freeman and Co. discovered there was, within them, an invincible we’re so back, rattling off four straight wins while both the Hurricanes and Aggies have climbed into the top five, still undefeated. The Irish and Trojans have produced plenty of classics over the years, and this could be another, as USC enters at 5-1 with its only loss coming on a last-second field goal to Illinois.
Andy: USC
Chase: USC
Dan: USC
No. 23 Utah at No. 15 BYU (+3.5)
The Holy War always carries weight, but this year’s Utah-BYU matchup comes with even higher stakes: the winner could emerge as one of Texas Tech’s top contenders in the Big 12, alongside Cincinnati. Utah already has one conference loss, making this a must-win for the Utes. BYU hasn’t recorded a dominant victory yet — winning by three at Colorado and by six in double overtime at Arizona — but the Cougars are 6-0. And 6-0 is still 6-0!
Andy: Utah
Chase: BYU
Dan: BYU
BACK TO THE BUCKEYES. This week was full of midseason All-American honors for Ohio State players, namely Jeremiah Smith, Caden Curry, Kayden McDonald, Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs.
Four of them — Downs, Smith, Reese and Curry — also appeared on ESPN’s list of the top 25 college football players at midseason. While Downs and Smith were on ESPN’s preseason top 100, Reese and Curry weren’t, making their inclusion in the top 25 after just six games a clear testament to the next-level, All-American impact they’ve had for the Buckeyes this season.
No. 4 - Caleb Downs
2025 preseason ranking: 3
What is there to say about Downs that hasn't been said before? The unanimous All-American this past season has picked up right where he left off. Put aside the numbers, Downs' sheer gravity on defense keys the success of the Buckeyes' unit, which has been one of the two best defenses in the country, despite swapping coordinators from Jim Knowles to Matt Patricia. Downs is a player whose impact will be felt more as Ohio State faces tougher opposition going forward. He's fourth on the list, but it would surprise no one if he ended up closer to No. 1 by season's end.
No. 7 - Jeremiah Smith
2025 preseason ranking: 1
Smith was No. 1 on this list to start the season, and in a lot of ways nothing has changed. You won't find a more talented wide receiver in college football. Smith is second in the Big Ten in catches as the go-to target for new starting QB Julian Sayin. While he hasn't had a 100-yard performance against a Power 4 defense, Smith is still routinely besting opponents' efforts to take him out of games and has scored touchdowns in each of Ohio State's past five wins.
No. 20 - Arvell Reese
2025 preseason ranking: NR
Reese headlines a new group of stars for the nation's No. 1 defense. After recording 43 tackles in 2024, Reese has nearly matched that total with 38 in six games, including 4.5 sacks and two quarterback hurries. The 6-foot-4, 243-pound junior has a superb size-speed combination that new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has maximized. He set career highs for total tackles (9), solo tackles (8) and sacks (1.5) in last week's win at No. 17 Illinois.
No. 24 - Caden Curry
2025 preseason ranking: NR
When Illinois scored a meaningless touchdown with 4:25 to play in a blowout loss in Week 7, it marked the first time all season Ohio State had surrendered a second touchdown in a game. The Buckeyes' defense has been otherworldly, leading the nation in scoring defense and top 10 in total defense, rushing defense and passing defense. There are plenty of reasons why, but the havoc Curry has created at the line of scrimmage -- six sacks, 9.5 TFL, 15.4% pressure rate -- is at the top of the list. His 22 pressures are twice what any other Buckeyes defender has recorded, and he has been a nightmare for opposing QBs, who are averaging just 4.4 yards-per-dropback when Ohio State doesn't blitz.
This team is so good, man. Just so, so good.
SONG OF THE DAY. “Jump Around” - House of Pain.
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