Welcome to the Skull Session.
Go Huskies.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 5, 2026
Have a good Monday.
STORY TIME! I’ve got a hilarious one to kick off today’s Skull Session.
While recording Ohio State’s Student Appreciation Day scrimmage on Saturday, Ryan Day walked over to two students standing right in front of me and asked how they were doing. They answered enthusiastically as he kept moving toward them.
Then he asked if they wanted him to sign something.
Naturally, they said yes.
First, Day signed a commemorative football.
Then, he signed this:
That’s right — the head coach of Ohio State put his signature directly on the state of Ohio logo on a crewneck that reads “F*** Michigan.”
Incredible. No notes.
With Day now within arm’s reach, a crowd quickly formed as other students tried to get in on the action. He politely declined, though, turning back toward practice as the offense and defense squared off in the red zone.
At the time, I hadn’t even seen the crewneck. So afterward, I tracked down the student and asked to check out the shirt. The second I read it, I knew I needed a picture to document the moment. The student, a delightful young man named Gabriel, happily obliged.
You can’t script it.
Just legendary stuff from the head ball coach — the kind that will certainly add to his favor among Ohio State fans.
HOLY, AURA. This photo and design of Jeremiah Smith is incredible.
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 5, 2026
This video was special, too.
.@Jermiah_Smith1 Always. Open. pic.twitter.com/BcvYgoJ9Xg
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 4, 2026
The Ohio State football creative team continues to bat 1.000.
THE PRESSURE IS ON. The pressure is officially on Jake Diebler — and now there’s no hiding from it.
Ohio State’s offseason reset is here. Devin Royal, Colin White, Gabe Cupps and Taison Chatman are gone, leaving Diebler to rebuild a roster that was already a work in progress. What remains is a foundation: John Mobley Jr. (if he returns from testing the NBA waters), Amare Bynum and five-star freshman Anthony Thompson. But calling it complete would be generous.
Through two seasons, Diebler’s results have been mixed. Year one ended without an NCAA tournament bid. Year two saw Ohio State return to the Big Dance, but only for one song as a first-round loss to TCU sent them home quickly.
Progress?
Sure.
But not enough to quiet questions.
Especially when you factor in the portal track record.
Diebler hasn’t struck out completely — Micah Parrish was a home run, and Christoph Tilly was… I don’t know… a single? — but there have been enough swings and misses to keep this roster from taking a real leap. And now, with even more spots to fill, the margin for error is gone.
That’s the reality of the job now.
Ohio State didn’t hire Diebler for a long runway rebuild. Not in this era. Not in this conference. And definitely not when Michigan is either winning a national championship or finishing runner-up in just year two under Dusty May. The same Dusty May the Buckeyes passed on.
That comparison isn’t going anywhere.
If anything, it’s getting louder.
So this offseason becomes defining. Not just for next season, but for Diebler’s trajectory as a head coach. He has a core. He has resources. He has openings.
Now he has to deliver.
Moving forward from the Bruce Thornton era is one thing.
Proving Ohio State made the right choice is another.
THE BUCKS ARE HOT. Whenever I use the video of former Ohio State baseball pitcher Andrew Magno saying “The Bucks are hot,” it’s usually about another program — football, basketball, you name it.
Today is not one of those days.
For the first time in what feels like forever, Ohio State baseball is hot. Radioactive hot.
In Justin Haire’s second season, the Buckeyes have already surpassed last year’s totals in both overall wins (17) and Big Ten victories (seven). And they haven’t just been winning — they’ve been rolling, stacking three straight weekend sweeps over Butler, Minnesota and Maryland.
Those Big Ten sweeps over the Golden Gophers and Terrapins?
Ohio State’s first back-to-back conference sweeps since 2009.
That’s 17 years!
Another great weekend with Buckeye Nation #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/jB6bC2OWuP
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) April 5, 2026
The Buckeyes have won seven straight and 11 of their last 12, powered by a lineup full of standout bats: Henry Kaczmar, Noah Furcht, Mason Eckelman, Dane Harvey and Alex Bemis. Kaczmar is slashing .344/.411/.576 with 43 hits, 14 doubles and five home runs. Furcht isn’t far behind at .310/.428/.504, tallying 35 hits, eight doubles, a triple and four homers.
On the mound, Pierce Herrenbruck, Gavin Kuzniewski and Chris Domke have anchored the staff. Herrenbruck leads the starters with a 3.82 ERA, while Kuzniewski tops the team with 44 strikeouts. Out of the bullpen, Jake Michalak, Andrew Edrington, Luke Carrell and Ryan Zamora have all delivered steady, reliable innings.
Ohio State will look to keep its hot streak rolling this week with a nonconference home game against Bowling Green, followed by a three-game homestand against Penn State. The Buckeyes should feel good about their chances in both matchups — the Falcons enter at 11-17, while the Nittany Lions are just 8-21.
A quick note for the future: I’ll do my best to keep Skull Session readers updated on the baseball team. That said, there are only so many sections in a day, and I devote most of them to football.
Thankfully, 11W user Bucks2K18 has you covered. They track this team religiously and consistently provide updates in the forum. It’s excellent work, so if you want to follow along as the Bucks stay hot, that’s a great place to start!
NEW DUBCAST. The first Eleven Dubcast of the week discusses Dusty May and Michigan advancing to tonight's national championship in the final game of the NCAA tournament as Ohio State watches several players hit the transfer portal.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Play That Funky Music" - Wild Cherry.
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