\n Welcome to the Skull Session. <\/p>\n
\n\tOhio State’s quarterback was PFF’s highest-graded signal-caller in Week 7.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tJust Sayin.\n<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\tHighest Graded @PFF_College<\/a> Week 7 QB<\/p>\n
QB1 @juliansayin2<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/uGpA29QEd0<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\u2014 Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 13, 2025<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n\tHave a good Wednesday.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0THE COMPUTERS!\u00a0<\/strong>It’s Wednesday. You know what that means. This week,\u00a0The Computers\u00a0view Ohio State as the best team\u00a0in college football, as the\u00a0Buckeyes ranked No. 1\u00a0in both the College Football Power Index<\/a>\u00a0and SP+<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n
\tCollege Football Power Index<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tTEAM<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tRECORD<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tFPI<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tWIN OUT<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tWIN CONF<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tMAKE CFP<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tWIN CFP<\/p>\n<\/tr>\n
\n \n\t\t\t\tOHIO STATE\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t6-0\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t25.9\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t35.9%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t51.5%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t95.8%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t24.4%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tINDIANA\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t6-0\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t22.8\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t26.1%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t38.1%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t92.6%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t15.2%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tALABAMA\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t5-1\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t22.6\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t17.5%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t51.3%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t84.5%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t13.2%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tNOTRE DAME\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t4-2\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t22\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t48.3%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\tN\/A\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t23.8%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t1.8%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tOREGON\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t5-1\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t21.9\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t16.9%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t5.6%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t62.8%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t5.5%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\tOhio State’s future opponents in the College Football Power Index: Wisconsin (66), Penn State (21), Purdue (74), UCLA (67), Rutgers (54), Michigan (17)\n<\/p>\n
\tSP+<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tTEAM<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tRECORD<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tRATING<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tOFFENSE<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tDEFENSE<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tSPECIAL TEAMS<\/p>\n<\/tr>\n
\n \n\t\t\t\tOHIO STATE\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t6-0\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t27.6\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t39.3 (8)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t10.7 (2)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t0.1 (55)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tOREGON\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t5-1\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t25.1\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t39.3 (5)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t14.6 (7)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t0.4 (3)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tINDIANA\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t6-0\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t24.6\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t37.9 (12)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t13.6 (5)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t0.3 (8)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tTEXAS TECH\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t6-0\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t24.6\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t41.1 (2)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t16.7 (17)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t0.2 (31)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tTEXAS A&M\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t6-0\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t22.2\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t37.9 (11)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t15.8 (11)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t0.1 (57)\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\tOhio State’s future opponents in the SP+: Wisconsin (72), Penn State (18), Purdue (75), UCLA (99), Rutgers (50), Michigan (22)\n<\/p>\n
\tMatchup Predictor<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tOPPONENT<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tDATE<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tLOCATION<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tPREDICTION<\/p>\n<\/tr>\n
