Ohio State's rematch with Oregon with both teams' seasons on the line is just four days away.
The locale has a lot of meaning for Buckeye offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who coached UCLA and Oregon, as the Rose Bowl will host the Bucks and Ducks, which is UCLA's home field. That's not on Kelly's mind though, he said, as he prepares for an Oregon defensive line he said is one of the best in the country on Saturday.
Kelly also praised Ohio State's offense in all phases off a 42-17 win against Tennessee, but especially the play of Luke Montgomery, Austin Siereveld and Tegra Tshabola as the three linemen rotated at offensive guard. Kelly added that he's never seen somebody be as good as Jeremiah Smith as young as the freshman is while previewing the matchup with the Ducks.
After Kelly's time with the media, a quartet of Ohio State players took to the lectern including wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka, quarterback Will Howard and running back Quinshon Judkins. Smith spoke of his motivation to be football's Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant while he and Howard agreed that he's always open.
Chip Kelly
- On returning to his former home stadium at UCLA to play another of his former teams in Oregon: "Honestly, I haven't really thought about it. ... After we beat Tennessee we're on to Oregon and they're really talented, so it's got your full attention."
- Kelly praised the play of Will Howard, his offensive line, receivers and running backs against the Volunteers. "I thought our players executed. ... I think it was every position that really contributed to that win over Tennessee."
- On struggles to run the ball in the second half against Oregon in October: "It was more of self-inflicted wounds on our side. ... Those are things I think are correctable. ... You look at that game, but there's also a lot of games since then."
- Rushing successes against Tennessee aren't guaranteeing any gains against the Ducks. "I think every game is different. ... It's always the matchups and the individual matchups, our O-line vs. their D-line, and they have one of the best defensive lines in the country."
- On backup quarterback Devin Brown: "He loves it here, he loves his teammates, he loves being a Buckeye. ... He's focused 100 percent on Oregon and helping his teammates win this game."
- Kelly said the team doesn't need outside noise and criticism to be motivated like it faced before its win over Tennessee. "I think our players are intrinsically motivated to be successful, and they have one goal: To win the whole thing. ... It's a really good football team, turn on the tape and they're going to challenge us."
- Jeremiah Smith first impressed the offensive coordinator in workouts. "You could see the athleticism, the way he could run and jump at that size."
- On Ohio State's rotation at offensive guard: "I thought all three of those guys did a nice job ... I thought Luke played really well. ... When you have three capable guys inside who can spell each other, (it) keeps those guys fresher."
- On tight end Jelani Thurman: "I'm a big Jelani fan, I think he's a tremendous football player. ... He continues to develop ... you watch his toughness ... there's an innate toughness to Jelani that any football person admires. Combining that athleticism with that toughness is a great combination."
- On the difference in Oregon's defense since getting star defensive end Jordan Burch back: "I think some of the personnel has changed a little bit, and I think all the players that did step up when Burch was out have played really well."
- Kelly said Howard's kept his approach the same entering this game. "He's been the same, that's the thing I love about Will is his consistency and his approach on a daily basis."
- On Austin Siereveld as he swings between left and right guard: "There's a big difference between playing on the left side and playing on the right side. ... You're facing different players, you're seeing different looks. ... He's done a really good job and since the beginning of the year he's always been that guy (to step in)."
- On Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel: "I'm not surprised at the success Dillon has had ... he's extremely accurate. He's calm, I think there's a really good poise about him. ... He also has great athleticism."
- Kelly said Smith has an impact "every time he's on the field" as he draws attention away from other weapons. "It's up to the quarterback being able to discern that. ... It's really Will being able to process (double teams) post-snap."
- Kelly said he hasn't seen anyone as good as young as Smith is.
Jeremiah Smith
- On how he felt he played against Tennessee: "I feel I played a great game. ... I pulled Coach (Hartline) aside last week and said, 'Coach I want to be challenged."
- On what Hartline challenging him looks like: "Pushing me in practice, pushing me to the limit that I want to be pushed. You see guys like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, how hard they were pushed ... I want to be like those guys but in football."
- Smith said, even though he believes he was interfered with, he still should have made a play on Ohio State's interception vs. the Volunteers. "I feel like every ball that's thrown to me, I have to make a play. ... If the ball hits my hand I have to catch it."
- Smith stayed mum about getting snubbed for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year in favor of Texas defensive end Collin Simmons. "Collin's a great player as well. ... Shaun is a great guy as well. ... Really just focused on beating Oregon."
- On being double-teamed: "I feel like I'm still open, no matter if I'm bracketed or not."
- On Oregon's secondary: "They have a great group of guys there, Jabbar Muhammad ... probably the best we're gonna see all year, we've just gotta go out there and be Ohio State."
- Asked when "he's not open," Smith said, "probably when the whole team is on me."
- On his drive to be great and when he first gained the confidence to be like Jordan or Bryant: "A lot of people told me that I was going to be great at what I do. ... Football is all I know and that's all I want to do. I eat, sleep and breathe football. ... Football is all I want to do."
