Welcome to the Skull Session. I've now written many Skullys during my short tenure with Eleven Warriors – never have I written one quite like this.
How is that for a sell?
Let's have a good Tuesday, shall we?
DEFINING STROUD'S LEGACY. C.J. Stroud declared for the 2023 NFL draft on Monday, leaving many to wonder what his legacy will be as an Ohio State quarterback now that his time in Columbus has ended. Translation: Expect every outlet that covers the Buckeyes to have an article about that exact topic in the coming days (if they haven't posted one already).
While many of those articles will take themselves far too seriously, I promise you that my assessment of Stroud's legacy is not. As a matter of fact, it will likely be the most unserious analysis of his legacy you will find on the interwebs, and here it is.
Ohio State's previous three starting quarterbacks, Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields and Stroud, can be labeled according to the Sam Raimi "Spider-Man" movies. Haskins is "Spider-Man," Fields is "Spider-Man 2" and Stroud is "Spider-Man 3."
Let me explain.
The original Spider-Man movies are considered among the greatest superhero flicks of all-time for several reasons – their compelling characters and storytelling, next-level action and riveting set pieces, to name a few. Each of them was unique in its own way, providing fans with a memorable viewing experience that still holds up in January 2023.
The franchise started with "Spider-Man," released in 2002. Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) battles Norman Osborne/Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) in an unexpectedly fun movie with a ton of heart, and it is satisfying to watch from start to finish. That's how I remember Haskins in 2018 with Ohio State as he completed 373 of 533 passes for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns to lead the Buckeyes to a 13-1 season with a Rose Bowl win over Washington.
In 2004, Raimi released "Spider-Man 2," with Maguire returning in the titular role. This time, however, the Wall-Crawler faces off with Dr. Otto Octavius/Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) in a film that achieves the rare feat of being a sequel that is better than the original, capturing the same fun and heart of the first movie but making it even better.
That's how I remember Fields in his two years with the Buckeyes. While Haskins was great, Fields – at least in my view – was greater. He left a legacy at Ohio State that ranks him among the best quarterbacks in program history as he completed 396 of 579 passes for 5,373 yards and 63 touchdowns through the air with 867 yards and 15 scores on the ground in 2019 and 2020.
Now, we talk Stroud.
Coming off the heels of the critically-acclaimed "Spider-Man 2," Raimi's third installment, "Spider-Man 3," came to theaters in 2007 with enormous expectations for Maguire and company. Unfortunately, they fell short of meeting them. In what was, without a doubt, the most polarizing of the films about the masked Web-Slinger, "Spider-Man 3," as a whole, dazzled at times but had its downfalls – too many characters, plotlines, yadda yadda yadda. People either loved the movie or hated it.
See where I am heading with this?
Stroud is by far the most polarizing of the three previous Ohio State quarterbacks. He dazzled at times – the 2022 Rose Bowl win over Utah and the 2022 Peach Bowl loss to Georgia, among many other memorable games – but according to some in Buckeye Nation, he also had his downfalls: his lack of desire to run, his supposed lack of toughness and questions regarding his leadership. People either loved him or hated him.
Felt like revisiting C.J. Stroud's historic 2022 @rosebowlgame performance. @CJ7STROUD x @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/u4p3qNRcS2
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) January 16, 2023
Whether you see that as fair or unfair, that is the reality of Stroud's career as a Buckeye. Some will choose to look more at his statistical production, which includes 575 completions on 830 attempts for 8,123 yards and 85 touchdowns across two seasons, rather than the team's shortcomings against Michigan, in the Big Ten and the CFP while he was the quarterback. Others will look at it from the opposite perspective. Few will exist somewhere in between.
So what is Stroud's legacy at Ohio State? I believe it's "Spider-Man 3." It's the saying, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Whether you loved or hated him, he left it all out on the field. His time at Ohio State is over. Now, all we are left with is time to reflect.
