Skull Session: HOMAGE Founder Ryan Vesler Shares How He Acquired Woody Hayes’ Old Phone Number, Urban Meyer Attends a Class in Ann Arbor While Wearing a “BEAT XICHIGAN” Shirt

Welcome to the Skull Session.

One. More. Sleep.

The foundations been set. Its time to go put it to work. pic.twitter.com/xjBI3raJS1
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 27, 2025

Have a good Friday.

614-488-1910. This week, HOMAGE – the Columbus apparel company and Eleven Warriors sponsor – shared a video explaining how founder Ryan Vesler acquired Woody Hayes’ old phone number.

@homage
Did you know that you can still call Coach Woody Hayes's original phone number and listen to a hype speech? Listen up as Ryan tells us HOW this is possible.
original sound - HOMAGE

How did he do it?

Vesler made a trip to a Columbus library to dig up Hayes’ number, then called AT&T to see if he could claim it. (In a twist of fate, the customer service rep who helped him was from That State Up North.) After securing the number, he used a voice-over service to record one of Hayes’ iconic speeches ahead of The Game:

“This ballgame will boil down to three things… the team that hits the hardest and the longest, the team that starts the fastest and the team that's too damn smart to make mistakes. And that team will win without any question.”

Why go through all that?

So Ohio State fans could call the number and fire themselves up for the greatest rivalry in sports.

What are you still reading this Skull Session for?

Go call it. Now.

(Then come back.)

(Please.)

“OHIO STATE IS ELITE RELATIVE TO MICHIGAN.” I’ve been hard on ESPN’s Pamela Maldonado this month, but that’s because her Julian Sayin Heisman Trophy narrative is ridiculous. How can a player be too clean, too efficient and too technically sup —

Nope.

Where was I?

Oh, yes. Maldonado complimented Ohio State this week with no caveats when she picked the Buckeyes to cover a 10-point spread in Ann Arbor.

The premise is simple: Some teams are built to win and some teams are built to bury inferior opponents. Ohio State falls into the second category. Everything about their profile says they suffocate opponents.

It starts with the red zone defense. They've allowed just 19 total opponent trips, and only seven touchdowns, in 12 games. That number alone swings game scripts. Michigan needs drives to end in touchdowns just to keep pace. The run defense and tackling tell the same story. Ohio State is sixth in run-defense grade and seventh in tackling, which is exactly what you want when facing a Michigan offense that needs 4-yard stability to function.

Every stat widens the mismatch. Points per play, yards per play, passing success, drive efficiency, EPA -- Ohio State clears Michigan in every high-leverage category.

The part I keep coming back to is how many ways Ohio State can cover 9.5. The Buckeyes can win through passing explosives to Smith and Carnell Tate (both expected back from injury), red zone match, defensive stops, early-down efficiency or simply forcing Michigan to play from behind and throw.

Ohio State is elite relative to Michigan, and that's enough to cover this number.

That’s what I like to read!

“EVERYTHING ABOUT JULIAN WAS JUST DIFFERENT.” Julian Sayin spent his childhood surfing and boogie boarding in California. Today, he’s Ohio State’s QB1.

This week, the Big Ten Network documented Sayin’s path from Carlsbad to Columbus — with a brief stop in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in between.

Julian Sayin grew up surfing and boogie boarding.

The California kid made a pit stop in Tuscaloosa before landing in Columbus.

The Journey profiles J-Cool's path to No. 1 @OhioStateFB's QB1

@AutoOwnersIns pic.twitter.com/kJV0BTTU2a
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 26, 2025

I loved the entire video, but the moment that stands out the most is how Jeremiah Smith described Sayin in the feature.

“I feel like Julian has always been special. Since last year I’ve been saying it,” Smith said. “I ain’t really say it to media because we had Will Howard, but I was sitting with family members and, you know, a lot of people around the facility knew who was gonna be the next guy up. Everything about Julian was just different from the way he throws the ball, the way he handles himself on and off the field. He’s a quiet guy, just all about ball, and that’s one thing I respect about him. And you know, great quarterback.”

I need this connection to be on point this weekend!

THE GREATEST RIVALRY IN SPORTS. It’s been a hot topic this week: What is the best rivalry in college football, The Game or The Iron Bowl?

We all have the same answer around these parts, but it’s still nice to see national media outlets like The Athletic correctly rank Ohio State vs. That Team Up North as the greatest matchup in the sport.

In an article this week, The Athletic shared these notes about The Game, which I found interesting:

Arguably, Michigan-Ohio State football is the greatest rivalry in American sports. It unquestionably holds that status in college athletics. Their co-dependence deepens the intensity, both in victory and in defeat. There’s history from the territorial conflict over Toledo in 1835-36 that led to Ohioans referring to Michiganders as “Wolverines.” There’s proximity, prominence, moments, stakes, frequency and longevity. There is nothing like it.

One cannot name every great moment in this series, but there's the 10-year war (1969-78) between Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler, the 1950 Snow Bowl, the Buckeyes losing four years in a row while ranked No. 2 (2021-24) and Hayes going for a 2-point conversion while up 48-14 in 1968. Then there’s “The Spot” in 2016, flag-planting in 2024 and “Tiebreaker” in 1973. That’s just a start.

No teams have engaged in as many ranked matchups (49), top-10 clashes (26) or top-5 showdowns (13). Michigan owns a 23-22-4 advantage in ranked duels, the teams are tied in top-10 showdowns (12-12-2) and Ohio State has the edge in top-five (7-5-1) matchups. At least one team has been ranked in 79 of 88 games since the AP poll debuted in 1936.

The teams have met in the regular-season finale every year since 1943, save for 2020 when Michigan’s high COVID-19 numbers forced a cancellation. Michigan-Ohio State has aired 68 times on TV, including the past 57 seasons.

Biggest game: In the second No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle in Big Ten history, top-ranked Ohio State hosted fellow unbeaten Michigan in the 2006 regular-season finale, and “The Game” exceeded the massive hype. Great players traded blows all game, led by Ohio State’s Heisman-winning QB Troy Smith and Michigan RB Mike Hart. A controversial late hit on third down kept a pivotal Buckeyes’ drive alive, and the Buckeyes held on for a 42-39 legacy-defining win.

“There’s nothing like it.”

No.

No, there is not.

WAY TO GO, URBAN! Last week, Urban Meyer visited a Michigan sports management class wearing a “BEAT XICHIGAN” shirt. FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff shared the footage on Thursday, and it’s awesome.

.@CoachUrbanMeyer really guest taught a Michigan Sports Management class wearing a BEAT ICHIGAN shirt pic.twitter.com/MwJcXNYnmZ
— Big Noon Kickoff (@BNKonFOX) November 28, 2025

When you go 7-for-7 against That Team Up North, you can talk the talk because you walked the walk!

SPEAKING OF SHIRTS. It’s officially deal season, and we’re rolling out our biggest sale of the year. From now through Monday, everything in the Eleven Warriors Dry Goods store is 20% off, and orders of $60 or more get 30% off. No gimmicks, no hoops — just elite savings on all your favorite shirts, hats, stickers and more.