Big Ten Football Teleconference – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/10/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 10, 2001
COACH TRESSEL
As everyone that knows, that tuned in around the country the tremendous atmosphere at Ohio Stadium on Saturday night, record-breaking crowd, and lots of electricity. I think part of it was by the fans and part was employed by the players, as they played extremely hard and extremely physical – two good football teams. I think the Big Ten is going to hear a lot more from Northwestern as the year goes. They’re a good football team that really puts a lot of pressure on you from both sides of the ball. I thought our kids came out and prepared very very well during the week. I have to make a special mention of our scout teams, I think they did a tremendous job preparing us for the temple of the fast-paced game that we were going to face. And then I think when we came out we made the plays that we needed to make and came up for a big turnover for a touchdown that really made a difference. Our special units were very, very solid offensively, we ran the football very well and defensively I thought we did a great job of just continuing to play and adjusting and not getting panicked at all with all the different things coming at them. It was a great day at Ohio Stadium.
AP QUESTION: ADVICE
Well, thanks for bringing that up. I think all of us that spent some time coaching have had some tough years. I know Coach Paterno over the course of time had some extraordinary years and he has had years he wasn’t as happy with. The one thing about him is that he always gets his troops going they will be very, very physical and continue to do what they believe in. Far be it from me, my second game in the Big Ten to be giving Coach Paterno any advice.
Q: Do recruiting success and players going into the NFL go hand-in-hand?
A: “Well, we’ve been very fortunate for years and years, having great players at Ohio State. I think it starts because our state has great high school football. We have great high school coaches. I think, culturally, our state loves the game of football and young people, when their youngsters, they want to be like the Cleveland Browns or the Cincinnati Bengals or the (Pittsburgh) Steelers or the Lions who are close by. They love the game of football. And then as an institution, I think we can attract on a national basis because of the fine institution we have and the great tradition and the great tradition we have had in guys successfully having wonderful careers in the NFL. So, I think we have a lot going for us and over the course of time our coaches from way back when have done a good job of preparing those guys for the NFL and they’ve done a good job and it has been a good situation.”
Q: Why is the Big Ten such an open race this season?
A: “Well, I think it has been a pretty open race for some time. I think if you look in the last ten years, you see a bunch of championships or part of championships and I think that is what college football is all about. If you watch the NFL, I suppose that’s what it’s about, too. There are lots of good coaching staffs, lots of good players. Every one of those Big Ten venues is an attractive one for young people to go to. They have great schools, great stadiums, great atmospheres, great traditions and I don’t think unlike many of the major conferences in our nation, this is up for grabs this year and it’s up for grabs nearly every year.”
Q: Can you talk about our defensive philosophy?
A: “I think we’re real fortunate. When we came here as a staff our defensive coaches had much of the same game plan and philosophy and theory as the defensive staff that has been here in the past and we’re also fortunate that Jim Heacock is still on the defensive staff and he’s been here at Ohio State for the last five or six years. But even if you go back years beyond that, Ohio State has always been a great defensive football team. We’ve had great athletes on defense, great belief in defense. I think we’ve competed hard in practice, therefore that makes you go after it pretty darn good in a game. I’ve been pleased, just in the four games that I’ve been around our defense, is that they don’t seem to get frustrated. When anything new is thrown at them, they talk about it, they adjust, they have confidence, they play with great speed and, you know, I think that’s why they’re good.”
Q: Are you happy with the passing game on offense?
A: “I think it needs to be improved. I think we have to become a better passing football team. I think our running game has shown some signs that it’s coming along, but without the passing game making the same type of strides, I think it affects your offensive abilities to put pressure on the defense. So, we have got to continue our improvement in the run game, but we also gave got to take a step forward in the passing game as well.”
Q: Is the Big Ten and college football so balanced no because of the scholarship restrictions?
A: “Well, I think that everyone is doing a good job with their program and I suppose there is a scholarship limitations difference. I wasn’t coaching back in the days when they had unlimited scholarships, nor when they had 105. I began coaching when the limits were 95 and then when it was knocked down to 85, you could see a parity entering into the situation. But, I just think the fact that, you know, the country is smaller-the world is smaller right now. People can turn on the TV and see Oregon or Kansas State or Miami, Fla. And I think people are more willing to step out of-maybe-their own environment and look into situations and I think that coaching has-with all the technology and all the coaching aids and so forth-I just think that everyone has gotten better, and has everyone has gotten better and the numbers have been a little bit more available for everyone, you’re seeing great parody.”
Q: Is the spread offense becoming easier to defend?
A: “Well, I don’t think the spread offense is easy to defend by any standpoint, especially when you have Zak Kustok back there at quarterback and Damien Anderson and I think the second tailback they brought in was a darn good one as well. I just think our guys kept hanging in there and kept playing hard and kept doing the best they could possibly do and we ended up handling the situation. But, no, I wouldn’t say the spread offense is easy to defend. In fact, really there’s not an offense that has ever been invented that-if executed-is easy to defend. So, I’m sure the spread will continue to be a tremendous threat in the Big Ten as time goes by.”
Q: How were you able to contain Northwestern?
