Whether it's to set a tone or drive his players borderline insane, Urban Meyer booms LL Cool J's "It's Time for War" on a infinite loop inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center during the week before Ohio State's annual game with Michigan.
And Meyer, who has his sixth-ranked Buckeyes already back in the Big Ten Championship Game, brought with him a certain intensity Monday for his press conference.
"I want our players to take part ownership of the program," he said. "This is not another game, this is The Game."
It's Michigan Week and Meyer's determined to ensure his team doesn't overlook a miserable Wolverines team that's mired in unprecedented turmoil.
Notes:
- Meyer on what he expects from Michigan Saturday: “Their best game. There are great players.” He later added, “They’re going to throw us everything they’ve got and what they’ve got is a lot.”
- Meyer on the importance of The Game despite Michigan’s freefall from national relevance: “Go chat with Earle Bruce for six or seven minutes and that game’s going to come up.”
- Meyer on indoctrinating players and coaches not from Ohio into the rivalry: “I think it’s great, when you ask a player to come play for your school — or even a coach — it’s not another game.
- Meyer on whether Michigan might be rally around embattled head coach Brady Hoke: “I haven’t thought about it … we’re anticipating their personnel will play their very best against us.
- Meyer said this year’s level of leadership has yet “to be determined … the book’s not written yet.” He added his first year in 2012 he was “blown away … maybe the best group of leaders I’ve been around … when they come back, they’re treated like royalty like they should.”
- While Meyer blares his song, he is unaware of who LL Cool J is: "I just know the song's name ... it's on my iPod."
- Meyer said Ohio State won’t hold things back for the Big Ten title game in two weekends: “There’s no conversation about, ‘Hey let’s hold this back.’ It’s let’s go win this game.”
- Meyer said there’s a balance to be had when it comes to motivating his team: “We’re not trying to go play the game tomorrow … constant reminders of what the game is. That’s all it is. We’re not trying to motivate them to play the game on Tuesday.”
- Meyer on last year’s on-field melee between Ohio State and Michigan: ‘I had a talk with our team about that. There’s absolutely no place for that … that’s unacceptable.” Dontre Wilson and Marcus Hall were ejected from the contest in the second quarter for throwing punches.
- Against Indiana, Meyer said offensive players of the game were Jalin Marshall and Ezekiel Elliott. Michael Bennett was the defensive player of the game.
