Welcome to the Skull Session.
Ohio State landed five of Rivals' 32 five-stars in 2026.
@OhioStateFB @Rivalshttps://t.co/7PDxtx8lRt pic.twitter.com/0S95vrin5L
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) January 28, 2026
Is that good?
Have a good Thursday.
“A LOCKER ROOM OF GROWN-ASS MEN.” During a recent episode of The Triple Option podcast, Urban Meyer said the quiet part out loud: Ryan Day and Ohio State have shifted at least part of their roster-building philosophy away from high school recruiting and toward adding veteran players from the transfer portal.
After talking with @ryandaytime, @CoachUrbanMeyer says Ohio State wants to be in the business of having a more mature roster. #buckeyes #CollegeFootball pic.twitter.com/HCXAprjUkp
— The Triple Option (@3xOptionShow) January 22, 2026
“I think the template has been set now, with the Big Ten winning three years in a row with the most mature, veteran teams,” Meyer said. “Someone said the average age of college teams was about the same age as NFL teams. … The average experience was almost four years — someone threw that at me yesterday as well. The Wolverines did it. The Buckeyes did it.
“I actually talked to Coach Day about that yesterday. We talked about it before the (national title) game, and he mentioned that. Everyone’s talking about it. How do we get a locker room of grown-ass men that have been through it? Coaching that 21-year-old is a much different cry from coaching that 18-year-old. You’ve got a grown-ass man with experience that understands the game.”
Ohio State has added 17 scholarship transfers this offseason, and the makeup of that class underscores Meyer’s point:
Redshirt seniors (7)
LS Dalton Riggs (UCF), S Earl Little Jr. (Florida State), S Terry Moore (Duke), TE Hunter Welcing (Northwestern), QB Justyn Martin (Maryland), RB Ja’Kobi Jackson (Florida), OT Vasean Washington (Dartmouth)
Seniors (3)
WR Devin McCuin (UTSA), LB Christian Alliegro (Wisconsin), DT James Smith (Alabama)
Redshirt juniors (5)
TE Mason Williams (Ohio), DT John Walker (UCF), LB Qua Russaw (Alabama), CB Cam Calhoun (Alabama), WR Kyle Parker (LSU)
Redshirt sophomore (1)
K Connor Hawkins (Baylor)
Sophomore (1)
CB Dominick Kelly (Georgia)
Using Meyer’s framework, that’s 16 new 21-year-olds — 16 “grown-ass men,” but not groan ass men, to be clear — walking into the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, working out with Mick Marotti and preparing for the gauntlet that is Ohio State’s 2026 schedule.
I love the sound of that.
GOT GOOD GAMES? The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman ranked all 81 games on the 2026 Big Ten football schedule. No one should be surprised to see four Ohio State games at the top of the list.
No. 1 Ohio State at Indiana, Oct. 17
The two most recent College Football Playoff champions square off in Bloomington in a rematch of last year’s No. 1 vs. 2 Big Ten title game, which Indiana won 13-10, ending a 30-game losing streak to the Buckeyes. This could be the hottest football ticket ever in Bloomington.
No 2. Oregon at Ohio State, Nov. 7
Since the Ducks joined the Big Ten in 2024, they have lost three games — all to the eventual national champion. They split with the Buckeyes in 2024, winning the regular-season matchup 32-31 before Ohio State got revenge in a Rose Bowl rout. These teams have combined for 52 wins the last two seasons.
No 3. Michigan at Ohio State, Nov. 28
No matter which team has the upper hand, no rivalry defines college football like Ohio State-Michigan. “The Game” was 2025’s highest-rated game until the CFP quarterfinals and finished fifth overall. Ohio State ended a four-game losing streak to the Wolverines last season, but the Buckeyes haven’t beaten their archrival in Columbus since 2018.
No 4. Ohio State at USC, Oct. 31
When the Big Ten expanded to include the four West Coast teams, this was the brand matchup that instantly rose to the top. The teams have battled seven times in the Rose Bowl (USC leads 4-3) and once in the Cotton Bowl (Ohio State won). This year’s game should have two of the nation’s best quarterbacks in USC’s Jayden Maiava and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin.
Ohio State will play Indiana, USC and Oregon in back-to-back-to-back weeks, albeit with a bye scheduled between its matchups against the Hoosiers and Trojans. As always, the Buckeyes will face Michigan in the regular-season finale — this time with a chance to secure their first home win over the Wolverines since 2018. (I was at that game, not as a reporter but as a freshman, sitting in the final row of Section 5C with my back pressed against the concrete. That’s how long it’s been since Ohio State won The Game in Columbus.)
