After giving a brief postgame press conference, the heavy majority of questions Urban Meyer received the next time he met the media revolved around Ohio State's stunning 24-21 loss at Penn State. Meyer answered them but spoke multiple times about his intentions to put the loss behind him and turn his attention to the next team on the schedule, Northwestern.
“This is the most time I've spent on this today because this one is put to bed,” Meyer said on Monday.
He even joked with sports information director Jerry Emig during the 12 minutes he stood before reporters about not forcing players to face cameras and microphones like he did to talk about his fifth loss in five seasons instead of the next game on the schedule.
“Easier to flush it when I walk out of this room. Make sure our players don't have to do this, OK?” Meyer said to Emig, before J.T. Barrett, Billy Price, Tyquan Lewis and defensive line coach Larry Johnson also answered questions over the next two hours.
Meyer smiled and kept things as light as he could during his press conference but gave credit to the incoming Wildcats when presented the opportunity. Northwestern is only 4-3, with one of those losses coming at home to Illinois State, an FCS school. But Pat Fitzgerald's bunch only lost to undefeated Nebraska by 11 and has since won three straight—at Iowa, at Michigan State and last week against Indiana.
“That's as improved a team as I've ever seen from beginning to now, outstanding,” Meyer said. “Three big wins, two on the road. Defining wins.”
Jackson is averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
Northwestern boasts the Big Ten's leading rusher, junior Justin Jackson, who has 792 yards on 171 attempts and six touchdowns—"a complete back," Johnson said. Quarterback Clayton Thorson, in his second year as a starter, is playing much better. He is third in the Big Ten with a 240.9 passing yards per game average and threw nine touchdowns against just one interception during his team's three-game winning streak. In all, Thorson has 14 scores against five picks.
Defensively, the Wildcats are worst in the conference against the pass (allowing 282.4 yards per game) but fifth-best against the run (132 yards per game). That is what caught Meyer and his assistants' eyes.
“Defense is outstanding,” Meyer said. “Gigantic inside guys.”
Ohio State's loss at Penn State revealed some sincere problems offensively but the two special teams brain farts served as main catalysts for the Nittany Lions to come out on top. One defeat is hardly a trend, but not many expected before the start of the season that it would be the Buckeyes entering this late-October matchup coming off a loss while Northwestern rides a recent hot streak.
The Buckeyes, to use Meyer's words, are "hurting." He is convinced the page is already turned to the Wildcats. And it better be, or else another big surprise could come to fruition in Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
“The next week you've gotta get hungry. You've gotta get after it,” Price said on Monday. “Northwestern is going to come in here, they're very, very good. They're athletic. It's something you can't take for granted.”
The Buckeyes are deeper and more talented at every position than the Wildcats but the same was said last week against Penn State. Ohio State is set to play in front of a home crowd for the first time in three weeks and won't face an opponent coming off a bye week on its home turf either.
There are many differences between the Penn State matchup and this one, and plenty that tips the scales in Ohio State's favor. But the Buckeyes rarely have to deal with losses under Meyer. It is on them to not forget they are scheduled to play a team fully capable of beating them once again.
“The next week you've gotta get hungry. You've gotta get after it. Northwestern is going to come in here, they're very, very good. They're athletic. It's something you can't take for granted.”– Billy Price
“Outstanding running back, good receivers, great route runners, can catch the ball,” Johnson said. “Very impressed with the offensive line with what they're doing in their scheme running the ball. They're doing different runs. We got our hands full.”
The Wildcats won 10 games in 2015 for only the fourth time in school history. Yes, they fell on their faces against the best competition they met, losing 38-0 to Michigan, 40-10 to Iowa and then 45-6 in the Outback Bowl to Tennessee.
But much of that same team is back, Jackson is one of the nation's best-kept secrets and Thorson's comfort in the pocket is showing in his increased rapport with his wide receivers. Austin Carr leads the Big Ten with 50 receptions and is the only receiver in the conference averaging more than 100 receiving yards per game (102.9). Flynn Nagel has 22 catches, Jackson has 19 out of the backfield—two of seven players that have at least 100 yards receiving this season.
“I think they're averaging 38 points in their last three wins,” Meyer said. “Playing very well.”
The Buckeyes didn't play that well in their last game. Everything remains in front of them when it comes to their season goals. The world is not over because of one loss but now the challenge is rising above those mistakes, correcting them and charging forward so one loss doesn't turn into two.
“I think what's happened in the past is in the past and just one of those nights where it didn't fall our way,” Johnson said. “It doesn't have anything to do with how young we were, just continue to move forward. That's the biggest thing, that's the biggest message going forward. Gotta get going and get going early.”
“It happened; move on,” Meyer said. “Get ready for a very good team coming in here.”
