Welcome to the Skull Session.
Well, that performance was certainly something!
Our World Cup journey comes to an end. pic.twitter.com/j8fACE41hv
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) July 7, 2026
Have a good Tuesday.
“I WAS THE MISSING PIECE!” Marcus Freeman appeared on Cam Heyward's podcast last week, and the former Ohio State teammates spent much of the conversation reminiscing about their careers in Columbus. I'll get to the rest of that in the second section, but first, their exchange about the Buckeyes' loss to LSU in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game is too good not to single out.
“Why didn’t we win a national championship in 2007?” Heyward asked.
“That was the LSU year. Hm, LSU had some dawgs now,” Freeman said with a laugh. “Hoo, that defense was crazy.”
“Bro, do you remember how we started the game?” Heyward asked. “Beanie (Wells) having that long touchdown run, and then all the air got sucked out of the building after that.”
“Something happened on special teams,” Freeman said. “I can’t remember did we block a punt and get a penalty or they blocked a punt? I think (Austin) Spitler — something happened on special teams where it started to get close in the second half, and I just can’t remember. I bet you if I called (Coach Jim Tressel), he would say this is exactly what happened. I think there was special teams, something that had to do with a punt, and yeah, it was ugly.”
Freeman was close.
Ohio State trailed 24-10 when it forced LSU into a 4th-and-23 from its own 40-yard line with 10:44 remaining in the third quarter. The Buckeyes appeared poised to get the ball back, but Spitler burst untouched through the middle, missed the ball and instead crashed into punter Patrick Fisher, drawing a roughing-the-kicker penalty.
Rather than getting the ball back with a chance to cut into the deficit, Ohio State gave LSU a fresh set of downs. The Tigers capitalized, marching down the field for their fourth touchdown of the game and extending their lead. LSU eventually won 38-24 to claim the BCS national championship.
“Oof, that was rough,” Freeman said as he recalled more of the game's defining moments.
Then came the best part of the conversation.
“Well, as a freshman, you think, like, ‘Oh, yeah, I’ll be back in the national championship.’ Never was,” Heyward said. “Now it just haunts me.”
“You weren’t there for ’06,” Freeman said.
“No, I wasn’t. I watched ’06, and I committed right after that game,” Heyward replied.
“You committed to us after we got beat 41-14?!” Freeman asked, stunned.
“Yeah,” Heyward said. “I thought I was the missing piece!”
To his credit, Heyward helped Ohio State return to the national championship game as a freshman in 2007, recording 33 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and three pass breakups. While the Buckeyes never made it back to another title game during his career, Heyward developed into one of the program's best defensive linemen, finishing with 163 tackles, 37.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks.
An All-Big Ten second-team selection in 2009 and a first-team pick in 2010, Heyward has gone on to become one of Ohio State's greatest NFL success stories. Remarkably, he remains one of the league's most productive defensive players entering his 16th NFL season in 2026, all with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The six-time All-Pro and 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year has amassed 796 tackles, 142 tackles for loss and 92 sacks over his career. He's under contract with Pittsburgh through the 2027 season, when he'll be 38 years old.
“HE STILL TEACHES ME LESSONS.” Marcus Freeman and Cam Heyward’s Ohio State discussion continued beyond the 2006 and 2007 national championship games, with a conversation about the leadership he witnessed at Ohio State, what he learned from Jim Tressel and more.
Note: The “and more” features the story of when Heyward knocked out one of Freeman’s front teeth while celebrating during the Ohio State-Michigan game in 2010. I wrote about that hilarious story in 2025.
Another note: These quotes have been edited for length and clarity.
On the leadership traits he learned at Ohio State
“You learn as you watch others. When I think of the leaders we had before I got there, the A.J. Hawks, the Troy Smiths, the Bobby Carpenters — and I could go on and on, there was a list of guys — but as you watched them, you watched the influence they had. A.J. really didn’t speak too much, but when he did speak, you listened. But the way he went about his work, he positively influenced myself, (James) Laurinaitis, and some of us who watched the way he went about his business.
“And then I think about you and the leadership you commanded the minute you came in. You did it by example, but you were a vocal leader, too. You didn’t care how old you were. You did it as a freshman and in my last two years when we were together — when you were a freshman and sophomore. I remember coming back as a graduate assistant in 2010, and you were the definition of a leader, man — by your play, the way you influenced your teammates. You spoke up when you needed to speak up. You took things personal. It’s the examples that other people set, and then we have to be who we are. You can’t be somebody else. There are so many great examples of leadership in our times at Ohio State.”
On becoming a coach, along with Brian Hartline and James Laurinaitis
“I probably was the one who got into coaching first. Laurinaitis played so long, he didn’t really want to get into coaching. I remember we hired him here to be a graduate assistant, and he fell in love. The same thing with Hartline. Hartline played for a long time, and finally he was like, ‘OK, I’m gonna get into coaching.’
“I never wanted to be a coach. I never did. I always said, ‘These coaches work crazy hours.’ I really wanted to be an AD. I thought the world of Gene Smith. I wanted to stay around sports, but not really coach. I remember I was in Houston with the Texans, and I’m like, both of my knees are hurting, I’ve been cut, and I was like, ‘Maybe I do want to coach.’ I called Coach Tressel, and I said, ‘I think I do want to coach.’ He was like, ‘Play as long as you can.’ But at that point it was just that I wanted to stay around the game of football. Everybody dreams of having a career like Cam Heyward. Everybody thinks they’re gonna have that type of career where you can figure life out when you’re done. But it’s not realistic.
