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Skull Session: Ohio State Wins the Winter Transfer Portal Window, Seth Towns is a Standout at Howard and Mercer Hires Former Ohio State Lineman Mike Jacobs As Head Coach

Published

2 years ago

February 2, 2024

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Skull Session: Ohio State Wins the Winter Transfer Portal Window, Seth Towns is a Standout at Howard and Mercer Hires Former Ohio State Lineman Mike Jacobs As Head Coach

Welcome to the Skull Session.

Pressure is a privilege.

Early morning pic.twitter.com/nvyV2ujmbV
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) February 1, 2024

Have a good Friday.

TRANSFER PORTAL WINNERS? Ohio State has had the best offseason of all 133 FBS teams. That’s due to the return of Emeka Egbuka, Jack Sawyer and other standouts from the 2021 class. It’s also due to Ohio State’s work in the transfer portal, where the Buckeyes landed Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins, Seth McLaughlin, Will Kacmarek, Caleb Downs and Julian Sayin in January.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren, Adam Rittenberg and Tom Luginbill created “College Football Transfer Portal Superlatives” now that the winter window has closed (and fallout from Nick Saban’s retirement has started to subside). Of the teams mentioned — Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Miami, Boise State, Louisville, etc. — the trio of writers offered immense praise for the Buckeyes’ transfer class:

What was the best signing from the portal?
VanHaaren: Alabama QB Julian Sayin to Ohio State. This is a pick for the future more than it is for the upcoming season. Ohio State has completely changed the quarterback room in one offseason by signing Kansas State quarterback Will Howard, five-star prospect Sayin, and incoming ESPN 300 freshman Air Noland. The staff went from losing starter Kyle McCord with no real options to one of the better quarterback rooms in the country. And a succession plan that features players who could better lead OSU’s offense.
Rittenberg: Alabama safety Caleb Downs to Ohio State. Downs gives an ascending Buckeyes defense a proven playmaker in the back end for at least the next two seasons. Although Georgia appeared to be the likeliest destination for Downs, Ohio State’s impressive personnel push led the Alabama transfer to pick the Buckeyes. Downs became the first true freshman in Alabama history to lead the team in tackles (107), while showcasing his playmaking prowess with two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a punt return touchdown. Ohio State’s defense made significant strides last season under veteran coordinator Jim Knowles, but still needed more players who could affect games in the back end. Downs joins a loaded safety group that returns Lathan Ransom and Sonny Styles, who is also a candidate to play linebacker.
What team has the most questions to answer in the spring portal?
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VanHaaren: Michigan. Speaking of Downs, given all that Ohio State has added recently in the transfer portal with Downs, quarterback Will Howard and Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins, it begs to ask where Michigan will stack up in 2024. The Wolverines are losing starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy; star running back Blake Corum; offensive linemen Zak Zinter, LaDarius Henderson and Trevor Keegan; as well as linebacker Junior Colson, corner Mike Sainristil and a handful of other impact players. The staff doesn’t have a clear replacement at quarterback at the moment and has utilized the transfer portal in the past to fill holes along the offensive line. As it stands, Michigan has added Northwestern guard Josh Priebe and Maryland linebacker Jaishawn Barham, but more is going to be needed to compete at the highest level again in 2024.

In a recent episode of “The College GameDay Podcast,” ESPN’s Rece Davis and Pete Thamel also revealed their amazement at Ohio State’s haul:

I love it.

I love it. I love it. I love it.

With Ohio State’s additions, the Buckeyes will have a super team in 2024. I mean, look at this depth chart and roster:

With NFL draft decisions and the first wave of offseason transfer movement complete, we take our first look at how Ohio States depth chart could stack up at every position. https://t.co/CYJwOx5UEC pic.twitter.com/aFu0aaiPoI
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) February 1, 2024

That’s loaded! … LOADED!

SETH TOWNS, EVERYONE. At 26 years old, Seth Towns is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, players in college basketball. After all the bumps, bruises and torn ligaments he suffered at Harvard and Ohio State, Towns transferred to Howard in May 2023 for his eighth season of college hoops.

With one look at Towns’ box scores, I could argue that the 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward has saved some of his best for last.

Across 19 appearances for the Bison, Towns has averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per contest. Those points, rebounds and assists are all career bests for the Columbus native — yes, even better than his averages as the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2018.

