Meyer: "We're Full Speed Ahead"

There's no time to rest for Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, his coaching staff and players.

With a 66-0 win over Kent State in the rearview mirror, Meyer said on Tuesday's Big Ten coaches teleconference that even with a week to prepare, his team has completely turned its focus and attention to the next opponent, Cincinnati.

"It’ll be a little bit different than we have in the past," Meyer said of how he will handle the bye week prior to the game against the Bearcats. "If you have an old, veteran group then you kind of rest them and work on things but if you have a young group that needs work then that’s what we’re gonna do. ... We're full speed ahead."

Meyer, a Cincinnati alum, is very familiar with the program and Bearcats head coach Tommy Tuberville, who spent a lot of time in the SEC with Meyer. The Buckeyes coach also said he watched Cincinnati's season-opening win against Toledo live on television last Friday night.

“I’ve just got a lot of respect for UC. We’ve played them once before and this group, though, when I watched them live Friday night on TV, that was kind of like most of the country like, ‘Whoa,’" Meyer said. "I thought it was gonna be a 60-0 and that kid was gonna throw for 500 yards. Then you watch it on film and they’re really good."

Meyer also said his two main concerns, pass defense and offensive line play, are still there, but he has seen improvements in both areas.

"The offensive line is getting very close, they played very well Saturday, but we have an obligation to get the five best guys in there and we’re still not sure," he said.

Meyer also addressed Curtis Samuel's play so far this season, saying the true freshman has "an incredible future" and said Steve Miller has "filled in admirably" in the absence of the suspended Noah Spence.

Notes:

Penn State defeated Rutgers, 13-10, in the first Big Ten game of the season. This week, there aren't any conference games but the marquee matchup is between Miami (Fla.) and Nebraska.

Penn State and the Cornhuskers are the only remaining unbeaten Big Ten teams after three weeks of play. Below are comments from the other 13 coaches from Tuesday's weekly Big Ten teleconference.

Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern):

• Fitzgerald was asked who was the best player in the Big Ten and said it's hard to evaluate it being Northwestern hasn't played a conference game yet. But added the only player he’s really studied on tape was Penn State's Christian Hackenberg, just because he didn’t play him last season.
• Success offensively has been “non-existent.”

Brady Hoke (Michigan):

• “We’ve got our hands full” with Utah.
• Michigan has a minus-7 turnover differential on the season: "It's something we've got to improve on and we've got to do it quickly, obviously."
• More on Utah: "They're gonna have skill at the skilled positions where guys have great skill sets."

Gary Andersen (Wisconsin):

• On Melvin Gordon: "It’s great to have Melvin, I’ve said this many times he’s a tremendous teammate and tremendous player."
• "Joel Stave's status is the same. He's moving in the right direction. ... Practice time is structured how Joel feels for the day."

Bo Pelini (Nebraska):

• On what sets Ameer Abdullah apart: "His versatility, first of all. He does everything well. There’s really no weakness in his game, he can do it all.”
• Pelini said there's a little extra around campus this week for the matchup with the Hurricanes: "It’s a great history. There were some great games played between the two schools and there’s a lot of tradition. ...It’s gonna be a fun week here on campus. They’re gonna honor our 1994 championship team.”
• Pelini was unaware of Abdullah’s Heisman Trophy campaign: “I didn’t know they were batteries.”

Mark Dantonio (Michigan State):

• Dantonio was asked about the MIchigan State quarterbacks who all won NFL games this weekend: "I want to congratulate them on the job that they’ve done."
• On Connor Cook: "Connor earned the quarterback position last year. Did an outstanding job leading us to a Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl."
• Dantonio also said this year's defensive line "has all the makings" of being the deepest he's had, but wants to evaluate it at the end of the season.

Kirk Ferentz (Iowa):

• Ferentz on Iowa's difficulties running the ball: "Our opponents have done a good job taking that away from us."
• Ferentz also said the Hawkeyes' kicking issues are magnified by the nature of the position.
• Ferentz on Iowa's start: "I'm not going to sit here and tell you I'm surprised. I didn't know what to expect, I'm not that smart."

Jerry Kill (Minnesota):

• "It's hard to win a game when you turn the ball over five times."
• On the report that quarterback Mitch Leidner broke his toe: "That's nowhere close to the truth."

Kyle Flood (Rutgers):

• "It's critical that you start fast," when you play Navy like the Scarlet Knights do this weekend.
• "I don't believe in week-to-week momentum in football."
• On sticking with Gary Nova at quarterback: "We feel Gary Nova gives us the best chance to win and that's why he's our starting quarterback."

Tim Beckman (Illinois):

• Beckman said quarterback Wes Lunt, who is from Illinois, is more comfortable playing at home in front of family.
• On wide receiver Geronimo Allison: "We knew that he could be a special talent ... We look forward to him progressing even better."

Randy Edsall (Maryland):

• Edsall said the biggest thing for Maryland is that it needs to be more consistent.
• On Will Likely's big-play ability: "It doesn't surprise me Will is doing the things that he's doing."
• "I think Syracuse's defense is very athletic, they run well and they're very well-coached."

Darrell Hazell (Purdue):

• On Notre Dame loss: "I thought our kids played hard, played well, but obviously we didn't make enough plays at the end."
• "We're a different football team than we were last year. We're a much closer football team and we've got a lot of guys in our locker room that have great leadership."

James Franklin (Penn State):

• "We were fortunate in our last game playing at Rutgers, the atmosphere was unbelievable, we were fortunate to get out of there with a win. Our guys are resilient."
• Franklin on quarterback Christian Hackenberg: "That guy has a chance to be special."
• On the opportunity to coach Penn State: "I never thought that would be an option. I never really looked at it that way."
• Franklin didn't want to compare the Big Ten to the SEC saying he simply doesn't have enough experience in the Big Ten.

Kevin Wilson (Indiana):

• Wilson on facing Missouri this weekend: "It's going to be a challenge across the board."
• Wilson also joked it was difficult to tell some of Missouri's numbers on film because of "their fancy numbers" on the uniforms.