- On the most difficult part of adjusting to the college game: "Learning that playbook."
- Smith says next year he wants to master all the wide receiver positions in Ohio State's playbook.
- While he says he's moved on, when asked, Smith still doesn't believe the offensive pass interference call against him at Oregon in October was correct. "I guess you can't be physical as a wide receiver in college football anymore."
Will Howard
- On playing in the Rose Bowl: "I have to appreciate every opportunity that I get here, and we're blessed to be here and we're excited. ... Being a kid who watched the Big Ten and watched the Rose Bowl every year. ... It's something I've always dreamed of, playing in this game."
- Howard said playing "well enough to get the win" is all that matters at this time of year when asked if he felt the Tennessee game was the best of his career.
- On the team's mindset entering the Oregon rematch: "Excited and ready. I said the moment we were walking off that field, 'We're gonna see these guys again.' We're hungry, we're ready for this opportunity. ... In life, you don't get a lot of second chances, so it's a blessing."
- Howard feels a personal motivation to get a win against the Ducks after he slid down a second too late in Autzen Stadium. "I get a chance to go out there and right the wrong from that game. ... It really has nothing to do with me, it's this team, and the way that we lost that game, it hurts all of us."
- On his connection with tight end Gee Scott Jr.: "He's doing a heck of a job. Gee's one of those guys who could go out there and have zero catches and feel fine, he's a team guy. ... We're pretty close and I think it's showing in our chemistry on the field."
- Even though it's positive now, Howard said Ohio State still can't pay too much attention to outside noise. "The same people that are patting us on the back were beating us down two weeks ago. So you've just gotta remember that and not eat any of the sugar."
- On whether Smith is always open: "Yes, he is pretty much. They've gotta put three or four guys over him for him to not be open."
- Howard doesn't expect Oregon to be in the same place it was in October and doesn't feel Ohio State is either. "Every week you're upgrading, you're becoming a new version of your team."
- On Oregon's cornerbacks: "They're very athletic, and they're not as physical as some of the other corners we've played against. ... I don't think they get beat very often. ... I think they're both great players."
- On how he's evolved since the Oregon game: "I don't know if I can say one thing about where I've gotten better at ... maybe my completions, just trying to take what the defense gives me. ... I don't think there's one thing I can necessarily put my finger on, but just trying to learn from the good and from the bad."
- On having Kelly as his offensive coordinator: "The more that this year has gone on, I feel like we're in-sync right now, pretty damn well. ... We're able to have that healthy discussion of, 'What do you like here? What do you not like here?'"
- On Smith's maturity: "You don't feel like he's a high school kid, he's an 18-, 19-year-old. He's mature beyond his years. ... He can do some pretty unbelievable stuff."
Emeka Egbuka
- On the team's feeling entering the quarterfinal: "I really doesn't get much better than this. Getting a chance to redeem ourselves from earlier this year is huge."
- Egbuka said he first knew Smith would be special as he became the first Ohio State freshman ever named an Iron Buckeye by the strength and conditioning staff. "Just his mindset. Obviously he's a freak when it comes to his body ... but that's when I knew."
- On the line of great Ohio State wide receivers: "I don't know what it is about the culture of zone six, but we keep bringing in these types of people year-in and year-out."
- Egbuka is among the admirers of the tradition of the Rose Bowl. "There's just something in the air down there in Pasadena. ... It's the kind of game you dream about playing in as a little kid in the backyard with your friends."
- On Howard's drive to avenge the Oregon loss: "Will, he's a laser-focused person. ... You can see it in his eyes that this game means everything to him. (He's) making sure we're sharp."
- On a moment he's seen from Smith that showed him he was different: "I would say it's happened multiple times. ... My earliest moments were in spring ball, just seeing him make these ridiculous catches."
- Egbuka had 10 receptions against the Ducks the first time out but expects the Buckeyes' passing offense "We're not entirely sure what their game plan is going to be, but we're prepared for everything. ... It's gonna be a great matchup whether they tend to focus on me or not, it doesn't really matter for me, because I know our team has a great plan regardless."
- Egbuka pushed back on the notion that "I think we have three No. 1 receivers out there."
- On whether beating Oregon would be "the ultimate" "No, I think the ultimate would be the national championship. ... This is the team that just happens to be the way."
Quinshon Judkins
- Judkins feels Ohio State's coaches put the running game in positions to succeed and have a better outing against Tennessee.
- Even though he grew up in SEC territory, Judkins is excited to take part in the legendary Rose Bowl. "That's something that you compete for. ... Definitely wanted to be in this spot."
- On whether he and TreVeyon Henderson had the perfect split of carries against Tennessee: "Definitely. ... Our coaches do such a great job at that ... whoever is on the field, we're both gonna do our job."
- On whether he's thought of his NFL draft decision: "No, as of right now, I'm just looking forward to this game, trying to win it all."
