Welcome to the Skull Session.
First-time Skull Session-er, long-time 11W writer – well, almost four years, to be exact.
With Chase Brown taking a well-deserved week off, I'm helping fill in for one of the many legends on here and am extremely grateful for the opportunity.
But enough about me, let's get to it.
Have a good Tuesday.
IT'S VERY NICE. Simulations and video games aren't real life, we all know that. But it's still nice to dream – and could even be a tool to kill time as we wait for college football season to kick off.
With that, USA Today's Jordan Mendoza simulated the 2026 season on EA Sports College Football 27 to try and guess the results of the upcoming season.
In the 100 simulations, 21 different teams won the national championship, 18 of whom are Power Four programs: Six SEC, five Big Ten, five ACC and three Big 12. Notre Dame (independent) and Boise State (Pac-12) were the two exceptions. For some context, Indiana did not win the national championship a single time in the simulations before the 2025 college football season a year ago.
Ohio State led the way, winning it all 22 times, the only team with at least 20 national championships throughout the 100 simulations. Oklahoma (17), Miami (13) and Ole Miss (10) were the only other teams in double digits. The Buckeyes made the CFP 85 times and reached the national championship game 57 times.
That sounds good to me.
EXPERIENCE MATTERS. With Ohio State returning four of its five starting offensive linemen from 2025, the group is expected to be one of the Buckeyes' strongest units in 2026.
While there could still be some shuffling around as the fifth starter (and his exact position) has not been determined yet, Phillip Daniels, Carson Hinzman, Luke Montgomery and Austin Siereveld are all returning as starters for the 2026 season, while Ian Moore, Joshua Padilla, Gabe VanSickle and Jake Cook are competing for that fifth and final starting nod up front.
Even though the fifth starting offensive lineman hasn't been determined yet, CBS's Blake Brockermeyer ranks Ohio State's O-line as the second-best in the country, with Georgia atop the list.
Ohio State's offensive line struggled down the stretch in 2025, but the Buckeyes return a dependable group with 89 career starts and the right mentality to bounce back in 2026.
The strength of the unit is the interior, anchored by Carson Hinzman, who has logged nearly 2,200 career snaps. Hinzman is a steady, dependable player who excels in pass protection and thrives in Ohio State's zone-running schemes.
Returning starters Luke Montgomery and Austin Siereveld boast more than 2,500 combined career snaps. Montgomery is a tough, blue-collar player, while Siereveld slides inside from left tackle and should provide a boost to the running game. Based on last season's tape, he's one of the nation's better run blockers.
Phillip Daniels returns at right tackle with more than 1,000 career snaps. He's a physical player who can struggle against speed and quickness off the edge, but he has a high ceiling and I expect him to take a significant step forward this season. It wouldn't surprise me if Daniels eventually becomes the highest NFL Draft pick of the group.
Ian Moore is expected to earn the starting job at left tackle despite having fewer than 300 career snaps, making him the biggest wildcard on the line. Like most teams, Ohio State has very little proven depth behind its starters.
Going into preseason camp, Montgomery and Hinzman are locked in as Ohio State’s starting left guard and center. If Moore wins the competition and is named the starter, he would start at left tackle and move Siereveld to right guard. If Siereveld stays at left tackle, Moore could challenge Daniels at right tackle, while VanSickle and Padilla are each candidates to start at right guard.
If Ohio State leans on its experience up front and the offensive line learns from its failures from the Buckeyes' final two games last season (both of which were losses), it could be an O-line that OSU can lean on throughout the season.
THE PEOPLE. THE TRADITION. THE EXCELLENCE. Ryan Day, his players and his football program are doing great things on and off the field. The latest example of that was on Monday, when Day and Jaylen McClain were named Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominees.
Honoring those whose impact goes beyond the game.@ryandaytime & @Jaylenmcclain08 have been nominated to the 2026–27 @Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. pic.twitter.com/DdcDaEVEF6
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) July 20, 2026
Established in 1992, the AFCA Good Works Team recognizes college football student-athletes and coaches who demonstrate exceptional commitment to community service, academics and athletics. The program honors players who utilize their platforms to strengthen communities and support causes that are important to them.
From Ohio State’s news release:
Off the field, McClain started Everyday Legends Foundation, a foundation started and operated by Jaylen McClain, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth and strengthening underserved communities. Additionally this summer, he put on the inaugural Jaylen McClain Youth Football Camp which focused on leadership, skill-building, and confidence for young athletes. He also has been an active volunteer in seasonal outreach efforts, including holiday toy drives and Thanksgiving turkey donation initiatives.
Coach Day and his wife, Nina, established The Nina and Ryan Day Resilience Fund: Established with a $1 million donation to The Ohio State University, this fund focuses on research to identify risk factors for mental illness and cultivate resilience. The Christina and Ryan Day Fund for Pediatric and Adolescent Mental Wellness: Created in partnership with Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Kids Mental Health Foundation, this fund provides free "Day Time Break" curriculum kits to classrooms, teaching young students how to manage stress and boost mental health.
The Good Works Team will be announced in September and will consist of 22 student-athletes (including one team captain) and one head coach.
Rooting for good players and coaches is awesome; rooting for great people is even better.
“A PERFECT STORM.” Ohio State's schedule is loaded this season; there's no doubt about that. It's a slate that includes home games against Illinois, Oregon and Michigan and road trips to Texas, Iowa, Indiana, USC and Nebraska.
Given the 18-team Big Ten, there will be years when OSU has a loaded schedule (this season) and years when the Buckeyes don't have as tough a conference slate.
During an appearance on The Bobby Carpenter Show last week, the Sporting News' Bill Bender discussed the challenges of Ohio State's tough schedule this season.
"Well, I think we're going to continue to see an imbalanced schedule," Bender said. "There will be years where Ohio State misses these (elite) teams, but it's just a perfect storm on their schedule this year.
"I haven't seen a schedule this difficult," he continued. "I'm not saying they're going 9-3, but if they were 9-3 with that schedule, much like Texas was last year, I think they would have a very legitimate argument to get in the playoff."
When you factor in Ohio State's regular-season schedule and also include a potential Big Ten championship game and the 12-team CFP, this could legitimately be the Buckeyes' toughest schedule ever.
Are they ready for the test? We’ll start to find out in six-and-a-half weeks.
THE CAPTAIN. Bruce Thornton certainly made a name for himself during the NBA Summer League.
The 31st pick in the 2026 NBA draft (first pick of the second round), Thornton averaged a team-high 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, a team-high 4.4 assists and 2.8 steals per game in five Summer League games for the Houston Rockets. The Buckeyes’ all-time leading scorer and first-ever four-time captain shot 39.1% from the field and 40.6% from beyond the arc on 6.4 3-pointers per contest in a team-high 31.4 minutes per game.
Granted, it's only the Summer League, but Thornton will look to carry that momentum into the preseason and prove that he belongs in the rotation as a rookie on a team that is an NBA title contender.
Columbus might be far from Houston, but Thornton certainly has a bunch of fans who will be rooting for him in Buckeye Nation, no matter where he plays.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Coast to Coastin" – North to Nashville
NO JOSHIN’, JUST LINKS. All of the incredible images from the 2026 World Cup in one place ... Over one million fans celebrate Spain winning the World Cup in Madrid ... Hundreds of newborns in Peru have been named for rising stars such as Norway’s Erling Haaland ... Rare identical quadruplets born in Australia ... FDA says Taylor Farms lettuce parasite test was a false positive.