A: “I have you have to look at three or four different things. One, I thought our scout team did a great job of preparing our players. I thought our coaches came up with a good plan. But, most importantly, our players did the work, they went out and they played. It still comes down to can you defeat the guy trying to block you, can you make the tackle on the guy with the ball and can you defend the guy their trying to throw to. I thought our players did a great job of doing that.”
Opening Remarks to local Media
“I wasn’t nervous coming in here today until I saw coach Bruce here. You have to understand, when you’ve been an assistant coach for coach Bruce, it takes you into a whole different medium when he’s around. In fact, my first year here I got an ulcer because I listened to everything he said. Our first scrimmage when I was here in spring practice, we didn’t have a very good day. And I saw it written in the paper somewhere that coach Bruce was quoted as saying, ‘That was the worst display of quarterback play in the history of Ohio State and I still have the article in my wallet that reminds me that coach Bruce demanded excellence. It’s a pleasure to have him here and it’s been neat to have him back. He was honored as our person of the year at our annual high school coaches clinic. It was great to have him back with our team and back in Columbus and it’s always a joy to be around him, but I have to admit I get a little nervous-still at this ripe old age-when the boss is around.
“At any rate, as we share with you a little bit last week, the first thing we do after a ballgame is we grade the thing meticulously and we try to grade the same way, win or lose. We try to have the same grading scale. We try to be as objective as we can and we decide to grade every play and then we compile the grade and say, ‘Did this person play at their position at what they were asked to do at a level that we would consider a winning performance.’ And we were fortunate on Saturday night. We had over ten guys on both sides of the ball that graded a winning performance. Over on the defense, Cie Grant, Donnie Nickey, Will Allen, Mike Doss, Dustin Fox and Derek Ross all graded winning performances in the back end. There were times when we were nickel (coverage), there were times when we were dime. They did a great job back there. They had to make some open-field tackles. They had to put some hits on receivers and so forth and they did an outstanding job in the back. Courtland Bullard, Matt Wilhelm, Mike Collins, Will Smith and Darrion Scott all graded winning performances up front and did a great job for us. Over on the offensive side, LeCharles Bentley, Bryce Bishop, Shane Olivea, Tyson Walter, Adrien Clarke, Darnell Sanders and Ben Hartsock all graded winning performances. And it was Adrien Clark’s first shot at playing guard full-time and I know (offensive line coach) Jim Bollman was very pleased with the progress he showed and the potential that he shows over there at that left guard position. Out wide, Michael Jenkins graded a winning performance along with Ricky Bryant. Steve Bellisari graded a winning performance as well as Jonathan Wells and Jamar Martin. So, when you have people doing what they’re asked to do at a winning level, which in most cases is 85 percent or above, then you have a chance to have a good football game. The special award winners over on the special units: Richard McNutt, who did a great job on our kickoff unit. He was given a special task according to the way that they were blockin their return and got that done. In fact, (he) even made a kickoff tackle inside the 20, which field position is a huge part of the game, especially when you’re going against an offense like we were facing. Over on defense, the defensive player of the game, along with (being), as I listen, the Big Ten defensive player of the (week) was Mike Doss. Michael had 11 tackles and two or three assists. He had a pass broken up. He had a sack. He had a returned fumble for a touchdown and graded 91 percent and did a great job there in the back end. Our offensive player of the week is with us today, Jonathan Wells. Jonathan rushed it I think 22 times for 179 yards or there abouts, three touchdowns and had a couple of good catches. He had one catch that should have been a touchdown but I think he started to look up to the crowd a little bit and tripped, I’m not sure. If you’ll notice, when we got the ball first-and-goal at the one, he didn’t get the carry. That’s just the way it works. He should have got in. He should get in, but he did a great job for us and I thought ran the football with great square shoulders, and that’s the key to him-square shoulders and a low-pad level. If Jonathan Wells will do that, he’s going to be an outstanding back for us at Ohio State and he was our offensive player of the week and he graded 91 percent as well. Our offensive lineman of the week, grading 97 percent, which is extraordinary, was LeCharles Bentley. LeCharles did a tremendous job of not just blocking people, but also getting every one else on the right page. And he had a new guard next to him, Adrien Clarke. He still had two young guys next to him in Bryce Bishop and Shane Olivea. Although as I listen to coach Bollman he was really happy with the way Bryce and Shane progressed this particular game. LeCharles has done a great job up front and if there a better center anywhere I am not sure where that is. He is an outstanding football player.
“Our attack force player of the game was Will Smith. He has eight tackles and three assists. He had that caused fumble which I think was the first time in some 400 tries that running back fumbled the football. He also made a great block on the play. As you watch that play it would have been a fumble recovery if it was not for extraordinary effort in getting up and getting for Michael Doss. He did a great job there and graded in the low 80s. Will Smith is going to be a special player. Our Jack Tatum hit of the week was administered by Branden Joe. He made a great hit on our kickoff return and the neat thing about that award this week is that were about four or five people nominated for it. We had a heated discussion in our staff room, but Branden Joe ended up being the recipient of that.
