\n Welcome to the Skull Session. <\/p>\n
\n\tI’m back.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n\tHave a good Monday.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0\u2026 I-O! Last year, I took a weeklong vacation to Naples, Florida, to soak up some sunshine, eat some excellent food and take long walks along the Gulf. It had all the ingredients of a relaxing getaway, plus one unexpected highlight.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tOne morning, I wore an Ohio State polo to the beach. As my wife and I walked past Doc’s Beach House<\/a>, someone called out “O-H!” from beneath a beach umbrella. A few moments later, another passerby smiled and said, “Go Bucks!”\n<\/p>\n \n\tI write this morning to report that my latest vacation spot, Bethany Beach, Delaware, is home to Buckeye Nation, too.\n<\/p>\n \n\tAfter breakfast at 19Dough1<\/a> \u2014 where I highly recommend the South Bethany Burrito \u2014 my wife and I took our usual walk along the beach. This time, she wore an Ohio State sweatshirt as we passed a family flying an Ohio State flag in the ocean breeze. The mom and dad stopped us in our tracks, and the four of us spent several minutes talking about our time in Old Columbus Town.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe exchange felt instantly familiar, like running into old friends hundreds of miles from home. It reminded me that being a Buckeye isn’t just about Saturdays in the fall. It’s about belonging to a community that stretches across the country \u2014 from Columbus to Naples to Bethany Beach.\n<\/p>\n \n\tOne Ohio State polo turned a quiet morning in Florida into a pair of memorable interactions. One Ohio State sweatshirt turned a walk on the Delaware coast into a conversation we’ll remember for years. That’s the kind of connection Buckeye Nation creates. No matter where you are, seeing the Block O has a way of making a place feel a little more like home.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0OHIO STATE\u2019S NOT FOR EVERYONE. While on vacation, I missed some headlines about Warde Manuel<\/a>, David Gabriel Georges<\/a> and Brady Edmunds<\/a>. I don\u2019t mean to reopen wounds on Gabriel Georges committing to Tennessee over Ohio State, but I saw a comment about the five-star running back in the Chattanooga Times Free Press<\/a> that I have to address:\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cDavid loves the game, but at Ohio State, it felt more like football was a chore he had to do, not something he gets to enjoy playing,\u201d a source told Stephen Hargis about choosing the Volunteers over the Buckeyes.\n<\/p>\n \n\tI will not criticize an 18-year-old for choosing to pursue his dreams where he wants. That accomplishes nothing. But there is a truth worth acknowledging: Ohio State isn’t for everyone.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\tCarlos Locklyn put it best when he described how he coaches his running backs:\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\t\t\u201cIt\u2019s a mindset. They didn\u2019t come here for me to be nice to them. I told them, \u2018I ain\u2019t your best friend. I\u2019m not trying to be your best friend. If you want to be my friend, guess how you be my friend? Make plays. Do your job. We can be best friends all day then. You told me you wanted to become the best running back and wanted to be developed. Well, guess what that takes? That takes me having tough love sometimes. That takes me having to get at you sometimes. I\u2019m not gonna cheat you because I\u2019m damn sure ain\u2019t gonna cheat myself. I\u2019m gonna go at you.\u2019 I can\u2019t demonstrate it. It ain\u2019t like it\u2019s an act. When I\u2019m out there on the field, I\u2019m going at my kids.\u201d\n\t<\/p>\n \n\tIf you don\u2019t want to play that way, don\u2019t play that way<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0MITCHELL MAKES HER MARK. Kelsey Mitchell made the most of WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago, reminding everyone why she’s one of the league’s premier scorers while showcasing the work ethic that has fueled her rise.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe former Ohio State standout led all players with 28 points in Saturday’s All-Star Game, needing just 22 minutes to put together the performance. Mitchell shot 11-of-19 from the field, went 5-of-11 from three and added five steals in Team Coop’s 129-122 loss to Team Spoon. She caught fire with 11 points in the second quarter on perfect 4-of-4 shooting, then added 10 more in the fourth quarter as Team Coop nearly erased an 18-point deficit.\n<\/p>\n \n\tOne of the weekend’s funniest storylines? Mitchell picked the pocket of Indiana Fever teammate Caitlin Clark three times, including on the game’s final possession.\n<\/p>\n \n\t“It was really strange being on the other side of the ball from her,” Clark told reporters afterward. “I swear she doesn’t miss any shots, so I’m just really glad she’s on my team most of the time because she makes my life really easy.”\n<\/p>\n \n\t\tKELSEY MITCHELL IS BALLING<\/p>\n She is tied as the leading scorer of the game with 23 PTS & 5 3PM!#WNBAAllStar2026<\/a> | @ATT<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/h1KRUGjUdf<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 WNBA (@WNBA) July 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tSaturday marked Mitchell’s fourth consecutive All-Star appearance, a fitting honor for a player putting together one of the best seasons of her career. Through 27 games, she’s averaging 23.3 points while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.5% from beyond the arc, helping lead the Fever to a 17-10 record and one of the league’s highest-scoring offenses.