Welcome to the Skull Session.
The work continues.
Dedicated to the Process pic.twitter.com/xLiSRNZccU
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 31, 2026
Have a good Wednesday.
CONFIRMED DINOSAUR GUY. Ryan Day covered a wide range of topics Tuesday — including, somehow, Netflix’s dinosaur documentary.
Yes, really.
Ohio State’s head coach went on a tangent about a four-part series narrated by Morgan Freeman that explores roughly 165 million years of dinosaur evolution. And, naturally, he found a football lesson in it while watching with his son, RJ, during offseason visits.
“I watched that Netflix documentary on the dinosaurs, and if you want to feel insignificant, watch that, because it talks about how the dinosaurs were on Earth like 250 million years ago, and throughout time, it got all the way to like 65 million years ago,” Day said.
Totally normal segue, but in classic coach fashion, Day turned prehistoric extinction into a metaphor for the 2026 Buckeyes.
“Over time, the world changed, the climate changed, the Earth changed, and some dinosaurs figured out how to adapt, and some died,” Day said. “I guess that’s a little extreme, but I think it’s kind of the way of college football.”
From there, he leaned all the way in.
“The people who know how to adapt are going to continue to move on, and the ones who don’t, they die,” Day continued. “As frustrating as it all is — as much as we all want to pull our hair out and throw our hands up and realize this is all extremely crazy — even being with some of the NFL personnel last Wednesday, when they look at you and say, ‘You are insane to be in college football,’ they’re right. But either you adapt or die.”
And if that sounds dramatic, well, welcome to modern college football.
Day pointed to roster turnover as the latest example, noting that roughly half of Ohio State’s team is new and many players haven’t taken a snap in Columbus yet.
“This is another phase of it,” he said. “You’re bringing in a whole (new roster). Half your team is new. They’ve never played a down of football here, and we’re not allowed to lose a game. So we’re going to adapt, and we’re not going to die.”
At that point, Bill Rabinowitz chimed in with the obvious:
“Well, that happened over millions of years. This happened over like three, right?”
Day’s response?
“That’s a great point,” he said, laughing. “But nobody cares.”
He’s right. Nobody cares how quickly Ohio State has had to evolve. But one thing is clear: Ryan Day is absolutely a dinosaur guy.
EARL LITTLE… JUNIOR. Andy Anders will detail all the praise Earl Little Jr. has received since he transferred from Florida State to Ohio State (he'll even reference Moneyball in his opener!) in an article later this morning. I’ll add a little more praise here via ESPN’s Billy Tucker, who named Little as the Buckeyes’ top newcomer this offseason.
Why: How Ohio State transitions its secondary and replaces star safety Caleb Downs is one of the Buckeyes' biggest questions entering 2026. The answer might come from someone who plays a different spot on the back end. Little gives the Buckeyes a veteran defensive back with proven production, great versatility and the kind of experience that can stabilize a room during a transition year. The 6-foot-1, 193-pounder started 11 games in 2025, finishing with 76 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and second-team All-ACC honors. Little's versatility is important for Ohio State. The Buckeyes' defensive structure has leaned heavily on the nickel spot in recent years. That role has become less of a pure corner job and more of a hybrid assignment that must handle coverage, run support and post-snap movement. Little can handle that job well.
What to expect: Though Ohio State is losing star power in the secondary with the departures of Downs and Davison Igbinosun, the addition of Little and others should help balance things. Little's ball skills combined with his aggressive box-level support make him an ideal fit in Matt Patricia's complex, multilayered scheme. He processes things quickly and has the physicality and cover skills to handle corner, nickel or safety responsibilities. The expectation is that Little will emerge as the starting nickel, but don't be surprised if the coaching staff finds creative ways to deploy him in various roles. His veteran experience and versatility could prove to be one of the most impactful offseason pickups for Ohio State as it looks to reload its defense for a playoff run.
What they're saying: "We're excited to have Earl at Ohio State. He's earned the respect of his teammates through our offseason workouts, and we're looking forward to his continued development this spring." - Ryan Day, head coach
Day had plenty more to say on Tuesday — and it was all positive.
“The guys know him. Brandon (Inniss) sort of grew up with him. Jeremiah (Smith), some of the South Florida guys know Earl. And then obviously the Bama guys know Earl from when he was there. I think he quickly assimilated in terms of socially with the guys. And then on the field, he plays fast, plays twitchy, communicates well. You know, did a great job in the weight room with Mick (Marotti). All of those things you could just see naturally as he went into the spring. You felt like this was going to go well.”
Day has seen what he hoped to see through six spring practices.
“First time we’re tackling and scrimmaging, he’s the first guy showing up, making tackles and making plays and just jumped off the screen right out the gate. So good for him. You know, he’s somebody that saw what we did last year and I think really liked the scheme part of it. But I’ll have to talk with him. The feedback we’re getting from him is he really enjoys the culture, loves the competitiveness. He’s been a bright spot.”
