Welcome to the Skull Session on Thursday.
Here’s a fun fact to start your day with: The previous two times Ohio State and Michigan played Maryland the week before The Game, that team was the eventual winner of the rivalry game – the Buckeyes in 2018 and the Wolverines in 2021. Ohio State faces Maryland this weekend. Will the trend continue for the third time in a row?
Time will tell.
Let’s have a good Thursday, shall we?
FOUR YEARS AGO. On November 17, 2018, Ohio State completed a Maryland quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome to wide receiver Jeshaun Jones away from a loss to the Terrapins, 53–52, in overtime at SECU Stadium. That result would be an “Ohio State Buckeyes…What happened?” video from TikTok star James Droz afterwards if it had happened today.
Ohio State SURVIVES after Maryland failed to connect in a 2-point conversion pic.twitter.com/cWXgVtNEqc
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 17, 2018
However, Pigrome’s pitch landed outside Jones’ outstretched arm, and Ohio State exited College Park with a one-run win, avoiding one of the most stunning upsets in college football that season.
The main reason for the Buckeyes’ success against the Terrapins that year was the late Dwayne Haskins. He came from Maryland and threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns and added three more scores on the ground. After Haskins’ untimely death in April, Ryan Day said the game was Haskins’ best performance as a Buckeye – one that proved his growth as a quarterback and leader of the team.
After the tragic death of Dwayne Haskins in April, Ryan Day said his favorite game Haskins played vs. Maryland was in 2018.
The Buckeyes won 52-51 in OT. Haskins threw for 405 yards + 3 TDs and ran for 3 TDs.
Ohio State returns to Maryland this week for the first time in four years. pic.twitter.com/sgpus72Prh
— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) November 16, 2022
Haskins will probably be on the mind of every Ohio State coach and player as they walk off the bus, go through the warmup and face Maryland. I know he’ll be on mine watching them play.
EL GUAPO. On Wednesday, Ohio State on BTN posted an “On This Date” video for Nov. 16 that included clips of Carlos Hyde’s five-touchdown performance against Illinois in 2013. He also collected 246 yards on 24 carries and 26 yards off two catches.
Carlos Hyde was on one #OTD in 2013.
The former star RB exploded for 272 total yards and 5 touchdowns in an Illinois win. @elguapo X @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/iIaRUcbeYi
— State of Ohio on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) November 16, 2022
Big Ten Network producer Brent Yarina was quick to point out on Twitter that Hyde’s 2013 season is being slept in on these days. Looking at his stats for that year, it’s pretty obvious that’s the case.
|
Hurry |
Receive |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Opponent |
Att |
Yds |
Avg |
TD |
Rec |
Yds |
Avg |
TD |
|
Florida A&M |
5 |
41 |
8.2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1.0 |
1 |
|
Wisconsin |
17 |
85 |
5.0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
4.0 |
0 |
|
Northwest |
26 |
168 |
6.5 |
3 |
4 |
38 |
9.5 |
0 |
|
Iowa |
24 |
149 |
6.2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
|
Penn state |
16 |
147 |
9.2 |
2 |
1 |
14 |
14.0 |
0 |
|
Purdue |
8 |
111 |
13.9 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
7.0 |
0 |
|
Illinois |
24 |
246 |
10.3 |
4 |
2 |
26 |
13.0 |
1 |
|
Indiana |
18 |
117 |
6.5 |
2 |
2 |
14 |
7.0 |
0 |
|
Michigan |
27 |
226 |
8.4 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
3.0 |
0 |
|
michigan state |
18 |
118 |
6.6 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1.0 |
0 |
|
Clemson* |
25 |
113 |
4.5 |
1 |
2 |
39 |
19.5 |
1 |
|
11-Game Totals |
208 |
1521 |
7.3 |
15 |
16 |
147 |
9.2 |
3 |
So Yarina’s claim is valid. El Guapo was a bucket and a problem, and we don’t talk about that enough, even here in Buckeye Nation.
Defense had no answer to the 6-foot, 236-pound force of nature emanating from Ohio State’s backfield. And if he hadn’t been suspended for the first three weeks of the season, Hyde could have shredded Buffalo, San Diego State and California—opponents the Buckeyes went 134–61—and added even more distance and touchdowns to his season totals.
But in reality, he’s probably not too worried about what he could have added with those three weeks. His production in 11 games was enough to get him ranked No. 57 overall in the 2014 NFL draft by the 49ers. He played eight NFL seasons for San Francisco, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Houston and Seattle, so it all worked out in the end.
NO JAXON, NO PROBLEM. No one expected Jaxon Smith-Njigba to take on Notre Dame in Week 1. Not Smith-Njigba, not Day – nobody. Nine more matches have taken place since then, with the star receiver not playing a significant role in any of them.
At his press conference on Tuesday, Day said he was proud of the way Ohio State’s receivers performed during Smith-Njigba’s absence, claiming it was a great season catching passes for the Buckeyes.
“It’s an exciting time to be a wide receiver here @OhioStateFB …” – @ryandaytime #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/PcoHiYfLZK
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) November 15, 2022
As it stands, the train that is Buckeye’s reception area has officially left the station. It adapted and thrived with Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming as the top three options. If Smith-Njigba comes back this season, the train won’t stop. Instead, he jumps onto the caravan as it moves.
I think that’s a good thing for the Buckeyes. Would everyone in and out of the program have wanted Smith-Njigba to play every game this season? Naturally. But was it also great to see Harrison rise as the best receiver in the country, show off Egbuka and see Fleming finally get healthy and perform at a high level? Absolute.
It’s been a busy year for Smith-Njigba, but I think he’s ready for a big game when he returns to the field. Maybe a few catches and some touchdowns against Michigan? One can certainly hope.
BEHIND THE STICKERS. Lathan Ransom has been outstanding for Ohio State this season and his great performance against Indiana was the latest example. The third-year Buckeye was the key player in Ohio State’s “stories behind the stickers” segment.
:
week 10 – @L8thanRansom #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/ol4yJ8vm4m
— Ohio State Soccer (@OhioStateFB) November 16, 2022
My favorite part of the video is Ransom honoring the people who sacrificed so much to get him to the position he is in today.
My second favorite part is Ransom explaining that his point block was not part of the original game plan for Ohio State’s special team unit. Instead, Parker Fleming lined up the formation that led to the block in flight.
Good guidance. Good performance. Good result.
Lathan Ransom with Ohio State’s first blocked kick since the 2019 season. pic.twitter.com/BW6l9mafnj
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 12, 2022
SONG OF THE DAY. “Wavin’ Flag” by K’NAAN.
CUT TO THE CHASE. NASA capsule on its way to the moon after being launched by a giant new rocket… Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson looks back on his career… New Harry Potter themed land on its way to an indoor theme park… What make us dance? It’s all about that bass… A pilot hangs out of a window to retrieve a passenger’s forgotten phone.
