Ad Disclosure
Gene Smith gives rousing speech ahead of Week 1 vs. Notre Dame: ‘We gotta kick their ass tonight’
Published:
Ohio State Athletic director Gene Smith may have graduated from Notre Dame, but there should be no question about where his loyalties lie.
Addressing the team during the Skull Session on Saturday, Smith was fired up, telling the team “we gotta kick their ass tonight.”
Gene Smith: “I love my alma mater, but we gotta kick their ass tonight.” pic.twitter.com/LqOfsH4fhq
— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) September 3, 2022
Skull sessions have become one of the top traditions at OSU, originally serving as the band’s final music rehearsal. It has evolved into a two-plus hour event, featuring a band performance, the arrival of the football team, and speeches by head coach Ryan Day and a team member.
Smith, who played defensive end for four years at Notre Dame, became an assistant coach for the Irish in 1977 and won a national championship with the team. In 2005, Smith’s loyalties changed when he was named AD at OSU.
Since Smith became a Buckeye, OSU has dominated the B1G, accumulating 105 team and 331 individual conference championships.
Will Smith’s speech be the boost OSU needs to take a win, or will his alma mater take the prize?