Skull Session: Ryan Day Says Eliminating the Big Ten Title Game Would Keep the Ohio State-Michigan Rivalry “As Fierce As It’s Ever Been,” Jakub Dobeš Loves Being the Villain for the Canadiens

By Chase Brown on May 20, 2026 at 4:55 am
Ryan Day
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

I don't know what to say at this moment. I truly don't.

Have a good Wednesday.

 “THE STAKES JUST AS HIGH.” Ryan Day seems intent on eliminating the Big Ten Championship Game for several reasons. One of them is to keep The Game “as fierce as it’s ever been.”

“I think it could even be more important,” Day told The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman this week. “You’re playing for either a chance to get into the Playoff or a chance to get seeded high to get a first-round bye. Or, if you are already maybe predicted to be one of the top eight schools, then you’re fighting for a high seed. So, all those are critically important to your success in the Playoff.”

The head coach added, “I think with the elimination of the championship game, it keeps that rivalry as fierce as it’s ever been, the stakes just as high.”

In his article, Dochterman wrote that Ohio State-Michigan is “arguably” college football’s greatest rivalry. While he’s wrong about that — it’s clearly the sport’s best — he is right about this: since the Big Ten instituted a title game following the 2011 season, neither the Buckeyes nor the Wolverines has hoisted a league championship trophy after The Game. The last winner-take-all battle for the conference came in 2007, the year after The Game of the Century.

Like in his interview with ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg (more on that in a moment), Day was measured in his support for a 24-team College Football Playoff, though he supports the idea overall. His conviction lies with a plan that would end the postseason in early January and avoid stretching the season into the third and fourth weeks of the month.

“I feel very strongly about that,” Day said. “To let the season go all the way into th the third and fourth week of January doesn’t make sense. So, the sooner we can get the season over with, the better, so that we can get into putting our next year’s roster together and bringing in our freshmen, because that all happens the first week of January. So, can we be finished by the first week there in January? I think that would be ideal.”

I agree.

If the 24-team CFP happens, launch the regular season in August and the postseason after Thanksgiving, play three weekends on college campuses, hold the semifinals at traditional bowl sites (Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Sugar), and play the national championship game at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.

See how easy that is?

 THE BEST OF THE BEST. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg also interviewed Day and Dan Lanning on Monday. The Ohio State and Oregon head coaches said a 24-team College Football Playoff would be good for the sport; however, both Day and Lanning said further expansion of the postseason model should not meaningfully alter the Buckeyes’ and Ducks’ chances of competing for a national title.

“It’s debatable whether it’s best for Ohio State — you can go back and forth on that — but it’s certainly best for the conference and great for college football in general,” Day said. “It engages more fan bases late in the season.”

In an article I wrote for Eleven Warriors, I mentioned that Ohio State would have made a 24-team CFP in 26 of 28 seasons dating back to the start of the BCS era in 1998.

That’s absurd consistency.

Only Georgia would have come close with 23 appearances. Then there’s Alabama, Oklahoma and LSU at 21; Florida at 20; Penn State, Oregon and Michigan at 19; Clemson and Texas at 18; and Wisconsin at 17.

The Buckeyes aren’t just in the mix year after year — they’re the standard bearer for sustained contention in modern college football. Ohio State’s success should continue to carry the program however the sport evolves.

 “I LIKE WHEN YOU’RE THE VILLAIN.” Jakub Dobeš loves being the villain.

The former Ohio State goaltender delivered a bounce-back performance for the lifetime on Monday for the Montreal Canadiens, who defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 on the road in overtime in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Dobeš, who allowed six goals and was pulled from Game 6 on Saturday, recorded 37 saves, including a huge stop on Tage Thompson in overtime, to secure a matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL playoffs. 

His efforts were fueled by Sabres fans, who trash talked him all evening, especially when the Canadiens surrendered a 2-0 lead in the second and third periods. 

The 24-year-old Dobeš never wavered. In fact, he welcomed their chirps.

“I like that,” he said. “I like when you’re the villain.”

Canadiens forward Zachary Bolduc said he had no doubt Dobeš would bounce forward — a term often used by head coach Martin St. Louis — after his poor performance in Game 6.

“He’s been our best player since the first game of the playoffs,” Bolduc said. “We had all our confidence in him. … We’re not surprised the way he bounced forward.”

Forward Josh Anderson agreed.

“He’s been great the whole playoffs, honestly,” he said. “We have the utmost confidence in him back there. He’s made some huge saves in both series. You just knew he was going to have a big night.”

Looking ahead, Dobeš faces a tremendous challenge against the Hurricanes, who swept the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers in Rounds 1 and 2 while outscoring both teams 24-10 across eight games. The series kicks off Thursday at 8 p.m. in Raleigh, North Carolina. The game will be broadcast on TNT and truTV.

 SIGHS HEAVILY... Well, at least one “football” knows how to punish its teams for cheating.

Southampton cheats and the English Premier League levies a postseason ban and a four-point reduction in the Championship. Michigan cheats and it gets a slap on the wrist. 

I will never forgive the NCAA for what it has become.

All bark, no bite.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Come A Little Closer" - Cage The Elephant.

 CUT TO THE CHASE. Lettuce introduce you to the frog found in this grocery store salad bag... Two humpback whales set records swimming between Australia and Brazil... A de-extinction company has hatched chicks from an artificial eggshell... This famous beer is about to be brewed for the last time... A newly discovered asteroid estimated to be about 62 feet wide has zoomed near Earth, coming within about 57,000 miles of our planet.

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