Welcome to the Skull Session.
One more sleep.
Keep fighting.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) December 29, 2025
Keep pushing.
Keep going.
Trust the guy next to you.
The story for this team has still yet to be written.
For 60 minutes, as hard as we can go.pic.twitter.com/0qnEY5o7s9
Have a good Tuesday.
“WE’LL SEE INDIANA AGAIN.” Jeremiah Smith wants a rematch: Ohio State vs. Indiana for all the marbles.
Jeremiah Smith offers up this prediction: Well see Indiana again.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) December 29, 2025
I’d love to see it — but I want to see the Buckeyes take care of business against Miami first!
WHAT IF…? I love “What if…?” questions, especially when they’re Ohio State-related. What if Nick Bosa never tore a core muscle in 2018? What if Chris Olave ran a post? What if the Buckeyes played a full 2020 schedule? What if Michigan never cheated in 2021, 2022 and at least part of 2023?
All of those questions have answers in which Ohio State comes out on top.
The Silver Bullets were lackluster in 2018, but with an eventual NFL Defensive Player of the Year in Bosa, a one-loss team that barely missed the CFP would have earned one of the four spots, and then who knows what would have happened?
If Olave runs a post, perhaps he hauls in a pass from Justin Fields and secures a national championship game matchup with LSU, and then who knows what would have happened?
If Ohio State played a complete schedule in 2020 — well, Tuf Borland still lines up against Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith in the title game, so we probably know what would have happened.
If Michigan never cheated in 2021 and 2022, the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines twice, Jim Harbaugh and his khakis leave Ann Arbor in shame, C.J Stroud wins at least one Heisman Trophy and Ohio State contends for another two national championships.
I’ve thought about that last one a lot.
I don’t need to ask what would have happened.
But here’s a “What if…” where the Buckeyes don’t end up on top.
What if Jeremiah Smith went to Miami?
The South Florida native was asked if he’s considered that reality during Cotton Bowl press conferences on Monday.
“No, not really,” Smith said. “I’m focused on where I’m at right now, and that’s Ohio State. Miami was a second option of mine coming out of high school — almost did go to Miami, but I chose to come to Ohio State. I mean, it’s the best place for me.”
However, Smith admitted that if Miami were in a better place entering the 2024 season, he likely would have committed to the Hurricanes over the Buckeyes.
“Most likely, yeah,” Smith said. “I’d probably end up going to Miami if things was on the right track then and there, but I chose to stick with Ohio State.”
Of course, Smith made the correct call.
As a freshman, Smith won Big Ten Freshman and Receiver of the Year as he collected 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. Smith helped Ohio State win its ninth national title while recording 19 catches for 381 yards and five scores in the College Football Playoff, including five receptions, 88 yards and one touchdown in the CFP championship game.
Smith has been even better as a sophomore, collecting 80 catches for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns while facing bracket coverage and double teams week in and week out. Smith defended his Big Ten Receiver of the Year title while becoming a unanimous All-American alongside Caleb Downs and Kayden McDonald. However, he did not win the Biletnikoff, as USC’s Makai Lemon, another Big Ten pass catcher, took home the award (this doesn’t make sense and will never make sense).
“WHO KNOWS?” It seems Ryan Day is also a fan of “What if…?” questions. The Ohio State head coach also received a question about Jeremiah Smith’s decision to sign with the Buckeyes over the Hurricanes and its impact on the Cotton Bowl matchup between the teams. Day confessed he’s thought about it a lot.
“But I think it’s all these little things that add up over time,” Day said. “It’s never just one thing, in my opinion. It’s all the little things that add up over time. But to watch Jeremiah work from the minute he stepped into our building to where he is now, he’s got a great spirit about him. He does. And he knows what he wants. Hates to lose. Highly competitive. He’s the type of guy that you just love to be around every day. He’s a great teammate. Obviously, a great player. He’s a really impressive young man.
“And just watching him work at practice every day. When you have your best players who work that hard in practice, boy, as a coach, it’s like a dream come true, and that’s the way it is with Jeremiah. I know he’s excited about playing in this game. He’s excited about playing every game. It’s just the way he is. He’s so competitive that it could be a 7-on-7 on Wednesday, you’re going to get that. But I know certainly for him, going up against Miami will be important for him. There are a lot of guys there that he grew up around, and he’ll be at his best.”
Day received an immediate follow-up question: How different would this game be if you put him on the other sideline?
“Right. Who knows?” Day said. “But I’m certainly glad he’s on our side.”
Me too, Coach.
Me too.
LINCOLN ON THE MOVE? I promise this section will not be about Jeremiah Smith — though it could be, and that would be fine because he’s the best player in college football, and we will miss him when he declares for the NFL draft in 2026 and becomes the No. 1 overall pick in 2027.
No, this section is about Lincoln Kienholz, who revealed Monday that he’s discussed with Ryan Day and Billy Fessler the possibility of entering the transfer portal in January.
“I’ve definitely had conversations,” Kienholz told Eleven Warriors. “I’m not 100% sure, but my goal is to go to the NFL, and in order to do that, you gotta play. So I’ve had conversations with Coach Day and also with Coach Fessler a little bit about it.”
This week, ESPN’s Max Olson named Kienholz as one of 26 quarterbacks to watch in the transfer portal this offseason. Kienholz appeared in the “Backups to Know" category alongside Ole Miss’ Austin Simmons, Notre Dame’s Kenny Minchey, Georgia Tech’s Aaron Philo and Penn State’s Ethan Grunkemeyer. He is the last of all 26 quarterbacks named in the article.
Kienholz has competed for the starting job at Ohio State in each of the past two offseasons and showed dramatic improvement this year in a battle with Julian Sayin that went deep into August. The 6-2, 214-pound passer from South Dakota has appeared in 12 games during his career and put up 205 total yards on 79% passing and three TDs in mop-up duty this season. With a Heisman Trophy finalist ahead of him for at least one more season, it's time for Kienholz to get on the field elsewhere.
I agree with Olson. It’s time for Kienholz to move on — for his sake. The 6-foot-2, 214-pound quarterback is one of the best pure athletes on Ohio State’s roster, and with Sayin returning next season and five-star Tavien St. Clair waiting in the wings, there’s no guarantee Kienholz will ever be the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback. However, he could become a Power Five starter as soon as next season. I don’t know where that will be, but with Kienholz’s skill set, I am sure he will thrive wherever and whenever he gets his opportunity.
DAILY DUBCAST. Today's Eleven Dubcast enlists Dan Hope on location in Dallas, TX for the Cotton Bowl to provide media day observations on Buckeye coaches and players as Ohio State prepares to take on Miami tomorrow.
SONG OF THE DAY. "decay" - Ethan Regan.
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