DALLAS — At Media Day for the National Championship Game, Ohio State’s players sauntered into the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas especially relaxed and confident for a group will play in a such a monumental and historic game three days from now.
Consider the following exchange between Cardale Jones, Ohio State’s starting quarterback and Tyvis Powell, a highly-entertaining and wacky safety. The two are friends and roommates.
While Jones answered questions from a throng of reporters and cameras around him, Powell, who likes to say his 6-foot-5, 250-pound elder is his “son,” approached the podium.
Tyvis: “Cardale, in front of all these people, am I great father or not?”
Cardale: “You my son … let me call your mama, son.”
Tyvis: “You was off the hook until you met me! I put your life together! You know what? You’re ungrateful is what you are!”
Cardale: “You know what it is? I shouldn’t have never walked out on your mom all them years ago.”
Powell slunk away, doubled over in pain from laughing so hard. And the media contingent watching the scene unfold chuckled along too.
Elsewhere, Jeff Heuerman traded places with television reporters and interviewed the likes of ESPN anchor Chris Fowler and his fellow teammates.
Offensive linemen, who would like to be addressed as “the slobs,” lampooned each other by jiggling their arms. Jacoby Boren, the center, teased the younger guard Billy Price about his girlfriend, to which Price quickly announced that he’d like to publicly declare Boren a “bully.”
The biggest game that any of them have played in at Ohio State looms and yet the Buckeyes, like they were before they toppled Alabama a little more than a week ago, appeared calm, cool and collected.
The morning was no circus, but it wasn’t a wake either.
Perhaps such an ease comes from head coach Urban Meyer, who has won on this stage before. But loose? Meyer takes issue with the word and its undertones.
“I'm not sure that's an appropriate word, but just very workmanlike,” he said. “I hear loose, and what does that mean, loose?” I think they have a routine they're used to, and they are approaching their business like a bunch of pros right now, which, if you're hoping to see a bunch of players walk around nervous and tight, I don't think you'll see that right now.”
And Meyer, who’s regarded as a master motivator by others in the coaching profession, doesn’t want them like that.
But loose? Not here, and not now.
“I've been in this situation several times, and sometimes I hear that; loose isn't the proper word,” he said. “When I hear loose, it sounds like silly or not serious.”
Meyer added: “They're at media day getting ready to go to practice and they've been cooped up in a hotel, and a bunch of people asking them a bunch of questions. I get that question every time we're in this situation. I'm not being disrespectful, but I've never had the question, boy, coach, your guys are really rigid.”
And, after all, why would they be?
Ohio State, which has overcome the loss of two starting quarterbacks along with other trials and tribulations this season, wasn’t supposed to get to the first-ever College Football Playoff in the first place.
Perhaps there is joy to be had in Dallas and, if so, it was evident Saturday morning.
There is, of course, also a mission to accomplish in Texas for a team that hangs a banner that reads "The Chase" to remind them of its quest for a national championship.
For example, Jones told ESPN reporter Marty Smith that he blocked all the contacts in his phone save for his mother to focus on preparing for the Ducks.
At practice at AT&T Stadium, coaches barked over the song "Thunderstruck," which, at the request of Meyer, boomed through the cavernous arena.
More so than not, it was like any other day for the Buckeyes.
“I always say we're very businesslike about our approach at Ohio State,” Meyer said. “Very businesslike. Not very loosey goosey if you're going to write that.”
But the Buckeyes also seemed relaxed, which is fine by Meyer.
Just don’t conflate it with unfocused.
