A smaller-than-usual group of Ohio State players met the media on Wednesday.
With the second top-five matchup of the season on deck as Ohio State prepares to travel to Penn State this weekend, the Buckeyes seemingly made an effort to avoid giving out bulletin-board material. Only three players participated in the traditional group interview sessions on Wednesday, with just one starter among them: Wide receiver Carnell Tate, who was joined by backup tight end Bennett Christian and nickelback Lorenzo Styles Jr.
Safety Caleb Downs and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka were also made available for individual interviews on Wednesday, and Eleven Warriors caught up with each of them to get their thoughts on how Ohio State will defend the Nittany Lions and the success the Buckeyes’ passing offense has had.
Downs and Styles both expressed that Ohio State’s defenders need to focus on executing their individual assignments as they go up against an offense that features an elite tight end in Tyler Warren among other playmakers, Tate expressed confidence in the Buckeyes’ offensive line as they look to bounce back from a rough day against Nebraska and Christian said the tight ends have to do more to help the offensive line now that it’s lost two offensive tackles to injury.
S Caleb Downs
“At the end of the day, we got to win one-on-ones. If they win, they won the one-on-ones. If we win, we did. There's nothing complicated about it.”– Caleb Downs on what Ohio State needs to do better in pass defense vs. Penn State compared to the Oregon game
- On defending Penn State TE Tyler Warren: “He's a really good player. He's played really good ball this season. They give him the ball in a lot of ways. So I feel like the biggest thing is just handling all the shifts and motions. And once you get past that, at the end of the day, it's football. So you've just got to make the play when your plays come.”
- Downs said he treats every game the same but he’s looking forward to the experience of playing in Beaver Stadium. His older brother, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs, took a visit to Penn State in high school and “said it was a really good place to play.”
- Downs said the key for the Buckeyes is to play assignment-sound football. “We only have one assignment each play. And at the end of the day, we have to play that one assignment. If everybody on the defense does that, then we'll be in good shape.”
WR Carnell Tate
“I feel like each game is a building block. I stack each game and stuff like that. I just made bigger plays this game, so I felt like it was another building block from the past.”– Carnell Tate on building off his performance against Nebraska
- Tate said the offensive line has “been doing pretty good” in practice this week. “They’ve been getting at it. New guys, new places, stuff like that. We’re all trying to pick up from the injuries.”
- Tate feels thankful he was able to contribute during Ohio State’s four-point win over Nebraska after he had spent some time battling an injury. “I knew the ball would come my way. Each and every week, we have plays for all of us. It just really depends on what the defense gives us. If they give us one thing, now the ball goes away from me or comes to me. Ultimately it’s not my decision where the ball goes.”
- When asked about Penn State’s pass defense, Tate said the Nittany Lions have “pretty solid corners.” Because of that, Tate said Ohio State has to “win our one-on-ones” on the perimeter to keep the chains moving in the passing game.
WR Emeka Egbuka
“I think, historically, the wide receivers at Ohio State have always been really talented. So I think that's part of the reason. We have guys who work extremely hard, and God has gifted them with great abilities.”– Emeka Egbuka on the Success of the Buckeyes’ passing game
- Egbuka believes for a sustainable passing game, the Buckeyes need to run the ball better. “To be able to pass the ball efficiently, you have to run the ball effectively. So I think it starts with our mindset on the outside, being able to be willing to block in the run game, make those dirty plays that wide receivers aren't typically known for, and then you'll see those passes spring later in the game.”
- On Carnell Tate having his first 100-yard game: “Obviously he didn't have probably all the production he wanted, especially through the last couple weeks. But he stayed diligent in all the practice and all the film study, all that type of stuff. So he's a really mature kid. Sometimes you forget, you know, he's only 19, 20 years old.”
- Egbuka said perimeter blocking continues to be a big emphasis for the receiver room. “I think that whenever you see those run plays of, you know, 50 yards, 75 yards, it's always the wide receivers who are blocking downfield. It's always us who's going to really spring that play. Explosives are found on the perimeter. So I think just being physical and asserting our dominance is something that we try to do all season. I think we've done a decent job.”
CB Lorenzo Styles Jr.
“He’s a good football player. We’ve got to know where he’s at on the field. But we got to trust our scheme, trust our defense. I like our players a lot. Whoever has that matchup will just have to go win that.”– Lorenzo Styles Jr. on Penn State tight end Tyler Warren
- Styles said earlier this season that 2024 has been the most fun he’s had playing football. After playing a season-high snap count against Nebraska, Styles called his extra playing time “a good opportunity.” He added: “It was definitely a good game – not one that I expected to go down to the wire like that, but sometimes it goes like that. A lot of the situations and stuff that we talked about we went out and executed, so it was fun to be a part of that.”
- Styles said Ohio State has planned for both Drew Allar and Beau Pribula to be Penn State’s quarterback on Saturday. When asked how the Buckeyes have prepared, Styles said, “You just got to plan for a lot of different things. We got to be very conscious in our studying for who’s gonna be in there and what their different skill sets are, things of that nature.”
- After a subpar performance against Oregon two weeks ago, Styles said Ohio State’s defense is “definitely” hungry to prove itself in another top-five game against Penn State. “I don’t really think it took the Oregon game to wake us up like that. But it was part of our season, so we have to bounce back overall as a defense, as a team and use that to ignite a fire in us.”
TE Bennett Christian
“We got to run the ball. We got to run people over. We got to block. We got to run routes. Missing another O-lineman, we got to step up even more than we already did. Maybe that’s helping with the ends on pass pro or run blocking. They’ve got to feel us this week, for sure.”– Bennett Christian on the challenge ahead for Ohio State’s tight ends
- Christian missed all of last season after testing positive for a banned substance in January 2023. Now that he’s back in the lineup for the Buckeyes, Christian wants to take advantage of each opportunity he receives. “I mean, it feels amazing (to be playing). It’s so rewarding. Putting in all the work last year and seeing it all come on the field now has been great.”
- Christian said Ohio State’s tight end room is “in a pretty good spot” despite Will Kacmarek’s injury. “Losing Will was a huge loss for us, and I hate it for him, but he’s a fighter and is gonna get back really quick. But for us, we just got to continue building the depth with everyone rolling in. And then going super hard and giving the best effort possible.”
- Christian said Ohio State has trained hard to protect Will Howard and pave lanes for TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins against Penn State’s front six. “They’re a really good team. You can see it all over the film. But we’ve trained so hard. I think we have to trust our training. So it’s not learn as you go but remember your training when the time comes.”
