It's been well-documented Urban Meyer doesn't really have a signature win during his tenure as head coach at Ohio State. On Saturday night against Michigan State, Meyer has another opportunity to get one.
But does he feel pressure to get one of those wins under his belt?
“I could give you the coach speak and say I don’t feel it, but I feel it," Meyer said Tuesday on the Big Ten coaches teleconference. "I wouldn’t say personal pressure, but I would say Ohio State pressure. That has been brought up a couple times."
The Spartans beat the Buckeyes in last year's Big Ten championship game to snap Ohio State's 24-game winning streak. Meyer said he sees a lot of similarities on the Michigan State defense, but says its offense is much-improved.
"This time last year they were still trying to get their rhythm on offense and they certainly did and now they’re one of the best offenses in the country so that’s the biggest difference," he said. "Defensively, we faced them for three years and they do a great job developing players because they keep rolling them through. … They’ve gone from being a good offense to a great offense.”
Part of stopping the Spartans will be shutting down running back Jeremy Langford, who Meyer touted as "one of the best running backs in the country."
Meyer also wasn't one to shy away from the magnitude of Saturday's game.
"The build up to this game, it’s only Tuesday, so I imagine that as it gets closer we’ll have that same experience or feeling," he said. "I’ve been apart of some really big games but this certainly feels like as big of any game we’ve been a part of.”
Ohio State's success Saturday will hinge largely on the play of redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett, who Meyer said has full command of Ohio State's offense now, something he didn't have when this season began.
“Any time you have a quarterback that takes over as a young player — but that was back in August. What we did in August is much different than in November," Meyer said. "He’s got eight games underneath his belt so he’s got the full capacity to run the entire offense and certainly the first game it was nothing close to that.”
Meyer was also asked about an injury to starting nickel Armani Reeves, who did not play last weekend against Illinois.
“He hasn’t been cleared to play," Meyer said. "He wasn’t cleared to play last week and we’re not sure about this week.”
But when asked to clarify what exactly was wrong with Reeves, Meyer gave an interesting answer:
“He’s a great kid, he’s just having trouble focusing. They’re not quite sure exactly. I don’t get too involved, I just know know if they’re cleared or not cleared. … They don’t say it’s (a concussion) at all. To be honest with you, I’m not quite 100 percent sure what it is.”
Notes:
All eyes on are this weekend's showdown in East Lansing between the Buckeyes and Spartans, but there are still four teams in the Big Ten West which only have one conference loss.
The big game in that division is Iowa at Minnesota, where the loser will likely be eliminated from a chance to play for the Big Ten title.
In addition to Meyer, the Big Ten's other 13 coaches appeared Tuesday on the weekly Big Ten teleconference. Here are some highlights of what each had to say:
Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern):
- Fitzgerald was asked about problems in the kicking game in college football: "There's 32 guys in the world who get paid to kick and they're pretty ridiculous. I think kicking would go up in college if you could have tryouts every Tuesday and cut guys who can't kick. ... There's also mature men who are kicking in the NFL and you're dealing with young men in college."
- Fitzgerald said his team is clicking in practice, but not in the games right now. "We don't have a practice problem right now. Our guys are working their butts off."
Brady Hoke (Michigan):
- "Obviously it's great to win. Losing isn't much fun for anybody."
- Hoke on Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald: "He's all that's right in college coaching."
- Was Hoke surprised at the removal of athletic director Dave Brandon? "I think as a coach you focus on what's important for your team and that's those kids. From that standpoint, one thing I will say I have a great relationship with Dave and will continue to have that."
- Hoke said he'll probably have an update on the injury of Jabrill Peppers on Wednesday.
Gary Andersen (Wisconsin):
- On the improvement of Wisconsin's defense: "I think the key thing is, it's a young defense, they continue to grow and we have very good leadership. ... The most important thing is they're playing with fundamentals and our coaches are doing a nice job communicating with the kids. They teach them."
- On the Big Ten West race: "It's kind of an elimination week and that's what you get when you get a bunch of teams that win a bunch of games."
Bo Pelini (Nebraska):
- "We're looking forward to the bye week. We'll get in some recruiting and get a jump on Wisconsin."
