Welcome to the Skull Session.

Congratulations, you made it to the weekend.

Well, almost.

Have a good Friday!

 NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. Ohio State men’s basketball is not for the faint of heart.

With 13:55 left in the Ohio State vs. Iowa game, the Buckeyes took a 16-point lead (51-35) over the Hawkeyes, thanks to a 10-0 run by Bruce Thornton. Yes, that’s correct. Thornton, the program’s all-time leading scorer, went on a solo 10-0 run with what I’ll call basketball’s version of the cycle: an and-one, a midrange jumper, a layup and a 3-pointer.

While it felt like Thornton and Co. would cruise to a win from there, Iowa outscored Ohio State 34-21 down the stretch. In the game’s final moments, the Buckeyes clung to life and escaped with a 72-69 win. I reached for my nitroglycerin pills as soon as the scoreboard reached 0:00.

Ohio State survived and advanced. That’s college basketball in March. Leads disappear. Runs come out of nowhere. Games that feel over suddenly aren’t.

Now comes the real test. Next up for Ohio State is Michigan, the Big Ten’s regular-season champion and a team that beat the Buckeyes twice by an average margin of 16.5 points.

I’d love to reach for my nitroglycerin pills again on Friday — preferably because of an Ohio State upset instead of a heartbreaking loss.

Buckeyes vs. Wolverines tips off at noon on Big Ten Network.

 PEACH FUZZ. When Julian Sayin took the practice field on Tuesday, he had a new look. The 20-year-old — who often looks it — had a, well, I’ll let you pick: a soup strainer, flavor saver, cookie duster, caterpillar, nose neighbor, push broom or lip curtain. There were some whiskers around his jawline, too.

When asked on Thursday whether his facial hair would be a permanent part of his appearance, Sayin laughed.

“Not sure if it’s permanent. Probably not,” Sayin said with a smile. “I didn’t shave for a few days, and then the left tackle, Austin (Siereveld), he said, ‘You should probably keep growing it.’ Luke Montgomery agreed. I said, ‘Alright, we’ll keep it growing and see what we get.’ We’ve been working on it. But probably not permanent.”

For now, the experiment continues (the same one I’ve been on since July 2025!).

Offensive linemen are rarely wrong about two things: food and facial hair. So if Siereveld and Montgomery believe in the project, maybe Sayin should too. Then again, if the mustache starts throwing interceptions, I’m guessing it won’t survive spring ball.

 “BUT CALEB DOWNS CAME.” Kenyatta Jackson Jr. changed from No. 97 to No. 2 this offseason, a switch he said he’s wanted to make for years.

“That’s my high school number. I’ve wanted my number since junior year, but Caleb Downs came,” he said with a smile.

One, that’s hilarious. Two, that’s a bad beat.

When Caleb Downs transferred to Ohio State in 2024, he was coming off a monster freshman season at Alabama: 107 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and four pass breakups on his way to SEC Freshman of the Year honors. Despite having an extra year in the program, Jackson’s career totals at that point were nine tackles, three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. In other words, Downs wins the No. 2 jersey 10 times out of 10.

In 2026, however, the situation finally changed. Downs is headed to the NFL as a potential top-10 draft pick, while Jackson is back in Columbus for his fifth season. This time, seniority put him at the front of the line for the coveted No. 2.

Ryan Day explained a bit about how the jersey-number selection process works.

“(Ohio State chief of staff) Quinn (Tempel) is right in the middle of that. That’s a big matrix on how we figure out who has what jersey. When they ask for it, their seniority, if they’ve done right by Coach Mick (Marotti), if they’re champions,” Day said. “People put in for jersey numbers like a year in advance. When (that player) leaves, I’m going to be ready for that one. And then you have to figure out special teams and if there’s gonna be any kind of issue with two guys being on the field at once.”

It might seem like a small thing on the outside, but anyone who’s played sports knows jersey numbers are a big deal. I get it — I was the same way. Like Downs and Jackson, I was partial to No. 2. If I didn’t have it, I wanted it. No — I needed it.

 DOWN TO NO. 3. After leading Ohio State to a national championship in 2024, Ryan Day was widely regarded as the No. 2 coach in college football, trailing only Georgia’s Kirby Smart. But following Indiana’s national title this past season, Day’s standing has shifted.

This week, The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman released their top 25 coach rankings — and Day landed at No. 3 on both lists, with Curt Cignetti taking the No. 1 spot above both Smart and Day.

Stewart Mandel

Day followed up Ohio State’s 2024 national title run with more regular-season wins — most importantly, including Michigan — but an early College Football Playoff exit. His surprising hire of Matt Patricia as defensive coordinator paid off by producing the most dominant defense (4.0 yards per play allowed) of his seven-year tenure. He is 55-5 in Big Ten play.

Bruce Feldman

He’s a year removed from leading the Buckeyes to the national title, and it feels like he’s in a good spot to get another. Day is 82-12 with a sterling 55-5 record in the Big Ten. In seven seasons, his teams have never finished outside the top 10. He did inherit some of the best parts of the Buckeyes program, but keeping everything on track and building on it isn’t a given. Day famously had a very rough stretch against arch-rival Michigan, but he and his team got revenge last season, whipping Michigan 27-9 in Ann Arbor. They’re as safe a bet as anyone to win the national title this year.

I’m not worried about Day’s (minor) fall. He’ll win a national championship this year and plant himself at the top of the list. Believe that!

 SONG OF THE DAY. “Peach Fuzz” – CAAMP.

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