Jeremiah Smith agrees.
When asked on Saturday what he’s seen from Little this spring, the star receiver paused for six long seconds, seemingly reflecting on a pop he or one of his teammates received during a scrimmage.
“He gon’ hit,” Smith said. “He gon’ make plays. He gon be very special for us. That’s all I can say. I don’t want to put too much out there.”
Please don’t, Jeremiah. Let’s keep the hardest-hitting safety in the league a secret as long as possible.
THAT MF COLD. Brock Boyd has been the talk of the town since Saturday, when Cortez Hankton praised the Ohio State freshman, who somehow ranked as the No. 100 wide receiver and No. 729 overall prospect in the 2026 class.
“He’s made plays when his number has been called,” Hankton said. “What makes Brock truly a good football player is his football IQ, first and foremost. As a young guy, he’s truly instinctive, and he understands conceptual football. You can tell he comes from a family — his dad is a high school football coach — so he comes from a family where they live, eat and breathe football. He understands the game like he’s a three-year college student, like he’s been here a while, so he’s really fun to coach.”
Ryan Day piled on Tuesday, revealing Boyd had become the third newcomer — and first freshman — to lose his black stripe.
Ryan Day praised Brock Boyd after Ohio State's sixth spring practice.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) March 31, 2026
"He's got quick twitch. He can change direction. He's got strong hands," Day said. "I'm excited to see where his career goes, but he's off to a great start." pic.twitter.com/o0v4IibuSB
“He got his black stripe off today, so I’m sure that will be a headliner,” Day said with a smile. “He made another couple of big plays today. This is somebody who knows how to run a route. He’s serious about it. He can play multiple positions. And he’s productive. His dad’s a receiver coach and he plays that way. But he’s got a quick twitch. He can change direction. He’s got strong hands. I’m excited to see where his career goes, but he’s off to a great start.”
Reading those quotes on Tuesday, I laughed thinking of the Jeff Teague story about the moment he knew Luka Dončić was going to be a star.
I don’t know what Boyd will become at Ohio State. I don’t know how high his ceiling is.
But right here, right now, I know this: he beat Chris Henry Jr. and Jerquaden Guilford to losing his black stripe.
That mf cold.
He might be a first guy in, last guy out type. He might be the lunch-pail, hard-hat cliché come to life.
But that mf cold.
THE GAME OF LIFE. Someday, the game of football will end for all the former and current Buckeyes we know and love. But the game of life will continue.
Roy Hall understands that, and he shared a message this week that’s worth your time:
Football has done some amazing things in many of our lives.
— Roy Hall Jr. (@Roy_Hall) March 30, 2026
For all of us who came through Ohio State in different eras, with different experiences and different journeys, there was a shared pursuit in all of it. We wanted to compete. We wanted to grow. We wanted to maximize our pic.twitter.com/fCNFC2ie3c
Football has done some amazing things in many lives.
For all of us who came through Ohio State in different eras, with different experiences and different journeys, there was a shared pursuit in all of it. We wanted to compete. We wanted to grow. We wanted to maximize our gifts. For most of us, we wanted to see just how far the game could take us.
But one of the greatest lessons football teaches you is that eventually the game ends, and when it does, you have to decide what kind of man you’re going to be beyond the uniform.
That’s why I’m thankful for brothers like [Braxton Miller, DeVier Posey and Drew Basil]. Each of them is using his life, gifts, and platform in a meaningful way, through service, business, leadership, and impact. That matters. A lot.
Football may have introduced us to the world, but real leadership is revealed in how you serve the world after the applause dies down.
That’s one of the things I appreciate most about the [Team Tressel Fitness Challenge]. It brings together former student-athletes from across generations, not just to reconnect, but to serve. More than 100 former student-athletes showing up, giving back, and pouring into the community is a reminder that brotherhood should never stop at memories. It should move into mission.
Life is not supposed to be lived only for yourself.
The goal is not just to be successful. The goal is to be significant.
The goal is not just to build a name. The goal is to build impact.
The goal is not just to talk about values. The goal is to live them in a way that helps somebody else.
Proud of all my brothers who are still finding ways to make a difference.
That’s the real win.
That’s good #content.
Better than that, it’s real.
And in a sport where so much of the conversation revolves around what happens on Saturdays, it’s a reminder that what happens after football can (and probably does) matter a whole lot more.
SONG OF THE DAY. CAAMP Tiny Desk Concert.
CUT TO THE CHASE. Sugar The Surfing Dog, the first canine inducted into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame, dies... Kenyon College graduate John Green is writing his first novel for adults... Todd Monken solves the mystery of missing his first NFL coaches group photo... Tiger Woods stepping away from golf to seek treatment.