\n \n\t\t\t\tWISCONSIN\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t10\/18\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\tMADISON, WI\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\tOHIO STATE 94.8%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tPENN STATE\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t11\/1\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\tCOLUMBUS, OH\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\tOHIO STATE 86.3%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tPURDUE\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t11\/8\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\tWEST LAFAYETTE, IN\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\tOHIO STATE 96.3%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tUCLA\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t11\/15\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\tCOLUMBUS, OH\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\tOHIO STATE 97.6%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tRUTGERS\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t11\/22\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\tCOLUMBUS, OH\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\tOHIO STATE 94.5%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tMICHIGAN\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t11\/29\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\tANN ARBOR, MI\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\tOHIO STATE 74.4%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \tMovements from Week 7\u00a0to Week 8<\/p>\n
\n
- \n\t\tWisconsin: 91%\u00a0\u2192 94.8%\n\t<\/li>\n
- \n\t\tPenn State: 80.9%\u00a0\u2192 86.3%\n\t<\/li>\n
- \n\t\tPurdue:\u00a095.5%\u00a0\u2192 96.3%\n\t<\/li>\n
- \n\t\tUCLA: 98.2%\u00a0\u2192 97.6%\n\t<\/li>\n
- \n\t\tRutgers: 93.3%\u00a0\u2192 94.5%\n\t<\/li>\n
- \n\t\tMichigan: 66.2%\u00a0\u2192 74.4%\n\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n\tThose are some really high percentages in Ohio State’s favor, especially the one for Michigan, which I love to see. Speaking of the Wolverines, have you seen some of the Sherrone Moore memes<\/a> this week? They had me belly laughing on Tuesday.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0STOP RIGHT NOW!\u00a0<\/strong>For the second straight week, Ohio State is the No. 3 team in stop rate. This time, however, the Buckeyes trail Texas Tech and Texas in the metric, not Texas Tech and Oklahoma. The Longhorns and Sooners swapped spots after the Red River Rivalry, in which Texas forced three John Mateer interceptions en route to a 23-6 win in Dallas.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tESPN’s Max Olson<\/a>\u00a0created stop rate to measure the percentage of a defense’s drives that end in punts, turnovers or a turnover on downs for all 136 FBS teams. Entering Week 8, the\u00a0Buckeyes (81.3%)\u00a0ranked third\u00a0behind Texas Tech (84.1%)\u00a0and Texas\u00a0(82.6%) in the metric.\n<\/p>\n
\t\tFBS STOP RATE \u2014 BEFORE WEEK 8<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tTEAM<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tGAMES*<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tSTOP RATE<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tPTS\/DRIVE<\/p>\n<\/tr>\n
\n \n\t\t\t\tTEXAS TECH\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t5\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t84.1%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t0.96\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tTEXAS\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t6\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t82.6%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t0.93\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tOHIO STATE\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t5\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t81.3%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t0.85\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tOKLAHOMA\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t5\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t80%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t0.89\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tLSU\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t5\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t80%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t1.11\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tTOLEDO\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t5\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t77.8%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t1.43\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tINDIANA\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t5\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t77.6%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t1.02\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tMEMPHIS\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t5\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t77.6%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t1.34\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tJAMES MADISON\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t5\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t77.4%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t1.25\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\tSAN DIEGO STATE\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t5\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t77.2%\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n \n\t\t\t\t1.25\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \n\t\t\t\t*GAMES VS. FBS OPPONENTS\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\tWait, so Texas beat No. 6 Oklahoma, and its defense ranks second in stop rate?\n<\/p>\n
\n\tI thought Texas was overrated, Steve Sarkisian was washed and Arch Manning was college football’s first flop<\/a>? I also thought that, despite\u00a0losing 14 NFL draft picks and having a quarterback making his first career start, Ohio State’s win over the Longhorns\u00a0wasn’t all that impressive. Isn’t that what the college football experts\u00a0wanted me to think?\u00a0Hmmmmmm?\n<\/p>\n
\n\tI digress.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tIn addition to the No. 1 stop rate, Texas Tech has the No. 6\u00a0scoring defense, No. 9 total defense, No. 41\u00a0passing defense and No. 1\u00a0rushing defense in college football. Texas ranks No. 3, No. 11, No. 32 and No. 4\u00a0in those categories, while Ohio State ranks No. 1, No. 4, No. 7 and No. 9.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tI mentioned it last week, so I’ll mention it now:\u00a0$3.1 million coordinator Jim Knowles<\/a> and his Penn State defense rank\u00a0No. 51\u00a0in stop rate at 64.2%. The Nittany Lions are allowing 1.89 points per drive. They also rank No. 27 in scoring defense, No. 22 in total defense, No. 15 in passing defense and No.\u00a070 in rushing defense.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0DEVELOPED HERE.\u00a0<\/strong>I think Mel Kiper lost some street cred when he had a meltdown on live television over Shedeur Sanders’ freefall in the 2025 NFL draft. However, he’s still one of the most,\u00a0if not the most, tenured NFL draft analysts in the media, and I think his name carries a decent amount of weight; therefore, I want to share his current 2026 Big Board<\/a>, which features Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs and Carnell Tate in the top 12.\n<\/p>\n