DESTINATIONS FOR STROUD. With Stroud's decision to turn pro now official, we can finally talk shop on the best landing spots for the Inland Empire, California, native in the 2023 NFL draft. He’s consistently projected as a top-10 pick in mock drafts, but projected landing spots vary from the Indianapolis Colts to the Houston Texans and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Here is where Stroud is projected in some recent mock drafts:
- ESPN (Jordan Reid): No. 5 - Indianapolis Colts
- USA TODAY (Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz): No. 4 - Indianapolis Colts
- CBS Sports (Ryan Wilson): No. 5 - Las Vegas Raiders
- Pro Football Focus (Michael Renner): No. 7 - Las Vegas Raiders
- Yahoo! Sports (Charles McDonald): No. 2 - Houston Texans
Whether it was replies or quote tweets on Stroud's announcement via Twitter on Monday, some Colts fans were dreaming of a two-year plan for their franchise to secure Stroud in 2023 and Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024, and, honestly, I'm all about that.
Soon @MarvHarrisonJr @CJ7STROUD pic.twitter.com/BDaaYmCJa4
— bryce (@theyhatebryce) January 16, 2023
Could they be the next Joe Burrow – Ja'Marr Chase combo in the NFL?
UNDERCLASSMEN WITH UPSIDE. While C.J. Stroud feels like a lock to be one of the top picks in the 2023 NFL draft, there will be plenty of questions surrounding some of Ohio State's other prospects who turned pro after this year, namely Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Luke Wypler.
In an article that listed the top 15 most intriguing underclassmen of the 2023 class, The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner discussed what NFL scouts have seen and will hope to see from Smith-Njigba and Wypler throughout the draft process:
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
6-0, 198 | Career: 110 receptions, 1,698 yards, 10 TDs
Nearly all of Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s numbers above are from the 2021 season, a spectacular sophomore campaign that actually saw him outproduce standout NFL rookies Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. Smith-Njigba is not the type of athlete Wilson or Olave are, but he might be the best route runner of that trio. At least, he was during the 2021 season.
Of course, that’s sort of the issue. Smith-Njigba can look like a point guard on the football field at times, with the way he’s able to weave through defenders before finishing in the air. He can separate vs. press without even touching a defender, too. However, almost all of what we’ve seen from him came over that one year. He missed most of 2022 with a hamstring injury, and there could be some size/play strength/speed questions.
But there’s a ton to like.
Luke Wypler
6-3, 300 | 19 starts, won starting job as a redshirt freshman
Luke Wypler is only a two-year starting center in the Big Ten and seemed on the fence about his NFL decision, but his tape from the CFP semifinals vs. Georgia — the country’s best defense by a mile — may have been what he needed to push things over the top. Wypler got better every time Ohio State played. He shows a great ability to reach down the line with flexibility, speed and power.
This is a prospect with a very bright future. Since he wasn’t a sure-thing to declare when 2022 started, teams might still have to play catch-up on him, which means his stock should only rise from here.
It was not surprising when JSN declared for the NFL. Well, maybe the timing of it was, but the decision he made to turn pro was not. The same would be difficult to argue for Wypler, whose decision to forgo his senior season at Ohio State surprised many.
Still, both are in a place where they have something to prove over the next few months. I believe they are well-equipped to rise to the occasion and showcase why they were highly touted prospects out of high school and highly respected players at Ohio State.
I AM JUSTICE. In Monday’s Skull Session, I wrote about how I want Ohio State men's basketball to be fun again. For that to happen, Chris Holtmann will need to work some magic to turn this season around. For the head coach to do that, he will need Justice Sueing to be at the top of his game.
As of late, Sueing has not been at that level for the Buckeyes. In the last two games against Minnesota and Rutgers – teams Ohio State should be expected to beat – Sueing shot a combined 7 of 23 from the floor (30%) to record 20 points with eight rebounds, four assists and five turnovers. But that doesn't mean Sueing can't turn things around. All he needs is a little resilience.
In fact, much of Sueing's life has been about resilience, as proven by his segment on The Big Ten Network's “The Journey” which is set to be televised later this week.
With Ohio State‘s back against the wall, we'll see if Sueing has what it takes to lead the Buckeyes to where they want to go. I think he does, but all we can do is wait and see.
SONG OF THE DAY. “Spider-Man” – The Original Spider-Man TV Series (1967)
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