Red tape covered the Ms all around Ohio State's campus Monday morning, an annual tradition in place as the Buckeyes travel to arch-rival Michigan Saturday.
Urban Meyer lost his fourth game as Ohio State head coach against Michigan State, 17-14, two days earlier. As a result, he had to meet the media Monday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to discuss the matchup with the program's biggest rival that always doubles as a regular season finale.
Notes:
- "Obviously we’ve gotta move past a very, very tough loss. Big game this week. Rivalry game." — Urban Meyer
- Meyer said he held a team meeting Sunday. There were a knot in everyone's stomach after the loss to Michigan State.
- On Ezekiel Elliott's interview after the loss to the Spartans: "Zeke has always been an extremely loyal person…just an emotional week…obviously we don’t condone that and encourage it." Meyer said Elliott apologized to him in a meeting Sunday: "We squashed it as a team and we moved on."
- "I couldn't disagree with him and his comments. He should have gotten the ball a little more. But that was not the place for it." — Urban Meyer
- Meyer: "I know I'm going to get another 64 questions about it, but we're moving on from it. We've got a really good team coming up here."
- On the play calling, Meyer said it was "not very good. We have to do better."
- Meyer said Elliott's lack of carries were not due to the infection in his leg, there were just plenty of people around the line of scrimmage whenever he got it.
- Meyer also noted how Ohio State was against the wind "the entire game."
- “In hindsight, feed him. He has a way of making yards." — Urban Meyer on Ezekiel Elliott
- On Michigan, Meyer said the Wolverines are "obviously playing very well right now."
- Meyer said things caught up with Ohio State "a little bit" on Saturday with regards to trying to figure out how to get the ball to its playmakers all season. The weather didn't help: "It was a tough situation ... but you still have to be able to function in the elements a little bit."
- The quarterback run game hurt Ohio State Saturday, Meyer said. Also, Michigan State having the ball for a long time didn't do the defense any favors because it got tired.
- "Disgruntled probably's not the right word, but it comes from guys that have earned their keep around here." — Meyer on Elliott and the frustrations from Ohio State's offense
- On Elliott's declaration that he won't return to Ohio State next year, Joey Bosa's comments from last week and Cardale Jones' tweet Saturday after the game, Meyer joked that he would take away their phones, but that's not fair: "The names you just mentioned are wonderful, emotional guys for this program."
- Meyer said there will not be an disciplinary actions taken toward Elliott after his comments Saturday.
- Meyer said he loved Toledo and Northwest Ohio, joked with a reporter who said his first home address was a mile from the Michigan border: "You got my address too, huh?"
- Meyer said he isn't surprised at Michigan's success this season: "If you look at the players they've recruited and the last three times we've played them. They've been tough, hard fought games."
- On 1986 when Jim Harbaugh guaranteed a victory at Ohio State: "I do remember that. I remember us missing wide left to lose the game. You want me to say the kid's name, I remember the kicker's name, but I won't do that."
- Meyer said the transitions being made with some guys moving to wide receivers are going fine: "We just have to do a better job of getting them the ball."
- Meyer said he has a lot of confidence in his team to be able to bounce back and be up for a game at Michigan: "That's my job and our coaches job and our leaders job to make sure there's focus ... The good thing is we're playing a very good team."
- On the huge recruiting weekend after a loss to Michigan State, Meyer noted how Ohio State "only has a few spots left. With the rain and the loss didn't help, it's tough, but you have to keep going."
- Meyer said the recruiting day on Sunday went "fine" despite the loss.
- What is it that isn't quite there offensively 11 games into the year? Meyer: "Wondering isn't quite the right word if you're the head coach. If it was something that firm or singular, you'd fix it ... we're just not operating at the max capacity. We're 10-1. What I'm doing right now, every ounce, every bit of focus is going onto winning this game."
- Meyer said Elliott's outburst can have an affect on the program, but it stays in the locker room: "This will be an old story if we find out a way to win this game ... I knew I'd get it today, but it's closed and its sealed as far as our team is concerned."
- Meyer called Elliott "one of his favorites all-time ... It's sealed, good to go and we're going to do our very best to get ready to play this week."