\n<\/p>\n \n\tMitchell’s excellence extends beyond the hardwood. The veteran guard is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and uses every spare moment to stay on top of her coursework.\n<\/p>\n \n\t“The only time I have to do my work is before my shooting time, and everybody knows that’s my time,” Mitchell said after the game<\/a>. “So I try to get as much done as I can, and then after the game, I’ll get on the plane, connect to the Wi-Fi, and finish whatever I can before 11:59.”\n<\/p>\n \n\t\t\u201cI\u2019m a basketball player, please let me turn this in late\u201d @Kelz_Hoop<\/a> spills the tea on balancing life in the @WNBA<\/a> while earning a PhD in Educational Leadership. pic.twitter.com\/nqYdyM1pkV<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 PUMA Basketball (@PUMAHoops) July 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tScoring a game-high 28 points in the WNBA All-Star Game while balancing the demands of a doctoral program? That’s a pretty impressive All-Star weekend for the former Buckeye.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0THE BEST IN THE B1G. On Sunday, Scott Dochterman released The Athletic\u2019s preseason All-Big Ten teams<\/a>, with five Buckeyes making the first team: quarterback Julian Sayin, running back Bo Jackson, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, linebacker Payton Pierce and safety Jaylen McClain.\n<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tPOS<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tFIRST TEAM<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tSECOND TEAM<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tTHIRD TEAM<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tQB<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJulian Sayin, so., Ohio State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tDante Moore, jr., Oregon<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJayden Maiava, sr., USC<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tRB<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tBo Jackson, so., Ohio State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tDarius Taylor, sr., Minnesota<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJordon Davison, so., Oregon<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tRB<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tAntwan Raymond, jr., Rutgers<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJordan Marshall, jr., Michigan<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tWaymond Jordan, sr., USC<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tWR<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJeremiah Smith, jr., Ohio State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tGriffin Wilde, sr., Northwestern<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tEvan Stewart, sr., Oregon<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tWR<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tK.J. Duff, jr., Rutgers<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tAndrew Marsh, so., Michigan<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tTanook Hines, so., USC<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tWR<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tCharlie Becker, jr., Indiana<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tNick Marsh, jr., Indiana<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tDakorien Moore, so., Oregon<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tTE<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJamari Johnson, jr., Oregon<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tD.J. Vonnahme, so., Iowa<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tBen Brahmer, sr., Penn State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tOT<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tCarter Smith, sr., Indiana<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tAnthony Donkoh, jr., Penn State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tElijah Paige, jr., USC<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tOT<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tTrevor Lauck, jr., Iowa<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tAustin Siereveld, sr., Ohio State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tNathan Roy, so., Minnesota<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tIOL<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tKade Pieper, jr., Iowa<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tLuke Montgomery, sr., Ohio State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tDave Iuli, sr., Oregon<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tIOL<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJustin Evans, sr., Nebraska<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tGreg Johnson, sr., Minnesota<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJake Guaranera, jr., Michigan<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tIOL<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tIapani Laloulu, sr., Oregon<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tCarson Hinzman, sr., Ohio State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tTrent Fraley, sr., Michigan State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tDE<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tAnthony Smith, sr., Minnesota<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tMateo Uiagalalei, sr., Oregon<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tKameryn