Welcome to the Skull Session.
Team Up North coach Sherrone Moore called Ohio State "the best team in the country" on Monday. Heartbreaking.... the worst person you know just made a great point.
Wearing his trademark blue-collar jacket, Sherrone Moore called Ohio State the best team in the country with elite players everywhere on the field before The Game. https://t.co/CWaAhxjxpq
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 24, 2025
Also, Ryan Day seemed to share some positive news for Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith's chances to play in The Game on Monday. Yeaaaaaahhhhhh, here we go!
On his weekly Buckeye Roundtable appearance, Ryan Day affirmed that Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are trending in the right direction to play against Michigan. https://t.co/0XjYyU7W8d
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 25, 2025
Have a good Tuesday.
“I FEEL PREPARED. I FEEL READY.” 10TV’s Dom Tiberi interviewed Ryan Day this past weekend to preview Ohio State’s battle with That Team Up North on Saturday. In the three-and-a-half-minute video, Day discussed his mindset entering The Game, the Buckeyes feeding off their hatred for the Wolverines and more:
On his mindset entering The Game
“I feel prepared. I feel ready. I feel like the guys that we have going up there are a great group of guys. We’re gonna be locked in, focused, concentrated on doing our job. I just can’t wait to enjoy being together in another (team’s) stadium. That’s, to me, something that’s different than playing at home. Going into another team’s stadium and winning a game, there’s nothing better than that, and silencing the crowd. We’re fired up about it. Obviously, we’ve known this game was coming all year, and we’ve been working toward it, so everyone’s excited about it.”
On whether Ohio State feeds off its hatred for Michigan
“Oh yeah. That’s what it’s all about. It’s like, it means you’re relevant, man. It means you’re part of a great rivalry. You’ve got to enjoy that. You’ve got to love walking in, looking them right in the eye and playing against that — knowing that everything is on the table, too. That’s what our guys want. They’ve been like that all year. They’ve been competitive. They’ve been edgy. They want this. It will be the same thing in this game.”
On whether The Game will be physical this year
“Yeah, yeah, there will be paint chips flying all over the field. That’s the way this game always is played; it will be the same thing on Saturday.”
On the potential to have another game after The Game
“There better be a game after this — after we win it. That’s just how it goes. These monster games, man. You got to bring physicality. That’s what it is. That’s what this game is all about. It’s about physicality. That’s why we work so hard in practice to make sure we’re prepared for it.”
On the part of his team in which he’s most confident
“All the work we’ve put in. I mean, I don’t think you just go into a game and think you’re gonna step up and do these different things. It all comes down to what you’ve been training. It’s like the Navy SEAL says, you sink to the level of your training. Everything we do, it’s all about winning this game.”
On Ohio State keeping its routine this week
“You look every year — OK, what’s gone well? What needs to change? You look at and try to identify the things you can get better at. One of the things I wanted to make sure we’re doing this week is make sure it’s routine. Make sure the guys are used to the same thing week in and week out and the thing that we’ve been doing for 11 straight weeks is what we need to do in order to win this game, nothing more, nothing less, knowing everything is on the table. But that’s where your focus has to be. It can’t be on these other distractions that can get in the way.”
On Ohio State’s defense stopping the run
“That’s where it starts, for sure. I wish it was just that easy. But yeah, if you don’t stop the run, you’re gonna be in for a long day. We better stop the run.”
On Ohio State’s run game
“We need it to. We need it to. Controlling the game, whether it’s the field position, the clock, all those things are important to this game. Convering third downs, short yardage, but then having balance, too. We got playmakers, and those guys need to have an impact on the game.”
“...after we win it…”
Yeah, that’s all I needed to hear.
Fire me up, Coach!
THE BEST OF THE BEST. Last week, ESPN’s Jordan Reid revealed his top 50 prospects in the 2026 NFL draft. Five of them were Buckeyes: Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, Carnell Tate, Sonny Styles and Kayden McDonald.
1. Arvell Reese, Edge, Ohio State
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 243
Reese is one of the biggest risers in this class regardless of position and has been the best player on a loaded Buckeyes defense. He's a hybrid defender who is used both as an off-ball linebacker and off the edge. Because of his explosiveness, I like Reese more as an edge rusher in the NFL, where his combination of bend, power and play violence can be best utilized, though he can also be used sporadically on the second level. I believe Reese has Pro Bowl potential early in his NFL career.
2. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 205
Downs has been a highly accomplished player for both Alabama and Ohio State. He has found the perfect role for his instincts and awareness this season, as first-year Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia uses him as a "middle hole" player. Downs is a consistent tackler with great ball skills, and he is capable of mirroring and matching tight ends and receivers in the middle of the field. He reminds me a lot of Brian Branch coming out of Alabama and could have a similar NFL impact.
9. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 195
Tate is next up in Ohio State's seemingly never-ending receiver pipeline, seamlessly taking over Emeka Egbuka's role as the Buckeyes' No. 2 receiver. Tate is a polished route runner who's capable of executing any branch on the route tree. He has a gliding run style which mixes overexaggerated moves and head fakes, and he is a natural hands catcher with fantastic body control. With 39 catches on 47 targets this season -- without a drop -- Tate's skill set should make him an immediate impact player in the NFL.
18. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 243
Styles started his college career as a safety but converted to linebacker without missing a beat. He hasn't missed a tackle this season when defending the run, as his attacking style helps him effectively get ball carriers on the ground. Styles has excellent range and awareness, and he is timely in his decisions to charge downhill. Despite his DB background, Styles needs to continue to improve his feel in zone coverage.
30. Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 326
The Buckeyes' defense is loaded, and McDonald doesn't get enough credit for its success. He's a heavy presence up the middle, with high levels of lower-body strength. That allows him to easily anchor in interior gaps and eat up blockers. McDonald's 8.3% run stop rate is fourth best among FBS defensive linemen, but he doesn't just clog gaps. He's capable of creating negative plays in the backfield with quick wins, as evidenced by his eight tackles for loss this season.
FWIW, there are no Michigan players in Reid’s top 50. He does have running back Justice Haynes ranked as his No. 4 running back behind Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame’s Jadarian Prince and Washington’s Jonah Coleman, but there appears to be little optimism in Ann Arbor that Haynes suits up for The Game.
MAX-A-MILLION. A Buckeye who could continue to climb draft boards is Max Klare, the Ohio State tight end who has emerged in Carnell Tate’s absence over the past three weeks.
Klare averaged six catches for 63 yards in wins over Purdue, UCLA and Rutgers, and against the Scarlet Knights on Saturday, he delivered his best performance yet: seven receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. It marked the first 100-yard game by an Ohio State tight end since Jeff Heuerman’s 116-yard outing against Purdue in 2013.
“I think everybody can see the improvement and not only his route running but also his blocking. He's becoming a complete tight end, and when you have a tight end who can do those things, he's a weapon,” Ryan Day said Monday on Buckeye Roundtable. “You can see that he kind of showcased some of those skills this past Saturday. Like everybody else, he's going to have to really perform and grade out this game, and that's one of the reasons he came here. He's an Ohio guy, and you know he's looking forward to playing in this rivalry.”
ESPN’s Mel Kiper wrote about Klare this week in his NFL draft risers article with Matt Miller and Jordan Reid.
Kiper: Ohio State was without Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith against Rutgers, and tight end Max Klare stepped up with his best game of the season. He caught seven passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in the 42-9 win. But he hasn't come out of nowhere. Klare was impressive at Purdue before transferring, including 51 catches for 685 yards and four scores in 2024. At 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds, he displays good hands, knows how to find the soft spots in coverage, can pick up yards after the catch and even blocks well. Klare should test well in predraft events, and I think the third or fourth round could be in play.
I think Klare’s game will translate well to the next level. He actually reminds me of Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson for several reasons. Their size is nearly identical — Klare at 6-foot-5, 243 pounds and Ferguson at 6-foot-5, 244. Their route running and hands also stand out, as both are more natural pass catchers than pure run blockers, even though each can hold his own in the trenches. And — perhaps the real reason Ferguson came to mind — their impact is similar. Both operate as clear third options in their passing offenses: Dak Prescott has CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, while Julian Sayin has Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.
Still, to both Ferguson and Klare’s credit, being the third option in an offense loaded with star power pays dividends. Ferguson’s production this season (65 catches, 460 yards, 7 TD) has him sitting as TE2 in the NFL behind Arizona’s Trey McBride. Meanwhile, Klare’s numbers (38 catches, 400 yards, 2 TD) rank him as TE10 in college football, just behind Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers and Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq.
TWO OF THE GOOD ONES. In the Dubcast featured below, George Eisner and Kyle Jones are about to dive into what we can assume was Caleb Downs’ second-to-last snap in the Horseshoe — a perfectly timed blitz capped with a wave to the Ohio State student section.
Downs is different
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 22, 2025
Check out this play by @OhioStateFB star Caleb Downs.
: FOX pic.twitter.com/VgLvO6EOpp
No one can question Downs’ impact on the field for the Buckeyes. Now, no one can question his impact off the field, either. (Not that anyone would have, but you know what I mean!)
This week, the Big Ten announced Downs and Ohio State field/ice hockey player Makenna Webster as the school’s Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award recipients. Downs will wear a special patch on his uniform when the Buckeyes battle the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
.@caleb_downs2 is a 2025-26 Big Ten Jackie Robinson Counity & Ipact Award Winner pic.twitter.com/nlMwJYD22C
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) November 24, 2025
“It is our privilege and great honor to bestow this award in Jackie’s name upon these deserving Big Ten student-athletes and to express our appreciation for the support of the Jackie Robinson Foundation,” Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said in a press release.
The Big Ten selected its honorees based on the following criteria:
- Demonstrated Impact: Significant contributions to community projects or causes, including tangible, positive outcomes.
- Collaboration and Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with peers, organizations and community members to achieve shared goals.
- Consistency and Commitment: Ongoing engagement in community service over an extended period.
- Visibility and Advocacy: Efforts to raise awareness for important groups or causes and leverage their platform to inspire others.
Congratulations to Downs and Webster — you make Buckeye Nation proud!
DAILY DUBCAST. Today's Eleven Dubcast welcomes back Kyle Jones to preview the upcoming Film Study that will drop on Thanksgiving this week and discuss how Matt Patricia once again stymied a talented offensive opponent with the help of Caleb Downs.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Taking Care of Business" - Bachman & Turner.
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