- On the status of running back Ameer Abdullah: "He's doing great." Pelini said his MCL injury isn't as severe as Rex Burkhead's was a couple years ago.
- Pelini on Abdullah's possible return against Wisconsin: "I would anticipate he'll be back at 100 percent — that's my anticipation right now."
Mark Dantonio (Michigan State):
- Dantonio's opening statement: "Excited about the great challenge we have this weekend. It should be a great atmosphere."
- On how Dantonio has been able to be successful as a coach: "I think the challenge really comes from within. We want to continually challenge our players to become better and strive for excellence."
- On Michigan State's ability to develop talent: "It's been the case here we've been able to redshirt players and develop them because of the players that have come before them."
- On Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett: "I think they're two different types of players. Braxton had more experience but J.T. has gained more experience this year as he's done a nice job. ... You can tell he's a leader on the field and that's critical for being a quarterback."
- Dantonio called Ohio State's offense "extremely innovative."
- On last year's Big Ten championship game: "I don't think there's any question that the game of football and our game last year was a game of inches."
- Dantonio on the improvement of Michigan State's offense: "There's confidence in the system and the system is more experienced."
Kirk Ferentz (Iowa):
- Is the improvement of Louis Trinca-Pasat as great as anyone Ferentz has ever coached?: "He'd be right up there. We're really proud of what Louis has done."
- Ferentz on Minnesota: "They're a veteran team and a veteran coaching staff and I think those two things really show when you watch them on film."
- On Big Ten West race: "We've got a really competitive conference on both sides and there's a lot of good football being played. ... It's an exciting time to be involved in football, for sure."
Jerry Kill (Minnesota):
- On running back David Cobb: "In my opinion, he's better than even I thought he would be."
- What did Minnesota do during its bye week to get ready for Iowa?: "We spent a lot of time just on fundamentals. We're big believers in fundamentals as things you have to do to win football games."
- Kill on Iowa's offense: "They're just hard to stop. They're very well-coached."
Kyle Flood (Rutgers):
- On the challenges, if any, of joining the Big Ten: "I think the challenges are exactly what they anticipated them being: Week in and week out you're playing against some of the best football teams in the country."
- Flood on facing Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin in a row: "That three-game stretch when we look back on it, is going to be very valuable for our football program."
Tim Beckman (Illinois):
- "Did not play well at all this last weekend against Ohio State. Credit Ohio State, they're a good football team but when you turn the ball over and give up early scores, it's just impossible to win a football game."
- On Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett: "We weren't able to get enough pressure on him, that was the first thing. I thought he did a great job finding that receiver, waiting for the development of the route. He has improved each and every week."
- On the difference between J.T. Barrett and Braxton Miller: "J.T. is an excellent football player. I knew Braxton and of course knew of him before his days at Ohio State, but they're very similar. J.T. has good touch on those intermediate routes — those 15 to 20-yard routes down the field."
Randy Edsall (Maryland):
- Edsall said kicker Brad Craddock is "the best kicker in the country" and one of the best leaders on the team, which probably explains a lot about Maryland football.
- Edsall on the consequences from the Big Ten on Maryland's pre-game antics Saturday: "The Big Ten has said the matter is closed and that it's time to move forward and that's what we're gonna be doing."
Darrell Hazell (Purdue):
- On the difficulty of Purdue's schedule and whether or not it will help: "You prepare every year in the Big Ten that you're gonna have a tough schedule."
- What's the No. 1 area of improvement for Purdue?: "Confidence."
James Franklin (Penn State):
- On the difficulty of taking over a program and trying to get players to buy in: "I think it's a challenge, there's no doubt about it. Whenever you recruit a guy and develop a relationship, you get to know them, but when you come in you try and get to know 105 guys basically overnight."
- Franklin on quarterback Christian Hackenberg: "When you have success as a true freshman and have to learn a new system, it can be tough to adjust to some ups and downs."
Kevin Wilson (Indiana):
- "Didn't play well a week ago at Michigan. We're still struggling offensively."
- On Michigan State's defense: "The core or the standard has never changed. Solid scheme, tremendous culture."
