\n Welcome to the Skull Session. <\/p>\n
\n\tOhio State is college football’s only recession-proof program.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\tFun fact, Ohio State has not had consecutive losing seasons since
1923\u201324 .\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\u2014 Hoody (@TheHoody27) July 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tHave a good Monday.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0ALWAYS BE ON TIME. My high school basketball coach had a saying: \u201cIf you\u2019re early, you\u2019re on time. If you\u2019re on time, you\u2019re late. And if you\u2019re late, that\u2019s unacceptable.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe 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.\n<\/p>\n \n\tMick Marotti has some harsher penalties for Ohio State\u2019s players, according to punter Joe McGuire:\n<\/p>\n \t@dosandd<\/a> Ohio State Punter & NCAA champion, Joe McGuire on the punishment for being late to training\u2026BRUTAL! #ohiostate<\/a> #ohio<\/a> #collegefootball<\/a> #ncaa<\/a> #nfl<\/a> \u266c original sound – DosandD<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tThe Buckeyes would be smart to arrive 15 minutes early to every workout or practice \u2014 just to be safe. Nobody wants to be late, and even fewer want to end up on Mick Marotti\u2019s bad side. I know I wouldn\u2019t.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0THE 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.\n<\/p>\n \n\tEleven 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.\n<\/p>\n \t\tQB: C.J. Stroud<\/p>\n \t\tRB: TreVeyon Henderson<\/p>\n \t\tWR1: Jeremiah Smith<\/p>\n \t\tWR2: Marvin Harrison Jr.<\/p>\n \t\tWR3: Jaxon Smith-Njigba<\/p>\n \t\tTE: Cade Stover<\/p>\n \t\tLT: Paris Johnson Jr.<\/p>\n \t\tLG: Donovan Jackson<\/p>\n \t\tC: Seth McLaughlin<\/p>\n \t\tRG: Josh Myers<\/p>\n \t\tRT: Dawand Jones<\/p>\n \n\tReaders 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.\n<\/p>\n \t\tDE1: Jack Sawyer<\/p>\n \t\tDE2: JT Tuimoloau<\/p>\n \t\tDT1: Kayden McDonald<\/p>\n \t\tDT2: Tyleik Williams<\/p>\n \t\tLB1: Sonny Styles<\/p>\n \t\tLB2: Arvell Reese<\/p>\n \t\tCB1: Denzel Burke<\/p>\n \t\tCB2: Shaun Wade<\/p>\n \t\tFS: Caleb Downs<\/p>\n \t\tSS: Lathan Ransom<\/p>\n \n\tThe 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.\n<\/p>\n \t\tOffensive MVP: Jeremiah Smith<\/p>\n \t\tDefensive MVP: Caleb Downs<\/p>\n \n\tWhat 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.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0THE BEST OF THE BEST, PART TWO. Being named Offensive MVP of 11W\u2019s all-decade team is \u2014 without a doubt \u2014 the most prestigious honor of Jeremiah Smith\u2019s 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\u2019s No. 1 player.\n<\/p>\n \n\tLast week, Pro Football Focus\u2019 Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick<\/a> released their rankings of the nation\u2019s 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.\n<\/p>\n \tNo. 1 – Jeremiah Smith<\/p>\n \n\t\tSmith 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.\n\t<\/p>\n \tNo. 4 – Julian Sayin<\/p>\n \n\t\tSayin was historically accurate in his first season as Ohio State\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.\n\t<\/p>\n \n\tPlenty of players Ohio State will face in 2026 also made the list, including:\n<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 3: Texas defensive end Colin Simmons<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 7: Oregon quarterback Dante Moore<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 8: Indiana offensive tackle Carter Smith<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 9: Texas quarterback Arch Manning<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 21: Texas offensive tackle Trevor Goosby<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 22: Texas running back Rasheem Biles<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 23: Oregon defensive lineman A’Mauri Washington<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 24: Michigan defensive end John Henry Daley<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 25: Iowa offensive lineman Kade Pieper<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 30: USC quarterback Jayden Maiava<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 32: Oregon defensive end Teitum Tuioti<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 33: Oregon defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 34: Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Lauck<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 39: Oregon cornerback Brandon Finney Jr.<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 40: Texas wide receiver Cam Coleman<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 45: USC cornerback Jontez Williams<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 46: Indiana safety Amare Ferrell<\/p>\n \t\tNo. 50: Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson<\/p>\n \n\tSmith and Sayin sit at the top of college football entering 2026, but the rest of the list is a reminder they won\u2019t be alone. The season ahead is loaded with elite talent \u2014 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.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0SOON TO BE BEST OF THE BEST. Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are already two of the best players in college football. According to 247Sports\u2019 Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz<\/a>, Payton Pierce and Devin Sanchez could join them in that conversation before the 2026 season ends.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThis week, Hummer and Zenitz named the Ohio State linebacker and cornerback as two of the top 100 \u201clesser-known Power Four players primed for huge 2026 seasons.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \tDevin Sanchez<\/p>\n \n\t\tAfter 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.\n\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\u201cHe\u2019s going to be really good,\u201d a source said.\n\t<\/p>\n \tPayton Pierce<\/p>\n \n\t\tPierce 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.\n\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\u201cPayton will be a dude,\u201d a source said.\n\t<\/p>\n \n\tWhile the quotes Hummer and Zenitz gathered on Sanchez and Pierce lack some punch, their inclusion alone signals how highly they\u2019re 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.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0SONG OF THE DAY.\u00a0“Smile” – Uncle Kracker.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0CUT TO THE CHASE.\u00a0Joey Chestnut eats 66 hot dogs to again claim Mustard Belt at Nathan\u2019s Famous contest<\/a>… Puppy love as dog walker turns his pack of 13 into Argentina jersey-clad World Cup followers<\/a>…\u00a0Rare copy of Declaration of Independence found by UK National Archives in papers of captured US ship<\/a>…\u00a0Australian officials ask fans to respect the privacy of Neil, a 1-ton seal who respects nothing<\/a>…\u00a0Putting it on everything: Frank\u2019s RedHot sauce spills across Ohio interstate<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n