\tNo. 4 – Arvell Reese<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\tThis is a complete football player. Reese jumps off the Ohio State tape, playing the game like a veteran. I see natural instincts at the linebacker position that allow him to make plays most guys just can’t make, and he has the burst to get home when turned loose as a pass rusher. Reese has been a big riser in this class.\n\t<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\tNo. 7 – Caleb Downs<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\tDowns \u2014\u00a0the brother of NFL wide receiver\u00a0Josh Downs\u00a0and the son of former NFL running back\u00a0Gary Downs \u2014\u00a0is basically an extension of the defensive coordinator. His football knowledge shows in his play; it’s obvious when you watch him in the Ohio State defense. But what\u00a0really\u00a0impressed me is how well he picked up Nick Saban’s system as a 2023 freshman at Alabama before transferring. He diagnoses quickly thanks to excellent pre-snap instincts, and that allows him to play faster than his straight-line speed might suggest. Plus, Downs is solid in coverage, and he is a very reliable open-field tackler.\n\t<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\tNo. 12 – Carnell Tate<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\tOhio State has turned into Wide Receiver U, with\u00a0Emeka Egbuka\u00a0being the most recent star wideout to come out of Columbus. And while most of the college football world focuses on\u00a0Jeremiah Smith\u00a0(who isn’t eligible for the 2026 draft), Tate is putting up some serious numbers and showing why he is a top prospect for this class. Tate has produced big plays on a regular basis, averaging 17 yards per catch this season. He is a precise route runner, has great hands and displays outstanding body control. And he’ll also happily block for ball carriers, which NFL coaches love to see.\n\t<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\tHere’s where Kiper placed\u00a0Reese, Downs, Tate and four other Buckeyes in his position rankings:\n<\/p>\n
\n
- \n\t\tCarnell Tate: No. 3 wide receiver\n\t<\/li>\n
- \n\t\tMax Klare: No. 2 tight end\n\t<\/li>\n
- \n\t\tCaden Curry: No. 7 defensive end\n\t<\/li>\n
- \n\t\tKayden McDonald: No. 6 defensive tackle\n\t<\/li>\n
- \n\t\tArvell Reese: No. 1 off-ball linebacker\n\t<\/li>\n
- \n\t\tSonny Styles: No. 5 off-ball linebacker\n\t<\/li>\n
- \n\t\tCaleb Downs: No. 1 safety\n\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n\tKiper is\u00a0sleeping\u00a0on McDonald.\u00a0He’s sleeping on him!\u00a0The Ohio State defensive tackle has 26 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in six games. As Andy Anders stated\u00a0in his Stock Report <\/a>earlier this week, that kind of production is rare from someone who lines up in the dead center of the line of scrimmage.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0“WHO BEATS THEM?”\u00a0<\/strong>Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt has viewed Ohio State as college football’s best team for weeks, and he asked three important questions about the Buckeyes on The Joel Klatt Show on Monday:\n<\/p>\n
\n
- \n\t\tWhat happens when Ohio State\u00a0turns it on like it\u00a0did last season in the College Football Playoff?\n\t<\/li>\n
- \n\t\tWhat happens when the Buckeyes loosen up the offense?\n\t<\/li>\n
- \n\t\tWhat team in the country can score 17 points against Ohio State?\u00a0\n\t<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n\n\t\t“The clear No. 1. Folks, this team is separating themselves out. They haven’t even shifted into third gear. Ohio State’s the best team in the country. That’s the best defense in the country. Their quarterback is the most efficient quarterback in the country. They still have the best players in the country. They are really good. They don’t even have to go to third gear to win these games on the road. Illinois had the best, most explosive offense over the last couple of weeks in college football and did nothing.\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t“If you realize this \u2014 and some people don’t because Washington is still not ranked \u2014\u00a0but Washington’s offense is one of the best offenses in all of college football. Demond Williams (Jr.) threw the ball for over 400 yards and ran for (136)\u00a0yards on Friday… like, this guy was a one-man wrecking crew against Rutgers. Guess what he did against Ohio State? Nothing. Nothing. You know, like, at some point you have to realize, hey, this team is the best team in the country. Arvell Reese is one of the best players in the country. They still got (Jeremiah) Smith on the outside.\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t“What happens when they turn it on like they did late in the season last year in the playoffs and start really going down the field and start really loosening up that offense? I mean, who beats them? Who beats them? What team in the country can score 17 points against Ohio State? Now, Illinois scored 16, and one of those was a late touchdown, but Illinois had been the most explosive offense in the country over the previous two weeks. So for me, it doesn’t get much better than Ohio State at this point. Once we see them get into third gear and fourth gear, I think that they’ll be showing something.”\n\t<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\tHigh praise, but deserved praise!\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0DAILY DUBCAST.\u00a0<\/strong>Today’s Eleven Dubcast brings on Chris Lauderback to discuss the recent shortcomings by Ohio State punting the football recently relative to Ryan Day’s recent comments that punts have been a “mixed bag” this season.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0SONG OF THE DAY.\u00a0<\/strong>“Stop” – Spice Girls.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0CUT TO THE CHASE.\u00a0<\/strong>USC, Michigan officials oppose Big Ten\u2019s private capital proposal<\/a> …\u00a0Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola on Matt Rhule to Penn State rumors: “He ain’t going nowhere”<\/a>…\u00a0Cyprus has a cat problem: One feline for every resident<\/a>…\u00a0Drought has muted this year\u2019s leaf-peeping season, but pockets of brilliant colors remain<\/a>…\u00a04,000-year-old skull found along Indiana riverbank<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n