Presser Bullets: Jim Knowles And Five Members of the Buckeye Defense Discuss "Huge Challenge" in Georgia, Lessons Learned From Michigan Loss

Jim Knowles, Steele Chambers and JT Tuimoloau were first up to the podium at the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta Wednesday, discussing bowl game preparations for the Buckeyes' upcoming College Football Playoff semifinal matchup. After those three, Tommy Eichenberg, Lathan Ransom and Jack Sawyer all addressed questions from media members.

We took notes on everything all six Buckeyes said below:

Jim Knowles

• Knowles says the Buckeyes must be prepared for Georgia's two-tight end sets on Saturday with Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington.
• Knowles says explosive plays were what doomed Ohio State against Michigan and the breakdowns weren't "systematic."
• Knowles calls Georgia a "huge challenge" with a "versatile" offense and cites the Bulldog tight ends as a top concern. Knowles says it's a "complete" offense and is "developed like an NFL offense."
• On whether or not Georgia is a tougher test than Michigan, Knowles says "they're all tough." Knowles says "each team presents different challenges" and Georgia has "a bunch of guys that are gonna play at the next level."
• "My job is to prepare these guys the best I possibly can for the job that awaits them. ... We expected to be here and when I took the job, I expected that it would lead to this." Knowles says "you don't change unless there's a problem."
• Knowles says "you don't want to hold your rushmen back, you want to let them go." However, he says the Buckeyes have to address the scrambling ability of the opposing quarterback.
• Did the Michigan game come down to five plays? Knowles replies only "yes."
• "It's all a guessing game when it comes to coaching and preparing." Knowles says a lot of it is about adjustments.
• "Our players, they are always trying to play their best." Knowles says it's a "cop out" to point the blame at the players. "The fingers need to be pointed back to me."
• Knowles says "I'm afraid we might have lost (Chip Trayanum) for good at running back."
• "We're anxious. The guys, they have an edge."

Steele Chambers

• Chambers says he lives about 25 minutes away and that it's nice being in close proximity. Chambers says he's been trying to show the team around but couldn't get into the aquarium: "That sucked."
• "It's gonna be really fun. I think something for me that I take into account is that it's just a bigger stage. So I don't like to dwell on the games in the past."
• Chambers jokes Stetson Bennett has this "weird little dead-leg thing he does when he gets in open space, that's annoying."
• "They certainly bait you with a lot of play-action plays." Chambers says the Buckeyes must have discipline in order to play both the run and the play-action.
• On Chip Trayanym: "I love Chip. ... He's just a good guy. He's a team guy and I think he's a big reason why we are where we are this year."
• Chambers says Tuimoloau gave a "rousing speech" in practice that gave him goosebumps.

JT Tuimoloau

• Tuimoloau says Stetson Bennett is a "great player" and can be "very elusive."
• Tuimoloau says the Buckeyes have to be ready for the changes the Georgia offense throws at them.
• On the speech he gave in practice, Tuimoloau says it was an uncertain time before the Buckeyes got their CFP berth and that he told the team the morals of the program have to be displayed in this moment.

Jack Sawyer

• Sawyer cites Bennett as a "great player" and says the Bulldogs have a "really athletic offensive line."
• Sawyer says the Buckeyes are "very eager to prove everyone wrong and prove ourselves right."
• Sawyer says the Buckeye defense has been playing "pissed off in practice."
• Sawyer says Georgia's tight ends "pose a good challenge and I think we're up for it."
• "When you're coming to the playoffs like we are now, everything's on the line."
• On what team Georgia reminds him of in the Big Ten, Sawyer says Penn State.
• Sawyer says "you find out who's there with you when things aren't going well." Sawyer says the Buckeyes got a "second chance at life" in the playoff and thinks "the adversity brought us closer together" over the past month.
• Sawyer thinks Ohio State has advantages over Georgia "across the board on both sides of the ball."

Tommy Eichenberg

• "It's a great offense, they can do a lot with that ball."
• "We're really excited. This past month getting back out there, practicing really hard."
• Eichenberg says the Georgia tight ends are very versatile and can be effective both in the run and the pass game.
• "We're playing for the national championship. It's different than last year."
• On if he has a future in speaking engagements, Eichenberg says "no, I don't think so."
• Eichenberg says the Michigan loss "definitely made this team tighter." 
• Where does Ohio State have advantages over Georgia? "Everywhere."
• On playing with Chambers, Eichenberg says "he's a great player" and he's "pretty comfortable" playing with the former Buckeye running back.

Lathan Ransom

• On the lessons learned from the Michigan loss: "At the end of the day, I think our biggest lessons were just to do your job" and not always try to make a big play.
• Ransom says Bennett does a great job of getting the ball into the hands of Georgia's playmakers and takes what the defense gives him.
• Ransom says "we couldn't be looking forward to it more."
• Ransom says Ohio State's "biggest goal" that it set in the preseason is still on the table.
• "We stay in the Woody and whatever's said outside of the Woody, positive or negative, shouldn't affect us."
• On the Michigan-TCU game, Ransom says "we're not paying attention to that game at all. We're focused on Georgia."