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2026 Season: Are You Ready For Some Football?

Skull Session: Ohio State Falls to No. 2 in SP+ and No. 3 in FPI; Ryan Day’s New Favorite Word is Trust, Especially When Talking About Freshmen Legend Bey and Khary Wilder​

Ohio State is still favored in every remaining regular-season game. The Buckeyes are strong favorites in seven of their final eight matchups, with Indiana the lone game that’s close to a 50/50 toss-up.

ESPN Analytics, Schedule Breakdown​

OPPONENT LOCATION PREDICTION
IOWA IOWA CITY, IOWA OHIO STATE 82.9%
MARYLAND COLUMBUS, OHIO OHIO STATE 98%
INDIANA BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA OHIO STATE 54.3%
USC LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA OHIO STATE 77.9%
OREGON COLUMBUS, OHIO OHIO STATE 77.8%
NORTHWESTERN COLUMBUS, OHIO OHIO STATE 91%
NEBRASKA LINCOLN, NEBRASKA OHIO STATE 75.9%
MICHIGAN COLUMBUS, OHIO OHIO STATE 88.5%
Something notable that's not featured in the College Football Power Index table: ESPN's FPI has Ohio State's projected record at 9.8-2.8, meaning the Computers! expect the Buckeyes to lose at least one more game during the regular season.

That doesn't quite match the Schedule Breakdown shown above, where Ohio State is favored in all eight of its remaining games. So, what's up with that?

My best guess is that The Computers! are accounting for the possibility of an upset somewhere along the way — with Indiana in Bloomington being the most obvious candidate. FPI gave Ohio State a 60.8% chance to beat the Hoosiers entering the season, and even though that number has changed as the season has progressed, Indiana remains Ohio State's closest projected matchup.

In other words, The Computers! don't necessarily expect Ohio State to lose to Indiana. They just don't think the Buckeyes are likely enough to win every remaining game for a 10- or 11-win projection to be the most probable outcome.
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WR Chris Olave (1st Team All B1G, 1st Team All-American, All Pro, New Orleans Saints)

THE PERFECT PAIR. Chris Olave has found his perfect match.

I’m, of course, talking about Guardian Sports, the creators of the Guardian Cap, which is mandatory during NFL practices for most positions and has now become commonplace across college football programs, including Ohio State.

This week, Olave became a Guardian Signature Athlete, expanding his relationship with the brand he’s worn for the past two seasons.


Olave sustained at least two known concussions during the 2024 season and missed the Saints’ final eight games after trainers took him off the field on a backboard following a hit to the head in a November game against the Panthers.

The former Ohio State star consulted with specialists outside of the Saints organization and briefly contemplated retirement. Olave returned to football in 2025 wearing a Guardian SoftShox Chinstrap and a Guardian Cap NXT.

Now an official partner of Guardian Sports, Olave plans to donate the chinstraps and caps to his alma mater, Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, California, as well as local high school football programs in New Orleans.

Olave’s mission is to break the stigma that wearing a Guardian Cap — or any form of additional head protection — is lame. (It’s not, I promise! Protecting your brain has never been cooler, kids!)

“I want to be able to live the long game. It’s not all about football. So I want to live a regular life after I’m done with football,” Olave said of personally wearing a Guardian Cap. “I love my kids to death. So I don’t really care how it looks no more. I just got to throw it on.”

Guardian Sports COO Jake Hanson said his company is proud to partner with Olave in his efforts.

“Chris has chosen to wear Guardian equipment over the years because he believes in taking a proactive approach to his equipment and his health,” he said in a statement. “That mindset aligns directly with our mission to continue developing innovative solutions to better protect athletes at every level of the game.”

Olave is off to a hot start in 2026 after signing a four-year, $132 million extension with the Saints this summer. His connection with quarterback Tyler Shough has been productive, as Olave has racked up 27 catches on 36 targets for 375 yards and one touchdown through three games.

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Maryland Terrapins (turtle)

SURELY, YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS. I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.

Maryland and Rutgers have reached rock bottom.

The Baltimore Sun’s Michael Howes reported Monday that tickets for Maryland’s Oct. 17 home game against Rutgers are selling for $1.

Yes, that’s one dollar (plus fee-fi-fo-fum fees).


Four quarters.

Ten dimes.

Twenty nickels.

One hundred pennies.

I went to Worthington Kilbourne High School, and I’ve been back to a few games over the years. Adult tickets cost $10 — that is, 10x more than the cost to watch two Power Four, Big Ten teams play in a 46,000-seat stadium.

That may be the most absurd sentence I have ever written in the Skull Session.

No, that is the most absurd sentence I have ever written in the Skull Session.

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WR Jeremiah Smith (All B1G, B1G Freshman of Year, B1G WR of Year, Unanimous All-American, 2025 Rose Bowl Off MVP, National Champion)

CBS Mock Draft:


Round 1 - Pick 1 Jeremiah Smith WR Ohio State • Jr • 6'4" / 222 lbs

Projected Team​

Miami

PROSPECT RNK​

2nd

POSITION RNK​

1st

REC​

33

REYDS​

617

YDS/REC​

18.7

TDS​

7
While Malik Willis hasn't been an overnight success in Miami, he's under contract for two more seasons and has been throwing to the NFL's worst receiving corps. That changes the second Smith steps on the field for the Dolphins. Smith has the kind of speed that even Willis can't overthrow and ball skills to fight through contact downfield for big plays.
In case you wondered:
This post is like sugar plums dancing in my head as I go to sleep tonight.
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