Upon the Buckeyes' arrival in Dallas on Saturday, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, wide receiver Johnnie Dixon and defensive tackle Tracy Sprinkle met with members of the media for the first press conference on Cotton Bowl week.
Meyer opened his press conference by thanking the Cotton Bowl for having the Buckeyes and recalling his previous trip to the Cotton Bowl as a graduate assistant at Ohio State in 1987.
"Anxious to be here, love the city of Dallas, and I can't imagine two better, tradition-rich programs facing each other," Meyer said. "It will be great for college football. I imagine the fans will really enjoy watching this, and we're going to do our best to put on a great event for Ohio State and for USC, two great conferences and the Big Ten and the Pac-12."
Meyer also discussed what it's like to be at a bowl game before Christmas, Trevon Grimes' decision to transfer to Florida, gave his impressions of USC's offense and more:
- Ohio State is practicing in just shorts and helmets today. "I'm not pushing them hard today at all," Meyer said. Because the Buckeyes had been off practice since Tuesday, the "real reason" they are practicing Saturday is so they can "move around a little bit" and be prepared for a more intense practice Sunday.
- Meyer hadn't been with his entire team yet at the time of the press conference, as some players traveled to Dallas separately from the rest of the team, but his understanding was that his entire team made the trip to the Cotton Bowl.
- On Trevon Grimes' transfer: "He's got a situation that he wants to be closer to home. His mom's dealing with some health issues. They're great people, so we're not going to stand in the way of that."
- Meyer sees USC as a "dynamic team."
- Meyer described USC running back Ronald Jones II as "ridiculous." The Trojans also have "very good receivers" and quarterback Sam Darnold is "going to be a top two or three draft pick in the NFL."
- Meyer said it's the first time in a long time he can remember being at a bowl game and away from his family on Christmas. "There's part of me, I don't like to have them away from their families on Christmas." The Buckeyes will practice on Christmas and Meyer said the Buckeyes will "do some really cool things" for their players.
- On J.K. Dobbins: "To think that he would have broke the freshman rushing record at Ohio State and be a freshman All-American, I don't think many people anticipate that, but glad he's a Buckeye."
- On how Meyer wants to see J.T. Barrett end his Ohio State career in the Cotton Bowl: "Win the game, I think that's going to be very important for his legacy, and play very well."
- How important is winning this game? "Very important. It's a 12th win, it's going to be certainly a top-five, top-four, top-three team. A great team and a great season."
- What did you ask for for Christmas? "We'll find out on the 29th of December what I asked for. I hope we get it."
- Meyer feels good about where his players' mindsets are going into this game. "They're going to be the same they've always been all year, and that's resilient, tough, care about each other and they're going to play really hard."
- Meyer declined comment when asked about Clemson coach Dabo Swinney reportedly telling Jackson Carman that Meyer was on "the back end of his career."
After Meyer held court with the media in Dallas, Dixon and Sprinkle also spent time answering questions about the upcoming game.
- Sprinkle and Dixon were both asked about what it meant to them to be playing in a major bowl game this season after battling injuries last season. Both players described it as "a blessing" and acknowledged that it was tough having to watch their teammates from the sideline when they were injured.
- Dixon said it is "very exciting" to be playing in the Cotton Bowl, even though it's not a playoff game, because it's one last opportunity to play with the players who won't be back at Ohio State next year.
- Sprinkle says he and his fellow fifth-year seniors "know for sure we want to go out with a bang" by winning the Cotton Bowl.
- Dixon said he has not spent much time thinking about the possibility of leaving Ohio State for the NFL after this season.
- How was Dixon able to score eight touchdowns on just 18 catches this season? "I don't know, I've just been in the right place at the right time ... I'm from Florida, so when we touch the ball, we try to make a play with that."
- Do you feel like you have a chip on your shoulder going into this game? Dixon: "I feel like we have a chip every game. We don't take no other game different but The Team Up North, but I just think it's the same thing. We prepare the same way, it may be a little harder, we just know what we have to do at the end of the day."
- How important is this game to cementing this team's legacy? Sprinkle: "I think every game is important, because we don't come here to lose. So we take that chip every week that we know we got to win."
- Sprinkle said his family celebrated Christmas early since he would not be home on Christmas Day.
- Dixon said his Christmas wish is for his family, teammates and coaches to stay healthy.
10TV posted video of Saturday's press conference on its Facebook page:
Stay tuned with Eleven Warriors for continued coverage all week of Ohio State's trip to the Cotton Bowl.