Seth Towns knows he’s old. He’s seen the “get a job” posts. But after four surgeries, three redshirts and a year away from the sport, the 26-year-old eighth-year senior is playing his best basketball since 2018.
“I’m just grateful to be playing at all.”https://t.co/irZ3kq2H70
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) February 1, 2024

In a recent interview with ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Towns said his improved knee health and a restructured relationship with basketball have allowed him to thrive on the hardwood.

After sitting out the first three games while awaiting NCAA clearance, Towns came off the bench for three games, and has been in the starting lineup since. He’s averaging 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, shooting 37.4% from 3-point range. He has scored in double figures in 16 of 19 games, including 26 points against Mount St. Mary’s and 27 against Cincinnati.
“I’m playing the best since my sophomore year,” Towns said. “Now I’m 26. It’s a huge difference in how I’m playing the game.”
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…
Blakeney has been most impressed by Towns’ work ethic. He recalls a specific instance against La Salle, when he subbed out Towns for a breather; moments later, Blakeney looked up to see Towns walking past him to sub himself back in the game.
“I was like, you just MJ’d me right now,” Blakeney said.
“If all things are equal and he doesn’t have injuries, he’s in his fourth or fifth year in the NBA. And yet he’s fighting and scratching and clawing his ass off everyday for us at Howard,” he added. “He doesn’t want to take plays off. He understands there’s a sense of urgency with his basketball clock right now.”

While I would have loved to see Towns’ time at Ohio State bear more fruit, I love all the more that he has found success at Howard.

For someone who has endured multiple knee and back surgeries, he has maintained a positive outlook on basketball and his life. That outlook has been rewarded (so far) with one of his best seasons at the college level.

Towns could potentially play for a ninth season in 2024-25 should he submit an NCAA waiver. However, he does not plan to play any more college basketball after this year.

“I’ll probably try to play basketball professionally for as long as my body will permit,” he said, with the most likely path being overseas. “All my faculty has told me to take a break [from my Ph.D. work]. I can always come back to this.”
From one of the most prestigious universities in the country to one of the biggest athletic programs in college sports to “The Mecca” for young Black intellectuals, Towns has checked a lot of boxes during his time in college.
He hasn’t had a chance to reflect on everything yet; he’s in the middle of basketball season, after all. But he’s looking forward to it. For now, he’s just soaking it all in.
And maybe taking mental notes.
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“The book will sell,” he said with a laugh.

Could we have another “Don’t Put Me In, Coach” on our hands?

CLIMBING THE RANKS. In January, Mercer — the school made famous for its men’s basketball team’s 78-71 upset win over Duke in the 2014 NCAA Tournament — hired former Ohio State offensive lineman Mike Jacobs as its next head football coach.

Welcome @coach_mjacobs!
: https://t.co/Hf1zew2avP#RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/EkbPHKJlyD
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) January 18, 2024
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“My family and I are humbled to be joining the Mercer University Football family,” Jacobs said in the program’s press release. “Mercer is an elite institution that has competed at the highest level both on the field and in the classroom. We look forward to immersing ourselves in both the campus community and the city of Macon. Go Bears!”

The son of former Ohio State offensive coordinator Michael T. Jacobs, Mike Jacobs was a center, guard, and long snapper for the Buckeyes from 1997-2001. A walk-on for three seasons, Jacobs earned a scholarship in 2000 and started at long snapper for the final 24 games of his collegiate career.

In 2002, Jacobs started his coaching career as an assistant at Eastern Michigan. Over the next 14 seasons, Jacobs spent time as either an offensive line coach or defensive line coach at Willmington (2004), Purdue (2005-07), PennWest California (2008-13) and Ohio’s Notre Dame College (2014-15).

Jacobs became Notre Dame College’s head coach in 2016. Across four years in the role, he led the Falcons to a 42-8 record and two appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs. Jacobs then moved to Lenoir-Rhyne, where he collected a 32-9 record and two NCAA Division II playoff appearances from 2020-23.

With a combined 74-17 record in eight seasons, Jacobs boasts the sixth-best winning percentage among active coaches at the NCAA Division I and Division II levels.

Is that good?

Yeah, that’s good.

These FCS teams don’t know what’s about to hit them.

Cheers to Coach Jacobs. I hope he continues to make Buckeye Nation proud.

