Skull Session: Big Ten Media Days arrive in Indianapolis, seven Buckeyes earn USA TODAY Preseason All-Big Ten honors, Netflix announces Connor Stalions documentary

Alexa…what is aura?

Happy Tuesday!

WE WEAVE A TANGLED WEB. Oh man. What have we got here?

That will be full of LIES! DECEIT! Either way, I’ll be sitting there with popcorn in hand as I watch Connor Stalions try to escape punishment for his crimes against Ohio State and the college football world.

PREDICTION SZN. For the next 72 hours, representatives from the Big Ten’s 18 football programs will be at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the conference’s annual Media Days.

On Monday, Big Ten reporters at The Athletic, including Scott Dochterman, Audrey Snyder, Austin Meek, Cameron Teague Robinson and Jesse Temple, previewed the event. Before commissioner Tony Petitti takes the stage at 11 a.m., I wanted to answer some of the same questions those reporters posed in their article.

Which coach would you most like to hear from and why?

There are several good ones to choose from, but I’m going with Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti. Shortly after the Hoosiers hired Cignetti, he attended an IU basketball game and said, “I’ve never sat in the background and I don’t plan on starting now. Purdue sucks, but so do Michigan and Ohio State.” For a coach inheriting a program that has gone a combined 9-27 over the past three seasons, that was… bold. We’ll see if Cignetti has the same confidence in his press conference and breakout session on Thursday.

Which player would you most like to hear from and why?

I’m curious to hear Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel explain his decision to transfer to Oregon this offseason. Gabriel, now entering his sixth season after three years at UCF and two years at Oklahoma, is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in college football. That experience could make all the difference as the Ducks try to compete for a Big Ten and national championship in 2024.

Who would you pick as your attacking player of the year and why?

Gabriel should be the pick here, too. In five collegiate seasons, Gabriel has completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 14,865 yards, 125 touchdowns, and 26 interceptions while rushing for 1,060 yards and 26 scores. In other words, the man can ball — and notice I said man, not kid, because Gabriel is almost 24 years old. I expect Gabriel to thrive in an Oregon offense that features James Jordan at running back, Traeshon Holden, Evan Stewart, and Tez Johnson at wide receiver, and Terrance Ferguson at tight end.

Who would you choose as your best defender of the year and why?

This award will go to both the Buckeyes and Wolverines, namely Caleb Downs and JT Tuimoloau of the former and Will Johnson and Mason Graham of the latter. Of the four, I’m picking Downs. He was Alabama’s best defensive player in 2023, and he’ll be Ohio State’s best defensive player in 2024 — even with all the NFL talent the Buckeyes have on that side of the football.

Which team that is not yet known deserves more attention and why?

This might shock some, but I’m going with Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights somehow managed to avoid Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, and Penn State on their 2024 schedule, leaving a 12-game slate that includes Howard, Akron, Virginia Tech, Washington, Nebraska, Wisconsin, UCLA, USC, Minnesota, Maryland, Illinois, and Michigan State. I think there’s a chance Greg Schiano’s program wins nine games this season. Is that outcome likely? No. But it’s possible. To me, that makes the Scarlet Knights the Big Ten’s unnoticed team in 2024.

Who will play for the Big Ten championship and why?

Ohio State and Oregon are the best teams in the Big Ten. When the Buckeyes and Ducks meet in Eugene on Oct. 12, one team will win and one team will lose – Thank you, Captain Obvious – and I expect that whoever loses that game will suffer that one loss if and when they meet again in the Big Ten Championship Game. For what it’s worth, I’m picking Ohio State in those games. Both wins will come by one score, just as Washington beat Oregon in the regular season and the Pac-12 Championship Game last season.

PRICES SZN. On Monday, Kings of the North announcer Doug Lesmerises shared the results of a Big Ten football media poll he conducted among 33 reporters from the conference, including Eleven warriors editor Dan Hope. Ohio State received 27 of the 33 votes to win the Big Ten Championship Game. We posted that result and more here.

Cleveland.com and USA TODAY Sports also released preseason Big Ten media polls Monday, with Ohio State receiving 21 of 27 votes to win the conference in the former and eight of 13 votes in the latter. USA TODAY Sports also collected votes for a preseason All-Big Ten team, which included seven Buckeyes: TreVeyon Henderson, Emeka Egbuka, Donovan Jackson, Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams, Denzel Burke and Downs. Additionally, voters selected Ryan Day to win Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Here’s a look at the USA TODAY preseason All-Big Ten teams:

Attack

Quarterback: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon* (Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year)
Running back: TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
Running back: Kyle Monangai, Rutgers
Wide Receiver: Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State*
Wide Receiver: Tez Johnson, Oregon
Tight end: Colston Loveland, Michigan
Offensive line: Logan Jones, Iowa
Offensive Line: Donovan Jackson, Ohio State
Offensive line: Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota
Offensive Line: Josh Priebe, Michigan
Offensive line: Sal Wormley, Penn State

Defense

Defensive line: Mason Graham, Michigan
Defensive line: JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State
Defensive line: Tyleik Williams, Ohio State
Defensive line: Abdul Carter, Penn State
Linebacker: Jay Higgins, Iowa
Linebacker: Nick Jackson, Iowa
Linebacker: Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon
Defensive Back: Will Johnson, Michigan (Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year)
Defensive back: Denzel Burke, Ohio State
Defensive back: Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Defensive back: Dillon Thieneman, Purdue

Special teams

Kicker: Dragan Kesich, Minnesota
Punter: Ryan Eckley, Michigan State
Universal: Zachariah Branch, USC

Ohio State’s seven USA TODAY Sports All-Big Ten selections are the most in the conference. Michigan has the second-most selections with four, followed by Oregon and Iowa with three, Penn State with two and Purdue and Rutgers with one.

The Buckeyes look like the team to beat!

MECCA DON SZN. When I was in eighth grade, former Ohio State walk-on wide receiver Chukwuemeka Nnamdi Onyejekwe, also known as Mecca Don, visited my high school to discuss his career with the Buckeyes and perform his new song “Juice.”

You’ve heard the song.

Juice… Juice… Juice… Who’s got it?

Juice… Juice… Juice… I get it.

Juice… Juice… Juice… We got it.

Eleven years later, here I am listening to another song from Mekka Don, “Buckle Up,” which he released on Sunday after a hiatus from the rap world.

Eleven years later, here I am again, with a song by Mekka Don stuck in my head.

On the way to the top…

SONG OF THE DAY. “Ophelia” – The Lumineers.

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