Skull Session: Hate Week is Here, Ohio State’s Preparation for The Game Will Be Business-Like and Jerry Emig’s Career Has Been Full of Good SID Days

Welcome to the Skull Session.

Is this good?

Between 1936 and 2025, this is the first time Ohio State's defense has held its opponent under 100 rushing yards in 10 straight games pic.twitter.com/ebuqQHGAIr
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 23, 2025

I think it's good.

Have a good Monday.

WELCOME TO HATE WEEK. It’s Hate Week. Let’s kick off the Hate Week Skull Sessions properly this time.

Fill in the blank (in the comments section below — yes, that means you need to log in!):

We don’t give a ____ for the whole state of Michigan!

IT'S TIME FOR WAR. Ohio State beat Rutgers 42-9, yet I don’t have much to talk about from the win.

With Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate unavailable, the offense operated without its top two pass catchers. The version we watched isn’t a preview of what’s to come in Ann Arbor, as both Smith and Tate should be back in uniform for The Game.

Ohio State’s wide receivers combined for four catches for 33 yards, a number that looks jarring until you remember the two players who command the most attention weren’t dressed. Without Smith and Tate, the Buckeyes naturally leaned on the parts of the offense that were healthiest and most reliable: the running backs, the tight ends and efficient throws to keep things on schedule. They didn’t need fireworks to beat Rutgers. They just needed to control the game. And that’s exactly what they did.

The Buckeyes dominated in all three phases, though special teams added a bit of chaos for variety. Brandon Inniss’ errant lateral to James Peoples erased what looked like a touchdown and turned thunderous applause into a collective groan across Ohio Stadium (or maybe that was just Ramzy Nasrallah I heard from the press box). On the flip side, Joe McGuire downed a punt at the 1-yard line, a small but critical play that I’d love to see him replicate this weekend (if Ohio State punts!).

So again, I don’t have any real takeaways here — not because anything went wrong, but because nothing about Ohio State’s approach resembled the version we’ll see against That Team Up North. Ryan Day and Brian Hartline didn’t ask Julian Sayin to stretch the field. They didn’t reveal much of anything. They did, however, put on tape that Max Klare can ball and that he’s someone the Wolverines will have to account for in their game plan.

Ohio State’s defense looked great again. The Silver Bullets handled Rutgers like a No. 1 team should: comfortably, decisively and without showing their hand.

This weekend is the real test.

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for.

It’s war.

BUSINESS-LIKE BUCKEYES. Ryan Day has described his team as business-like all season. He did it again after Ohio State beat Rutgers.

“Our guys had a really good week of work in terms of focus, and it was an opportunity for guys to step up in different ways. Whether it was special teams or on offense, you know, nobody really flinched,” Day said. “Everyone was like, ‘Come on, let’s go play.’ I think that’s been the approach of this team and this coaching staff. It’ll be the same way this week.”

That line — It’ll be the same way this week — stood out. I like the sound of it.

Day wants this week to look like the previous 13 weeks, not just in practice but in every routine, including media availabilities. The Buckeyes will have a press conference with him Tuesday and with players Wednesday, just like normal. Day has long used consistency to prepare his team, moving the Senior Tackle to December in past years and TBDBITL’s practice with the team to October earlier this year, all with intent.

“We know everything that comes with this game,” Day said on Saturday. “We want to keep it as routine as we can and keep the guys focused on what we’ve worked on all year. And the No. 1 goal is to grade out a champion. We’ll come back in Sunday, we’ll grade this film, figure out who’s a champion in this one and quickly move on to the Wolverines.”

A moment later, Day continued on That Team Up North: “They’re always in the back of mind in terms of what we’re working toward. We know this is the last game of the year and what it means to everybody here. … We’re excited about this one and just need to focus on what really matters, and that’s everybody doing their job and going on the road in what’s going to be a great environment and going to get it done. That’ll be the focus, and we’ll continue to do what we’ve done all year. That’s it. And have a great week and focus on that day. And the coaches’ job is to give them a great game plan, and we’ve got to be at our best.”

For Day, it’s about chopping wood and carrying water, the mindset the team read about in a book this offseason.

“I feel like we’ve focused on us. I feel like we’ve been consistent in our approach. But that’s all in preparation for this week,” Day said. “That’s what this was about, it was making sure we weren’t just saying, ‘Hey, let’s just get to the end of the year and everything that comes with it.’ Now we go. But along the way, when you think about how fast the season’s gone, it seems like it’s gone really fast. But then again, you think about that first game against Texas, and that seems like a year ago, just how different this team is now from when it first started, and so all the work that we put in has now got to show for us, and that’ll be the focus this week.”

I am confident in Day and the Buckeyes entering the week — more confident than I probably should be in a coach and team that’s lost four straight games to a rival. But Ohio State has been locked in all year, and I have no reason to think that changes now. Same preparation, same focus, same approach. Business-like Buckeyes. Maybe that's what it will take to finally beat the Wolverines.

A GOOD SID DAY. Longtime Ohio State football sports information director Jerry Emig worked his last game at the Horseshoe on Saturday. There were several wonderful stories told about Jerry after the Buckeyes beat the Scarlet Knights, but I wanted to share one of mine with you all to end the Skull Session.

At a press conference after Ohio State beat Tulane in 2021, I raised my hand to ask Ryan Day about the Ohio Stadium turf, which made a dozen Buckeyes its victims the previous Saturday. Jerry scanned the room and called on me. Well, kind of.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know your name,” Jerry said, pointing at me.

“That’s OK,” I said with a laugh. “Ryan, what do you think about the turf?”

I told Jerry my name after the press conference. He nodded and wrote it down.

A few months later, however, at a press conference before Ohio State women’s hockey faced Minnesota-Duluth in the national championship game, I raised my hand to ask Nadine Muzerall about… something… I can’t remember.

“Chad Brown, Buckeye Sports Bulletin,” Jerry said.

I didn’t correct him. I just asked the question, prepared to spend the rest of my career on the Ohio State beat as Chad. It wouldn’t have been that big a deal. But then a miracle happened moments later.

“Have a good night, Chase,” Jerry said as I left the OSU Ice Rink.

From there, Jerry and I developed a nice relationship. A lot of our conversations revolved around Ohio State, primarily the football and artistic swimming teams. Still, I appreciated his kindness, his curiosity and the way he made even the smallest interactions feel worth remembering. Jerry didn’t have to learn my name, but he did, and he made sure to use it — even after getting it wrong once (or twice). That small gesture grew into years of friendly nods, quick conversations and the kind of press-box camaraderie that makes this job feel a little less like work and a little more like home.

I wish him the best in his retirement — and hope every day is a Good SID Day.

DAILY DUBCAST. The first Eleven Dubcast of the final week of the regular season recaps the 42-9 win for Ohio State over Rutgers, discusses the continued absences of Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate and begins looking ahead to The Game.