OLYMPIC VILLAGE. Ohio State wrestling will be in University Park, Pennsylvania, on Friday at 6:30 p.m. for a dual at Penn State. The battle between the No. 6 Buckeyes and No. 1 Nittany Lions will come in front of thousands at Rec Hall and thousands more who will watch on Big Ten Network.

Ohio State improved to 12-1 overall and 4-1 in Big Ten competition with a come-from-behind win over Michigan last week. With Ohio State down 19-17 after nine matches, Nick Feldman — the Big Ten and NCAA Wrestler of the Week — secured a 4-3 decision against No. 4 Lucas Davison and lifted his team over the Wolverines at the Covelli Center.

#GoBucks | @OhioStAthletics pic.twitter.com/GIdD3NW97u
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) January 30, 2024

The Buckeyes will look to keep momentum in their dual at Penn State. That’s easier said than done, however. Like, much easier.

The Nittany Lions are back-to-back national champions (and have won 10 titles since Cael Sanderson took over as head coach in 2010) and feature a roster full of incredible talent, including No. 1-ranked wrestlers Levi Haines (157), Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (197) and Greg Kerkvliet (HWT), among others.

Here’s how Ohio State’s 10-man lineup compares to Penn State’s:

OHIO STATE		PENN STATE
NO. 24 BRENDAN MCCRONE	125	NO. 3 BRAEDEN DAVIS
NO. 12 NIC BOUZAKIS	133	NO. 5 AARON NAGAO
NO. 3 JESSE MENDEZ	141	NO. 2 BEAU BARTLETT
NO. 9 DYLAN D’EMILIO	149	NO. 12 TYLER KASAK
ISAAC WILCOX	157	NO. 1 LEVI HAINES
NO. 20 BRYCE HEPNER	165	NO. 7 MITCHELL MESENBRINK
NO. 11 ROCCO WELSH	174	NO. 1 CARTER STAROCCI
RYDER ROGOTZKE	184	NO. 5 BERNIE TRUAX
NO. 22 LUKE GEOG	197	NO. 1 AARON BROOKS
NO. 12 NICK FELDMAN	HWT	NO. 1 GREG KERKVLIET

Last week, Ohio State-Michigan had nine of 10 bouts feature ranked-on-ranked action. This week, Ohio State-Penn State has eight of 10. That’s some high-quality wrestling between the Buckeyes and their opponents, folks.

We’ll have all the need-to-know information here at Eleven Warriors after the match.

See you later.

SONG OF THE DAY. “We Are Young” – Fun.

CUT TO THE CHASE. Who freed Flaco? One year later, celebrity owl’s escape from Central Park Zoo remains a mystery… Why Indian police suspected this pigeon worked for Chinese spies… How Tiny Desk Concerts became a pop culture phenomenon… Will he see his shadow? What to know about Buckeye Chuck and Groundhog Day on Friday… $180,000 raised to replace Jackie Robinson statue that was destroyed.

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Menards to pay 10 states, including Ohio, $4.25 million in rebate settlement

Published

2 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Menards to pay 10 states, including Ohio, .25 million in rebate settlement

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio is part of a multistate lawsuit settlement against home improvement store Menards.

According to the state Attorney General’s Office, Ohio and nine other states reached the settlement with Menards, a Wisconsin-based home-improvement retail store, over allegations of deceptive rebate advertising.

The 10-state led investigation revealed that Menards would give shoppers the impression that they were getting an immediate discount while shopping through its advertising, when in fact, savings actually came in the form of a rebate or in-store credit.

The investigation raised concerns with Menards’ marketing strategy and sales practices, alleging the following of the company:

Advertised 11% off or 11% off everything that suggested an instant price cut, even though customers received only a rebate on future purchases.
Listed prices already at an 11% discount, reinforcing the idea that shoppers were getting an in-store discount.
Failed to clearly explain the important limits of the rebate program, burying key details in the fine print.
Tell customers that Rebates International was a separate company handling rebates, even though it is operated by Menards itself.

The settlement, announced Thursday, included an agreement by Menards that it would, in part, discontinue ads suggesting immediate discounts, clearly explaining the rules, limits, and conditions of its rebate program, and offer customers an easier path towards claiming rebates, both in person and online, among other changes.

In addition, Menards will pay participating states $4.25 million in fees, of which $365,173.05 will go toward the Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Enforcement Fund.

