Welcome to the Skull Session.
One more sleep.
National champion Jack Sawyer narrates Ohio States Texas Game trailer, setting the tone for the Buckeyes season opener against the Longhorns pic.twitter.com/FryW8n4A6s
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) August 28, 2025
Have a good Friday.
“HERE WE GO.” I cannot believe that Ohio State football returns tomorrow — and I cannot believe that it returns to face No. 1-ranked Texas in its season opener.
There’s no word to describe it other than great.
Ryan Day understands.
“I think it’s great for college football, great for our fans, great for our team,” he said Wednesday. “No expectations other than to win. It is going to be a great environment. The louder we can make it, the harder we can make it for Texas, the better it is for us. We need the crowd into it. Execution fuels emotion. I talk to the guys about that all the time, so the more execution we have, the more big plays we make, the more the crowd will get into it. It is a great way to start the year. It’s just different. There are positives and negatives to everything, but what a great game to kick off the season against a great opponent. This is why you come to Ohio State. You come to Ohio State to play in games like this.”
The seventh-year head coach shared a similar message during his radio show on Thursday.
“Texas has a great team,” Day said. “It’s rare that you would play an SEC team late in the season like we did and then start the next year with the first game. It’s been circled on our calendar for a long time, which affects our preseason and the way we practice, how we practice. Being ready to play in this first game is important. I was thinking about, you know, waking up this morning. Julian Sayin, first start, Texas at home, No. 1 team coming into the Horsehoe. Here we go. Our guys are really excited about this one.
“We’ve talked a lot, too, about having no expectations. The only expectation is to win the game. … We’ve got to play really, really hard with no expectations, and we have to make sure that we’re not beating ourselves. That’s the first step a team takes. Great week of preparation and about 48 hours out.”
Now 31 hours out from kickoff, my excitement continues to increase.
Greatness awaits!
“FIND A WAY TO WIN.” When asked about both of their quarterbacks, Steve Sarkisian and Ryan Day both started their answers with “Just.”
“Just go be you,” Sarkisian said of Arch Manning.
“Just win,” Day said of Julian Sayin.
I like the second answer better.
I like it even more after reading how their answers continued.
“What you’ve done is good enough to get us to this point and get him to this point in this juncture of his career,” Sarkisian said. “Now go play the way he’s capable of playing to the style that he’s comfortable doing it.”
“Find a way to win,” Day said. “I think when you start setting expectations, you can get yourself out of whack. We’re going to take it one play at a time. He’s got a good group of guys around him. He’s got a good defense. He’s got good special teams, a good offensive line, good skill guys. He needs to lean into those players and find a way to win the game. We’ll try to get him into a rhythm and then go from there, and that’s really it.”
Where Sarkisian emphasized comfort and confidence for Manning, Day emphasized results and responsibility for Sayin. This contrast reflects more than just their quarterbacks — it reflects their coaching philosophies. Sarkisian wants Manning to feel at ease entering his first season as QB1, while Day wants Sayin to understand what’s expected at Ohio State: It doesn’t matter how it looks, only that the Buckeyes win.
That difference makes for a fascinating subplot to Saturday’s matchup: one quarterback with the freedom to grow into stardom, the other tasked with winning immediately on one of the sport’s biggest stages. Manning’s arm talent and composure could lift the Longhorns if he finds a rhythm. Sayin’s decision-making and ability to lean on Ohio State’s depth could steady the Buckeyes if the game gets tight.
And in the end, that’s what the season opener will come down to — which team can best support its inexperienced quarterback and give him the chance to win the biggest game of his young career.
“I’VE LEARNED A LOT OF FOOTBALL FROM HIM.” How will Ohio State’s defense look different under Matt Patricia instead of Jim Knowles? That’s one of the questions many Buckeye fans have had entering the 2025 season. It’s also the question Josh Downs asked Caleb Downs in the debut episode of their podcast, Downs2Business.
“Y’all do have a new DC. Knowles left and went to a rival of y’alls. That probably cut pretty deep,” Josh said, making Caleb laugh. “How do you think the new DC, the new defense, how are y’all gonna respond to that?”
“It’s a different coach, and it’s a different way that he likes to teach things. I feel like he’s a teacher. That’s a different thing,” Caleb said. “Coach Knowles was a great guy, a great person to be around, he was a leader, he was a really good playcaller. I would say Coach Patricia hangs his hat on being a teacher. I feel like I’ve learned a lot of football from him. I feel like everybody on the defense has done that, too. When you know more football, it allows you to play faster.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how everybody operates this season, just because when you know more football, you just play faster; it’s just how things work. We have a lot of young guys, and I feel like his experience coaching in the league and coaching for the Patriots and all the Super Bowls he’s been at, that’s gonna help us be better this season. I’m looking forward to it. I think we got enough talent to do exactly what we did last year and better.”
Better?
I like the sound of that!
I really like the sound of that!
JEREMIAH SMITH, SUPERSTAR. Taylor Swift’s fiancé has tapped Jeremiah Smith to help unveil a collaboration between his brand, Tru Kolors, and American Eagle.
NEW: Travis Kelce and American Eagle launched the “Tru Kolors” collection with a star-studded group of athletes.
Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, Penn State’s Drew Allar, UConn’s Azzi Fudd and Syracuse’s Kiyan Anthony are part of the NIL roster.
Read: https://t.co/DOHRIcdHWi pic.twitter.com/00Y5iP9YlD
— On3 NIL (@On3NIL) August 27, 2025
With the NFL season around the corner, Kansas City Chiefs tight end and Cleveland Heights, Ohio, native Travis Kelce enlisted several star athletes to help share the ocampaign with the world: Smith, UConn guard Azzi Fudd, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, Olympic gymnast Suni Lee, Syracuse guard Kiyan Anthony, and 17-year-old tennis player Anna Frey.
“I’m inspired by where I come from and the people around me,” Kelce said in a statement. “That’s why we chose six incredible athletes who stay true to themselves while changing the game.”
In just 18 months as an Ohio State athlete, Smith has signed several NIL deals with world-renowned companies, including Lululemon, Red Bull, Nintendo, adidas, and now American Eagle. He also has deals with Ricart Automotive in Columbus and Battle Sports, an apparel company based in Omaha, Nebraska.
According to On3, Smith’s NIL valuation is $4.2 million entering his sophomore season with the Buckeyes. That’s an impressive number, and if I had to guess, it likely underestimates what Smith actually brings in. No matter the number, it could never match the impact Smith has had on the program — and will continue to have for years to come.
DAILY DUBCAST. The last Eleven Dubcast of the offseason welcomes back Garrick Hodge to help predict how Ohio State vs. Texas plays out and offer insight on Mack Brown’s belief that the Longhorns will benefit from playing the Buckeyes at noon as opposed to in a much more challenging night environment.
SONG OF THE DAY. “We Will Rock You” – Queen.
CUT TO THE CHASE. Micah Parsons traded to the Green Bay Packers from the Cowboys after contract dispute… Columbus State, YMCA of Central Ohio propose new Downtown Y… Navy’s Blake Horvath is elite college football quarterback who earns no NIL money… Massive Powerball prize grows to $950 million after no jackpot winner in Wednesday drawing.
