For the first time maybe in the history of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, some dressed in scarlet and gray are looking even further north than Ann Arbor – to East Lansing. With the Wolverines suffering another down year, the Big Ten Championship Game against Michigan State a week later actually carries more significance.
But that thought has not penetrated the stately walls of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Players who are part of the Ohio State-Michigan game would never overlook the opponent. In Columbus, legacies are judged on how one performed against the maize and blue.
“We’re not looking forward to the championship game. We have a huge game coming up this week,” senior running back Carlos Hyde said. “We want to focus on that, try to get the win in that, then focus on the next one.”
- Offensive champions vs. Indiana: Andrew Norwell, Taylor Decker, Jeff Heuerman, Devin Smith, Chris Fields, Carlos Hyde, Corey Linsley and Braxton Miller. Hyde and Miller were co-players to the week.
- Defense: Bradley Roby, Joey Bosa, Ryan Shazier and Michael Bennett. Shazier and Bennett were co-players of the game.
- Special Teams: Vonn Bell player of the game.
- Meyer said Shazier had 54 production points against Indiana. He said 30 is the most he'd ever seen until Shazier's performance.
- Meyer raved about Braxton Miller finding Jeff Heuerman open on 3rd and 17. He called it Miller’s best play as a passing quarterback.
- A native of Ashtabula, Meyer said he learned to dislike Michigan at a very young age.
- “It’s not just another game, it’s not.” –Meyer on the Michigan game. He said there’s an extra pep in everyone’s step this week.
- Curtis Grant and Armani Reeves should play Saturday, according to Meyer.
- A Muck Fichigan banner on campus when Meyer was a graduate assistant at Ohio State in the 1980s taught Meyer the magnitude of the rivalry. He remembers it being very cool. The M and F were changed around eventually, but the students were asked to take it down after that, Meyer said.
- Meyer said Saturday was impressive, especially in poor playing conditions. He said he sees the team getting better and better each week. Meyer lauded Miller for his improvement throughout the season. “He’s playing quarterback.”
- Michigan will be ready, Meyer said. It’s a throw-out-the-records type game where the previous games don’t matter. “We will get their best team.”
- Meyer said he always likes brining up past history of rivalries. He said he might tell the story about the 1969 game later in the week. At Utah, Meyer said he gave assistant coaches a quiz on BYU.
- During his career at Florida, Meyer had to play Florida State and the SEC Championship Game in consecutive weeks. He called it a difficult situation and said staying rested is extremely important.
- Meyer said the defensive game plan against Indiana may have been the best all season. Credited Luke Fickell with the job he’s done.