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Ohio State dominate latest power ranking as nine Buckeyes rank inside Top 50 players

Published

14 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Ohio State dominate latest power ranking as nine Buckeyes rank inside Top 50 players

The honors continue to roll in for this Ohio State Buckeyes football team.

From young players ready for another College Football Playoff run next season to players hungry for one more run starting December 31 before the NFL Draft, this Ohio State Buckeyes team is loaded with talent headed into their seventh playoffs appearance since the CFP era began in 2014.

Five defensive players and four offensive players headlined a class of extremely talented Buckeyes. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza took the No. 1 spot to go along with his Heisman and Maxwell honors.

An offensive Ohio State Buckeye took the No. 2 spot right behind Mendoza.

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) tackles Michigan Wolverines running back Bryson Kuzdzal (24) during the NCAA football game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. Ohio State won 27-9. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith takes the No. 2 spot

Jeremiah Smith was ranked behind Mendoza along with his gun-slinging sophomore quarterback. Julian Sayin was the second-highest ranked quarterback on the list at No. 5.

“Smith caught 80 balls for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore, but that doesn’t really tell the story…Smith commands double-teams constantly, draws the attention of everyone’s best corner, and has every defensive coordinator he faces scheming to slow him down. And none of it has mattered.”
ESPN’s David Hale

Smith is expected to have one more dominant season with the Buckeyes next season where fans hope to see him paired next to five-star recruit Chris Henry Jr. Senior wide receiver Carnell Tate has been an impressive receiving mate for Smith the past two seasons. Tate caught 48 passes, nine touchdowns, and had 838 yards. He ranked No. 26 in the rankings.

Offensive tackle Austin Siereveld ranked No. 44 as well.

The defense takes over

All five of Ohio State’s defensive players on the list ranked inside the top-22. Junior linebacker Sonny Styles sat at No. 21 to kick things off for the defense. The Buckeyes have had the best defense in college football for the entire season and these are the names that have made it happen. Projected first round NFL Draft Arvell Reese took the No. 16 spot.

“A new set of stars emerged to lead the nation’s No. 1 defense this fall, and Reese was undeniably front and center. He has thrived under new coordinator Matt Patricia, recording 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss from the edge position and finished second on the squad with 62 total tackles…Reese was named Big Ten’s Linebacker of the Year and recorded a sack in six of Ohio State’s first eight games of the season.”
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg
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Defensive linemen Kayden McDonald and Caden Curry ranked at No. 13 and No. 11 respectively. Safety Caleb Downs was the highest ranked defensive Buckeye at No. 7. Downs is a simply a lockdown player who can play corner or safety while still being able to tackle at a high level. If he chooses to declare for the NFL Draft after the season is over, he’ll be slated to go within the top 10 in most mock drafts.

Opposing quarterbacks only targeted downs 20 times for the entire season. Only nine passes were caught on his watch as the primary defender.

“The longest completion he gave up was 17 yards. A 14-yard completion in the second quarter of the Big Ten title game was the first one he’d given up in nearly two months. There is not a more lockdown corner in the country than Downs.”
ESPN’s David Hale

The Ohio State Buckeyes are waiting for the winner of the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes against the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies in the first round of the College Football Playoffs this Saturday at 12:00pm Eastern on ABC/ESPN.

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From seed to living room: Christmas tree care, myths and Ohio connections

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

From seed to living room: Christmas tree care, myths and Ohio connections

CLEVELAND, Ohio — For many households that do not otherwise keep plants, a cut Christmas tree may be the only one they actively care for all year, watered daily and monitored carefully.

And every December, families arrive at Sugargrove Tree Farm in Ashland, ready to make a once-a-year decision: which tree will carry their lights and ornaments and serve as a backdrop for holiday selfies. I recently spoke Bob Smith, who owns and operates the cut-your-own tree farm, about his tree care advice.

Read all of Susan Brownstein’s columns here.

Smith has a short list of rules for customers once their tree is home, and the most important one is simple.

“Water,” he says. “Always keep it watered. The bottom of the trunk should never be exposed to air.” When a freshly cut tree sits dry for too long, sap seals the cut surface, forming a scab that prevents water uptake.

If a tree has been without water for more than six or seven hours—for example, if you store it in the garage for a few days before bringing it in the house—Smith recommends making a fresh cut before putting it back in water. One to two hours of exposure is usually fine; six or seven hours is not.

