Mark Dantonio took to the podium in East Lansing on Tuesday to talk Spartan football and his return to his old Columbus stomping grounds.
Dino's Spartans are 9-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play, their only loss coming on a controversial call in Lincoln two weeks prior.
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- Dantonio wasted very little time praising the Buckeyes, a team which he said presents a "great challenge."
- "[Ohio State] is 48-3 [since 2012], which is an amazing statistic. They got there because they understand who they are and they execute... fundamental football."
- "Connor Cook has established himself as one of, if not the greatest quarterbacks to ever play here... I don't think it's fair to say that this one game will define him."
- On MSU's defensive line, which Urban Meyer praised on Monday: "This game is won in a couple of ways. Turnovers, obviously... and you gotta win it up front."
- "I don't think there's any secret they want to run the ball and we do too."
- Michigan State's only current goals are to win the next two games, which would win it the Big Ten East title.
- "One of the most important things is that we stay fresh and tackle well."
- On Dantonio's 5-1 record vs. top-10 teams: "We've got good players; we've got to play consistently. We have yet to play our best game."
- On stopping Ohio State: Controlling them on first down and preventing big plays off play-action.
- Does he talk to his team about redemption (after last year's loss)? "I don't talk to our players about redemption. I talk to them about this year."
- On the classics between MSU and Meyer's OSU: "We have a lot of guys from Ohio... and it's not personal, but they want to play well down there in Ohio.... they want measure up with their family and friends because that's where they're from." A lot of coaches are from Ohio too, and that all "speaks to preparation" that goes into these "big games."
- Ohio State, as far as offensive and defensive concepts go, does a great job at "keeping things fresh." What Ohio State shows them this year won't be the same as next year.
- On playing in a state so critical to recruiting: "That speaks to the young player, probably... but it's not going to hurt, let's put it that way."
- Why can't teams slow Ezekiel Elliott down? "They've got a good offensive line and other dynamic players that can take the pressure off him... He's a great downhill runner, an extremely powerful runner and probably one of the best running backs in the country... You could put him in any skill position, linebacker, lot of positions because he's a physical player."
- Reporter noted Buckeye fans won't be as welcoming as Nebraska fans. ("They rocked our news van when we tried to park down there.") What does a hostile environment mean? "That's part of the college football experience. You have to play well away."
- "Malik McDowell needs to be a difference maker in every game. He's playing very well right now." Joel Heath will also be back.
- "Last year I thought we didn't win the line of scrimmage... A lot of it was great patience by J.T. Barrett."
- Dino noted last year's game went from potentially 28-14 Michigan State to 28-21 Ohio State in a matter of three minutes. "It took the wind out of our sails a little bit." Spartans suffered physical, mental, and structural errors in the loss.
- On Devin Smith's 2014 3-and-22 first down grab: "You can't get beat over the top like that."
- Reporter: "In this region, we're conditioned to think Michigan–Ohio State, Michigan–Ohio State..." Dantonio, deadpanning: "Not really."
