Urban Meyer's never lost a Big Ten regular season game at Ohio State, or a game played in October and November at the school. He is 47-3 as the head coach of the Buckeyes.
Meyer puts those marks and the fate of his 2015 squad on the line Saturday at Illinois. Kickoff is set for noon.
Reporters met with Meyer Monday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to dissect Saturday's 28-14 victory against Minnesota and more.
Notes:
- Defensive champions from the Minnesota game: Joel Hale, Michael Hill, Tyquan Lewis, Raekwon McMillan, Adolphus Washington, Sam Hubbard, Joshua Perry, Darron Lee, Eli Apple, Joey Bosa and Vonn Bell (Bell and Bosa co-players of the game).
- Offensive champions from the Minnesota game: Ezekiel Elliott, Pat Elflein, Jalin Marshall, Michael Thomas, Billy Price, Taylor Decker and Nick Vannett (Elflein and Elliott are co-players of the game). Freshman Denzel Ward was the special teams player of the week.
- The defense played "exceptional" Saturday, primarily before a pair of man coverage busts against Minnesota that led to points. He added that Bosa "is as disruptive as any defensive player I've been around."
- J.T. Barrett will start Saturday against Illinois "if he has a good week of practice." He also said that will be the case moving forward.
- Braxton Miller did not practice Sunday due a sore neck.
- Meyer said he was not around when Barrett supposedly gave a speech to the team at halftime.
- Asked if it was simply smoke about Miller potentially having a bigger role at quarterback against Minnesota: "Nothing happened, it's just how the game went."
- "It's never easy" to make a decision at starting quarterback, but right now, playing Barrett is what Meyer feels is best right now.
- With a win Saturday, Ohio State will set a national record with 30 straight regular season conference victories. Meyer said they do not have conversations about that: "We just have to find a way to go beat Illinois."
- Meyer flashes back to Purdue 2012 when Miller was slammed to the turf Saturday.
- Can Braxton Miller throw a pass? "Yes. He can. I think what happened to him a year ago is still fresh in his mind. He's not out there in 7-on-7s spinning it around."
- In looking at the film of the offense against Rutgers, Meyer said with Barrett at quarterback he gives a different set of threats: "He's a coach on the field."
- Jalin Marshall is "one of our best players right now," in addition to one of the best guys on the team in the classroom and during practice: "He's one of the best punt returners in America right now, too."
- Ohio State's had a few games where they've had a few different wrinkles in the running game, against Penn State especially. He said the goal is "to be very good at what you do and then have some wrinkles to make it better." Added that has been having Miller in the wildcat, for example.
- The injuries at wide receiver have affected what Ohio State's wanted to do offensively "a lot." He did say, though, that Jeff Greene has stepped up.
- Parris Campbell remains questionable for Saturday, Meyer added he will know more later this week about his availability, as well as Dontre Wilson's.
- Meyer said he does feel a little bit more tightness with "the grind" mentality due to the expectations on this team stemming from last season.