Crawford, jr., USC<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tDE<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJohn Henry Daley, jr., Michigan<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tTeitum Tuioti, sr., Oregon<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tKenyatta Jackson, jr., Ohio State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tDT<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tA’Mauri Washington, sr., Oregon<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tBear Alexander, sr., Oregon<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tBryce Hawthorne, jr., Iowa<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tDT<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tTyrique Tucker, sr., Indiana<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tMario Landino, jr., Indiana<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJakheem Stewart, so., USC<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tLB<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tRolijah Hardy, jr., Indiana<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tKooper Ebel, sr., Penn State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tMaverick Baranowski, sr., Minnesota<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tLB<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tPayton Pierce, jr., Ohio State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tDaniel Wingate, sr., Maryland<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tMason Posa, so., Wisconsin<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tLB<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tIsaiah Jones, jr., Indiana<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tCam Buffington, so., Iowa<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tChristian Alliegro, sr., Ohio State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tCB<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tBrandon Finney Jr., so., Oregon<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJyaire Hill, sr., Michigan<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tZeke Berry, sr., Michigan<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tCB<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJontez Williams, sr., USC<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJermaine Matthews, sr., Ohio State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJamari Sharpe, jr., Indiana<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tDB<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tZach Lutmer, jr., Iowa<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tXavier Scott, sr., Illinois<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tD.J. Barksdale, sr., UCLA<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tS<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tKoi Perich, jr., Oregon<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tAmare Ferrell, sr., Indiana<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tRod Moore, sr., Michigan<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tS<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJaylen McClain, jr., Ohio State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tRobert Fitzgerald, sr., Northwestern<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tMarcus Neal, jr., Penn State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tP<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tHunter Green, sr., Washington<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tBryce McFerson, sr., Maryland<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tSean West, so., Wisconsin<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tK<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tNico Radicic, jr., Indiana<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tRyan Barker, jr., Penn State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tKyle Cunanan, jr., Nebraska<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tRS<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJacory Barney, so., Nebraska<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tKenneth Williams, jr., Michigan State<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tXavier Townsend, sr., Purdue<\/p>\n \n\tI like the first team.\n<\/p>\n \n\tFive\u00a0Buckeyes.\n<\/p>\n \n\tOne Wolverine.\n<\/p>\n \n\tIn total, Ohio State had 11\u00a0players across the three teams. Joining the five Buckeyes mentioned above were second-teamers offensive tackle Austin Siereveld, interior offensive lineman Luke Montgomery, center Carson Hinzman and cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr., along with third-teamers defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and linebacker Christian Alliegro.\n<\/p>\n \n\tProgramming note: Be on the lookout for Dan Hope\u2019s preseason All-Big Ten selections for Eleven Warriors on Monday.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0SONG OF THE DAY.\u00a0\u201cBad To The Bone\u201d – George Thorogood & The Destroyers (a band that started in Wilmington, Delaware!).\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0CUT TO THE CHASE.\u00a0Seattle police are searching for two men who parachuted from the Space Needle<\/a>…\u00a0Japan\u2019s monkey sensation Punch gets thousands of birthday messages as he turns 1 on Sunday<\/a>… “Spider-Man”\u00a0superhero jumps to the aid of a man using wheelchair to cross several lanes of traffic<\/a>…\u00a0Ryan Coogler announces David Jonsson as the new Black Panther<\/a>…\u00a0Ryan Gosling to star in Marvel\u2019s Ghost Rider movie<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n