Here’s where Doctherman ranked Ohio State’s remaining games:
- No. 12 - Ohio State at Iowa, Oct. 3
- No. 27 - Illinois at Ohio State, Sept. 26
- No. 31 - Ohio State at Nebraska, Nov. 21
- No. 38 - Northwestern at Ohio State, Nov. 14
- No. 61 - Maryland at Ohio State, Oct. 10
A gauntlet.
Tough on the team.
Great for the fans.
WHAT A DAY OF FOOTBALL! Say no to fall weddings — and double no to a fall wedding on Nov. 7.
Nov. 7, 2026 could be quite a day in college football.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) January 28, 2026
Oregon at Ohio State
Miami at Notre Dame
Alabama at LSU
Georgia at Ole Miss
BYU at Utah
I’ll be seated all day for these!
THE BEST OF THE BEST. I noted in the Tuesday Skull Session that ESPN named eight Buckeyes as top 100 players in 2025: Caleb Downs, Jeremiah Smith, Kayden McDonald, Arvell Reese, Julian Sayin, Caden Curry, Carnell Tate and Sonny Styles. Pro Football Focus agreed on seven of those eight selections in their PFF Top 101, swapping out Reese for Austin Siereveld.
Here’s where those Buckeyes landed on PFF’s list:
No. 6 - QB Julian Sayin
Sayin was historically accurate in his first season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback. The redshirt freshman completed 77.0% of his passes, which ranked as the third-highest rate in college football history and narrowly trailed the record set by Bo Nix in 2023 and Mac Jones in 2020 (77.4%). Sayin’s 82.5% adjusted completion rate also ranked fifth in PFF College history. He led all FBS quarterbacks in PFF grade (92.9) and will enter his redshirt sophomore season as the top signal-caller in college football and a leading candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
10. WR Jeremiah Smith
Smith entered the season as our top-ranked receiver and the No. 1 overall player in college football. After a sophomore campaign that matched the impact of his freshman season, he put himself in position to top both lists again. His 90.7 PFF grade ranked second nationally, trailing only Makai Lemon, while his 1,243 receiving yards led all Power Four wide receivers. Smith’s 55 receiving first downs and touchdowns (55) ranked second in the country.
18. LB Sonny Styles
Styles began his career as a safety at Ohio State before shifting to linebacker over the past two seasons. The move paid off for the former top-five recruit’s development, as his 88.5 PFF grade ranked third among Power Four linebackers. Styles was one of only three linebackers in that group to earn 85.0-plus PFF grades in coverage and run defense. The projected top-15 pick’s 91.6 tackling grade led all linebackers, and he missed just 2.2% of his tackle attempts.
19. S Caleb Downs
Downs wrapped up his collegiate career as one of the top safeties in recent college football history and is likely to become the first safety selected in the top 10 of the NFL Draft since Jamal Adams nine years ago. He earned 85.0-plus PFF grades in each of his three seasons between Alabama and Ohio State, and he finished as the fourth-most valuable safety in the country this year, according to PFF’s wins above average metric.
30. DI Kayden McDonald
McDonald was a brick wall in the middle of Ohio State’s defensive line. The projected first-round pick led all Power Four interior defenders in PFF grade (86.5), while his 91.2 run-defense grade led the nation. McDonald recorded 34 defensive stops, which ranked second among Power Four interior defenders.
31. WR Carnell Tate
Ohio State has produced five first-round wide receivers in the last four NFL drafts, and Tate is set to make it six in five years. The projected top-five pick ranked fifth among all receivers nationally in PFF grade (88.6), while his passer rating when targeted (151.8) led all receivers in the country.
34. EDGE Caden Curry
Curry had big shoes to fill with JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer leaving for the NFL, but he emerged as Ohio State’s next standout edge defender this season. His 90.6 PFF grade ranked seventh among Power Four edge rushers, and he was one of only three players in that group to earn 85.0-plus grades as both a pass rusher and run defender.
92. OT Austin Siereveld
Siereveld shifted from guard to left tackle this season after playing inside for Ohio State a year ago, and the move paid off. His 83.5 PFF grade was tied for 12th among all tackles nationally, while his 83.3 PFF run-blocking grade ranked ninth at the position. He is expected to return as Ohio State’s starting left tackle in 2026.
Not a bad list.
Not a great one, either.
You're tellin' me Caleb Downs was the fourth most valuable safety in college football this past season?!
Yeah right!
SONG OF THE DAY. "In The Blood" - John Mayer.
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