Brisk temperatures and sunny skies beset the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Monday, the first day of Ohio State's prep to play the lone team it lost to a year ago.
The Buckeyes pay a visit to Mark Dantonio and the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday. The No. 2 Buckeyes and 3-7 Spartans are set to kick off at noon.
Urban Meyer met reporters for the first time Monday morning in the team room since he led the Buckeyes to a 62-3 victory against Maryland two days earlier.
NOTES:
- Ohio State named 25 champions following the win against the Terrapins, 12 on defense, 12 on offense and one on special teams. On defense: Raekwon McMillan, Nick Bosa, Michael Hill, Jalyn Holmes, Dre'Mont Jones, Sam Hubbard, Tyquan Lewis, Jerome Baker, Craig Fada, Chris Worley, Gareon Conley and Malik Hooker. McMillan earned Player of the Game honors. Meyer: "We're playing at a very high level on defense right now."
- On offense: J.T. Barrett, Curtis Samuel, Terry McLaurin, Parris Campbell, Noah Brown, K.J. Hill, Marcus Baugh, Jamarco Jones, Pat Elflein, Billy Price, Michael Jordan and Isaiah Prince. Ohio State named Barrett, Samuel and "Zone 6's blocking" co-Players of the Game. Meyer called the wide receivers' performance on the same level as the Nebraska game: "Just selfless play right now."
- Samuel's pass blocking is "a little like Zeke right now."
- Erick Smith earned a champion grade and was named Special Teams Player of the Week.
- "All attention and laser-like focus is on the team we're about to play right now."
- Meyer is debating what to do with his team when he talks to them about the postseason and tiebreaker scenarios due to Michigan's loss since the Buckeyes don't control their own destiny when it comes to the conference title: "But all focus is on Michigan State."
- Asked about potentially not getting a chance to win a Big Ten Championship: "Beat Michigan State."
- Denzel Ward is "fine." The cornerback left the game at Maryland as a precaution.
- Asked about Sam Hubbard, Meyer said he learned the former safety/tight end/linebacker could play at Ohio State when he saw him at a football camp: "He was a dodgeball player first. Then he started to add strength."
- "Ever since the loss, we've just covered up every schedule board except for the next game ... We're just focused on our next Tuesday practice."
- A reporter informed Meyer that Alabama brought back Trent Richardson as a scout team player: "Like padded practice? I did not know that." The head coach then acted like he was going to make a phone call to someone: "That's got me thinking."
- Meyer's been around wide receivers and other guys who "are buffoons" but doesn't have any right now: "We're very cautious about that. I've walked away from some guys like that." He added that Hill, McLaurin, Campbell, etc. are blocking excellently on the edge right now.
- Meyer did not know Tyquan Lewis was as great a leader as he is: "I didn't think much of him when I first saw him, to be honest with you ... but he's one of our top leaders on our team. Larry Johnson has done a great job with him.
- "He's a man's man. I love that guy." — Meyer on Lewis.
- On Michigan State: "They challenge every throw. There are no freebies anywhere." Meyer said he thinks the Spartans develop talent with the best of them, and how he noticed there were two NFL corners when he got to Ohio State in 2012.
- "We're not the only ones they've given problems too." — Meyer on Michigan State.
- The injuries the Spartans have had, especially defensively: "They still look like the same Michigan State defense to me."