“So I get into coaching. I start as a GA. And you quickly learn that the gratification you get through coaching is helping other people. It’s helping other people have success. I don’t care if you’re a high school coach. I don’t care what sport you coach. It’s the ability to help others have success. That’s what Hartline and Laurinaitis and Ted Ginn Jr. and all these different people have realized. It doesn’t matter what you’re coaching; if you can help others have success and make it an occupation, it’s a rewarding one.”
On the lessons he learned from Jim Tressel during his Ohio State career
“I still learn lessons from him to this day. When I think back to my time at Ohio State and Coach Tress, (I think about) culture. Culture, to me, is how you feel. It’s the environment when you walk into that building. When I think about that time, Coach Tress made every single person feel important. Your role didn’t determine your value when we were together and when you were a part of that program. No matter what your role was, there was no role too big or too small for you to do. I remember seeing Coach Tress pick up trash, and he was just such a great example of leadership — of servant leadership.
“Funny story. A couple of weeks ago, I talked to Coach Tress and a couple of guys. We were like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna go support Ted Ginn in the last game of his first season with the Aviators.’ We go to the game, I bring two of my sons — we went out to eat first. We’re getting ready to leave, and my oldest son’s name is Vinny, and (Tressel) says, ‘Hey Vinny, you’re riding with me.’ And that’s a Coach Tress thing to do. That might be his first or second time that he’s met Vinny, but he wanted Vinny to ride with him. I still haven’t talked to Vinny about that conversation, but I’m intrigued to know what they talked about — whatever they talked about.
“And then we go to the suite once the game starts, and it’s three former players of his: myself, James Laurinaitis, Rory Nicol. Another coach, Darrell Hazell, was there, and a couple other people. He intentionally let us all sit down, and now that it happened, I know what he was doing. He let us all sit down, and one minute later he comes walking around with six or seven water bottles. He starts passing out water to my kids, to us, to Coach Hazell, and then he comes back around with a plate full of cookies. Man, you talk about players, our kids, another coach — and he’s still serving. He’s just amazing. He’s such a great example, man. He still teaches me lessons to this day.”
I could unpack a lot from these quotes, but here’s all I want to share: Jim Tressel is the GOAT… the GOOOAAAT!
“NOWHERE NEAR WHERE IT SHOULD BE.” Brian Hartline left Ohio State this offseason to become the head coach at the University of South Florida. In a recent interview with On3’s Pete Nakos, Hartline laid out his expectations for his new program, which include turning the Bulls into perennial contenders for the American Conference title.
“There was some success here the last couple of years, but nowhere near where it should be,” Hartline told Nakos. “The expectation should be to win — the floor here should be a constant chase for the American Conference championship. … I think we’ve been transparent about what those expectations are day to day, through the summer, through recruiting, and into the fall. We have 50 new guys on the roster, a completely different roster than last year. I’m excited about the guys who came in and the guys who chose to stay. I think we have the right guys, and now it’s our job to maximize what they’re capable of.”
NEW: USF's Brian Hartline tells @PeteNakos it's "all gas, no brakes" heading into his first season as a head coach
— On3 (@On3) July 5, 2026
"There was some success here the last couple of years, but nowhere near where it should be."
Story: https://t.co/ZvVit6BOyQ pic.twitter.com/CI82b1cppD
It’s an interesting quote because Hartline is the ultimate competitor who never settles, but also, USF’s former head coach was Alex Golesh, who spent two years as a student assistant under Jim Tressel at Ohio State in 2004-05. Depending on which lens you wear while reading it, this could read as Hartline wanting to hold himself to a high standard, or as a subtle dig at Golesh for failing to meet a higher one.
Golesh went 23-15 with two bowl wins across three years at USF. The performance was good enough to land him the Auburn job this offseason — and, at the very least, good enough to avoid any Buckeye-on-Buckeye friendly fire about what he accomplished in Tampa.
But I may have the wrong read on the quote.
My wife tells me I'm wrong a lot.
(And I am.)
THERE IS ANOTHER. The men’s basketball Buckeyes have made the top eight for five-star forward DeMarcus Henry, the younger brother of Ohio State women’s basketball player Seini Henry and football player Chris Henry Jr.
A 6-foot-7, 190-pound wing, Henry is the No. 1 small forward and No. 7 overall prospect in the 2027 class. Should he choose Ohio State, he would become one of the highest-rated recruits in program history, trailing only Greg Oden, B.J. Mullens, Jared Sullinger and current freshman Anthony Thompson.
Demarcus Henry is down to 8 schools ‼️
— Henry Legacy (@TheHenryLegacy_) July 6, 2026
Watch the latest episode of Henry Legacy on our YT for the reveal and let us know where you want to see him go! pic.twitter.com/WkkbqFs5Bj
Henry averaged 14.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals in 31 games last season at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. Amid a dominant run on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring and summer, he transferred to Compass Prep in Chandler, Arizona.
With Seini and Chris already in Columbus, Ohio State appears to be in a strong position to land Demarcus. But the Buckeyes still face stiff competition, with Arkansas, BYU, UConn, Louisville, Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas also earning a spot in his final eight.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Hurt" - Johnny Cash, thanks to the USMNT.
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