Smith was also eager to bust some persistent Christmas tree care myths. Adding Sprite or aspirin to the water doesn’t help, Smith says, and worrying about water temperature is unnecessary. Warm water quickly cools to room temperature anyway.

“Tap water is fine,” he says. “The tree just needs hydration.”

Placement in the house, on the other hand, is important. A hot air register right next to the tree is “really, really bad,” Smith says, and dries it out regardless of how much water is in the stand. Cooler conditions are best.

He has one longstanding customer who sets up her Fraser fir in a three-season room and keeps it there until April, finally taking it out when the daffodils bloom.

Norway spruce has poor needle retention, regardless of how much it is watered.Courtesy Sugargrove Tree Farm

Tree species also plays a major role in how long a tree stays fresh. Norway spruce, while classic in appearance, has inherently poor needle retention and will often drop needles within two weeks, no matter how well it’s cared for. Fir trees perform much better indoors, and among them, the Canaan fir is rapidly gaining in popularity.

Pronounced “ka-NANE,” the Canaan fir is growing rapidly in popularity as a Christmas tree and has an origin story with deep Ohio roots (pun intended).

The tree takes its name from Canaan Valley in West Virginia, where it was first identified, and its development as a Christmas tree accelerated in the 1950s through work at The Ohio State University. That early research helped establish Canaan fir as a reliable option for growers, combining good needle retention, strong branching, and most importantly for growers like Smith, the ability to grow in clay soils.

Many landscape plants are propagated from cuttings to ensure genetic consistency, but Smith explained that Canaan fir trees are grown from seed, and Ohio plays a significant role in that process.

Seed orchards near the OSU Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster produce Canaan fir seed from the best of the original “mother trees” bred by Dr. Brown’s team. That seed is sent to Weyerhaeuser, a large forestry company based in Washington state, where it is stored, tested for viability, and grown into seedlings by request from tree farms like Sugargrove.

When Smith receives them, the trees are already two years old and about 18 to 20 inches tall. From there, he grows them on for roughly eight more years before they’re ready to sell.

“That’s a decade of work for one tree,” Smith says.

That timeline helps explain why growing conditions matter so much. National data and maps of Christmas tree production show that Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon and Washington produce 80 to 90 percent of the trees grown in the U.S., with just a few counties accounting for half the total.

According to Smith, trees grown in North Carolina can reach six feet in five years thanks to its ideal climate and sandy soils, half the time it takes in Ohio’s heavier clay soils.

Sugargrove supplements some of its stock from North Carolina, but Ohio-grown trees remain central to the farm. Smith grows Canaan fir, Fraser fir, Norway spruce and white pine.

(However, the early bird gets the tree; Sugargrove began selling trees on Black Friday and sold out by December 14 this year.)

Each species has tradeoffs. Fraser firs are popular for their shape and sweet scent, though Smith notes they’re less tolerant of stress than Canaan firs. White pine can be a good option for lighter decorating styles.

“Think 1950s,” Smith says, “Popcorn strings, tinsel, and lights,” but no heavy ornaments so as to avoid the Charlie Brown tree effect.

Fragrance can also be a factor in tree choice. Smith jokes that old-fashioned blue spruce (which he no longer sells due to diminishing demand) smells like cat urine to him, but he acknowledges some people associate it strongly with Christmas.

Canaan fir has a citrus-like scent, while Fraser fir has a sweeter scent “that smells like Christmas” to him. Pines do not have much fragrance on their own, but combined with garlands and wreaths, a home can still achieve that treasured holiday smell.

Many families debate whether to get a real or artificial tree, but there are differences even among real trees.

Choosing a Christmas tree from an Ohio tree farm supports land that stays in agricultural production rather than being developed. When a tree from a tree farm is cut, it is replaced with a young tree that absorbs carbon as it grows.

Compared with a natural tree shipped from Oregon or the Pacific Northwest, a locally grown tree avoids thousands of miles of transportation and supports regional agriculture. And if a cut tree is composted after the holidays, its carbon is returned to the soil.

Whether a Christmas tree is the only plant you’ll have all year or just another member of your plant family, the care comes down to: choose a species that fits your home and decorating style, keep it away from heat, and above all, keep it watered.

And if you choose a tree from an Ohio tree farm, you continue a cycle that can begin with an Ohio-grown seed and ends, years later, at the center of a family’s Christmas story.

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