Skull Session: Joe McGuire Reveals Brutal Punishments for Arriving Late to an Ohio State Workout, Eleven Warriors Readers Pick A 2020s All-Decade Team for the Buckeyes

Welcome to the Skull Session.

Ohio State is college football's only recession-proof program.

Fun fact, Ohio State has not had consecutive losing seasons since
1923–24 .
— Hoody (@TheHoody27) July 4, 2026

Have a good Monday.

ALWAYS BE ON TIME. My high school basketball coach had a saying: “If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late. And if you’re late, that’s unacceptable.”

The punishment for being late was simple but unforgettable. The entire team would run sprints. Then, while everyone else tossed basketballs across the gym, the offender had to chase every ball down, collect them all and return them to the rack.

Mick Marotti has some harsher penalties for Ohio State’s players, according to punter Joe McGuire:

@dosandd Ohio State Punter & NCAA champion, Joe McGuire on the punishment for being late to training…BRUTAL! #ohiostate #ohio #collegefootball #ncaa #nfl ♬ original sound - DosandD

The Buckeyes would be smart to arrive 15 minutes early to every workout or practice — just to be safe. Nobody wants to be late, and even fewer want to end up on Mick Marotti’s bad side. I know I wouldn’t.

THE BEST OF THE BEST. Last month, the Eleven Warriors staff asked readers to vote for the best player of the 2020s at every offensive and defensive position. The result was an all-decade roster loaded with Buckeye legends, one that would have every reason to expect a 16-0 season and a College Football Playoff national championship.

Eleven Warriors readers built an offense loaded with star power, voting for C.J. Stroud at quarterback, TreVeyon Henderson at running back and a wide receiver trio of Jeremiah Smith, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Good luck to any defense trying to contain those five Buckeyes, especially with an offensive line anchored by Paris Johnson Jr., Donovan Jackson, Seth McLaughlin, Josh Myers and Dawand Jones.

QB: C.J. Stroud
RB: TreVeyon Henderson
WR1: Jeremiah Smith
WR2: Marvin Harrison Jr.
WR3: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
TE: Cade Stover
LT: Paris Johnson Jr.
LG: Donovan Jackson
C: Seth McLaughlin
RG: Josh Myers
RT: Dawand Jones

Readers also assembled a formidable defense, with 10 of the 11 selections coming from Ohio State's 2024 and 2025 teams. The Rushmen feature Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau on the edge alongside interior standouts Kayden McDonald and Tyleik Williams. At linebacker, Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese patrol the middle after both became top-seven picks in the 2026 NFL draft. In the secondary, Denzel Burke joins the lone veteran selection, Shaun Wade, while Caleb Downs and Lathan Ransom provide a hard-hitting safety tandem that an offense would rather avoid.

DE1: Jack Sawyer
DE2: JT Tuimoloau
DT1: Kayden McDonald
DT2: Tyleik Williams
LB1: Sonny Styles
LB2: Arvell Reese
CB1: Denzel Burke
CB2: Shaun Wade
FS: Caleb Downs
SS: Lathan Ransom

The all-time roster is filled with future NFL stars and Ohio State legends, but two players separated themselves from the rest. Readers selected Jeremiah Smith as the offense's Most Valuable Player and Caleb Downs as the defensive MVP, recognizing them as the most dominant talents to play for the Buckeyes over the past six seasons.

Offensive MVP: Jeremiah Smith
Defensive MVP: Caleb Downs

What I loved most about this exercise is that the story of the 2020s is still being written. With four more seasons remaining before the decade comes to a close, how many more Buckeyes will carve out a place among the greatest players in Ohio State history? Only time will tell.

THE BEST OF THE BEST, PART TWO. Being named Offensive MVP of 11W’s all-decade team is — without a doubt — the most prestigious honor of Jeremiah Smith’s young career. Still, the star wide receiver enters the fall with his sights set on even more as he begins the season as college football’s No. 1 player.

Last week, Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick released their rankings of the nation’s 50 best players, using PFF grades, advanced data and future projection models rather than traditional statistics. Smith checked in at No. 1 overall, while his quarterback, Julian Sayin, landed at No. 4.

No. 1 - Jeremiah Smith

Smith tops this list for the second straight year, joining Trevor Lawrence as the only player to do so. Over his first two college seasons, Smith leads all wide receivers in PFF receiving grade (92.9), receiving yards (2,554) and receiving touchdowns (27). He also leads all wide receivers in PFF Wins Above Average (PFF WAA) over that span. Smith is a generational talent at the position who will have NFL teams tripping over themselves to draft him in 2027.

No. 4 - 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, the third-highest completion percentage in college football history, trailing only the 77.4% marks posted by Bo Nix in 2023 and Mac Jones in 2020. Sayin’s 74.2% accurate throw rate also set the PFF College single-season record. He led all FBS quarterbacks in PFF passing grade (92.9) and earned a grade below 70.0 only once all season. Sayin is the only 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist returning to school, and he should be considered one of the leading candidates to win the award this season.

Plenty of players Ohio State will face in 2026 also made the list, including:

No. 3: Texas defensive end Colin Simmons
No. 7: Oregon quarterback Dante Moore
No. 8: Indiana offensive tackle Carter Smith
No. 9: Texas quarterback Arch Manning
No. 21: Texas offensive tackle Trevor Goosby
No. 22: Texas running back Rasheem Biles
No. 23: Oregon defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington
No. 24: Michigan defensive end John Henry Daley
No. 25: Iowa offensive lineman Kade Pieper
No. 30: USC quarterback Jayden Maiava
No. 32: Oregon defensive end Teitum Tuioti
No. 33: Oregon defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei
No. 34: Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Lauck
No. 39: Oregon cornerback Brandon Finney Jr.
No. 40: Texas wide receiver Cam Coleman
No. 45: USC cornerback Jontez Williams
No. 46: Indiana safety Amare Ferrell
No. 50: Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson

Smith and Sayin sit at the top of college football entering 2026, but the rest of the list is a reminder they won’t be alone. The season ahead is loaded with elite talent — and Ohio State will see plenty of it firsthand. That mix of star power at the top and depth across the sport sets the stage for another compelling season for the Buckeyes, with almost every Saturday bringing another matchup against future NFL talent.

SOON TO BE BEST OF THE BEST. Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are already two of the best players in college football. According to 247Sports’ Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz, Payton Pierce and Devin Sanchez could join them in that conversation before the 2026 season ends.

This week, Hummer and Zenitz named the Ohio State linebacker and cornerback as two of the top 100 “lesser-known Power Four players primed for huge 2026 seasons.”

Devin Sanchez

After starting once for Ohio State as a freshman last season, Sanchez is now set to be a full-time starter for the Buckeyes. There are big expectations internally for the former five-star recruit.

“He’s going to be really good,” a source said.

Payton Pierce

Pierce made an impact as a sophomore at Ohio State last season, making three starts and finishing the year with 43 tackles. Now, he appears poised to emerge as even more of a standout for the Buckeyes.

“Payton will be a dude,” a source said.

While the quotes Hummer and Zenitz gathered on Sanchez and Pierce lack some punch, their inclusion alone signals how highly they’re viewed heading into 2026. For Ohio State, that matters. With the Silver Bullets replacing eight defensive starters, Matt Patricia will need both to emerge quickly if the Buckeyes are going to navigate a demanding schedule in 2026 successfully.

SONG OF THE DAY. "Smile" - Uncle Kracker.