“We talk a lot about and don’t hear enough about it the importance of that scout team. Believe me when I tell you Branden Blainey, our defensive GA did an extraordinary job getting that scout team ready. Rick McFadden was our scout team’s special team’s offensive player of the week and he did a great job of running that spread attack at us. We ran a 100 plays at our defense in 50 minutes on Thursday and they ran 86 in three hours. It was a darn good job and you cannot discount what that was all about this week.
Our special teams scout player of the week was Scott Petroff. He did a great job rushing punts, protecting punts, running down on kickoffs. He does a great job of giving our special units people the right look. Over on the defensive side, Maurice Lee, our defensive back had an outstanding week and really worked hard with us with the technique of man coverage. A lot of people play man, but there are so many different techniques of man coverage. Maurice really gave us a great look and gave us the proper technique and was awarded the scout team defensive player of the week.
“As I mentioned on the Big Ten conference call, you cannot say enough about our crowd and the energy they brought. We asked them to be there and be loud and they were certainly that and they did it all day long. In my mind you could not ask for more effort than our young people gave. They played from start to finish. They did not play perfect, but they played hard and I think we got better and that is what it is all about. Therefore we had great results last Saturday. We are also all aware that when you are in the Big Ten and you are playing Wisconsin that the Northwestern game does not have much to do with anything. They are going to come in here and they are not a happy bunch. They have got a lot of seniors on the football team that I know are good leaders because they have had a lot of success when they have been there. We have a tremendous challenge as we line up against the Badgers. The Badgers have always been a tough opponent for Ohio State as long as I can remember because they are so physical. They play the game hard. They don’t play it fancy. They are not that different on offense or defense. They line up and say here we are and we’ll see who’s better. They do the same thing in special teams, so that is why I think it is going to be a tremendous challenge for us as we prepare to put Northwestern behind us. Appreciate it, but put it behind us and learn from what we did not do well against Northwestern and get ready for a big homecoming day when the Badgers come to town.
Q: Are you living dangerously with the passing offense. In two games this year there has been a total of nine completions. Are you satisfied with just running the ball?
Coach Jim Tressel: No, I think we need to pass the ball more effectively. There is no question. That is not to say that we are not going to be a good run team. We are going to work hard to at running the football, but we have to throw the football better. We have to come up with more big plays. I think the thing that was very positive from a pass standpoint this week was that we came up with two big plays that led to touchdowns. I don’t think you can discount that. You talk about balls being dropped off and gaining five yards, well what is the difference between that and running off tackle. The big play is where we have to make sure we continue and then we have to get better at spraying the ball around. In fact, really three pass plays set up touchdowns because I forgot Jonathan’s (Wells). That has to be even more prevalent, but we have to do an even better job throwing. Nobody will discount that.”
Q: Could you talk about Michael Jenkins? He had two big catches and just about the adjustments he has made this year.
A: “I think Michael Jenkins is going to be a good receiver. He studies the game. I think he has got speed. It does not look like he is going that fast, but he has those long strides and I think he judges the ball extremely well. He has the ability, for a young guy, to understand the difference between people are laying him. The way Northwestern played man-to-man coverage, for the first time in my life I ever told the quarterbacks, don’t overthrow the deep ball. Golly, the cardinal rule is you got to overthrow it, don’t under throw it. The way (Northwestern) played man coverage you were going to be in better position if you under threw the ball than if you overthrow it. I thought Steve (Bellisari) did a good job of doing that and Michael did a good job of adjusting to that. We needed to do that and Michael gave us that ability. He understands the game.”
Q: How would you rate the offensive line? Is Adrien Clarke at right guard going to be a permanent thing?
A: “Well he played the whole game at guard, so it was permanent Saturday. I hope he stays healthy. I hope he keeps progressing. We have to get to the point where we can have enough depth in there. I think we are going to start getting some time back from Ivan Douglas this week. He can join in over there at tackle and give us a little help there. If Adrien, Alex and Bryce could help us in there at guard then we would be in a little bit better shape in there at depth on the offensive line.”
Q: In your opinion, what happened to Wisconsin last week?
A: “I don’t know. I was not there, but I saw the film. And what you saw on the film is that Indiana came out and hit two big plays and the blocked a punt. It was 21-0 before people were even in from the tailgating lot and that is a problem. How are you going to react to that? The problem is that Indiana is good. Indiana did a good job of executing on offense the whole day. You get so concerned about Randle El, because he can beat you, that all of sudden their receivers had good days, their tight end had a couple of big catches and their tailback rushed for a bunch. And their fullback had a big game. He caught a big long pass down the middle and he ran a couple of big runs. I think things did not go right early and they did not get it stopped and turned around, but Indiana is a good team. While I was shocked at the score, I was not shocked that Indiana played well because I think they are pretty good.”
Q-What kind of confidence does the defense have that they are able to adjust so quickly?
A: (Nickey) “I think we make our adjustments pretty quickly and after that first drive we get a handle for the game and the tempo. Then our adjustments just come and we relax. We make our adjustments that we have been making all weak and then see what the offense is doing and go from there.”
Q: After what UCLA and Indiana did after playing against the OSU defense, do you think that is evidence enough that the defense is for real?
A: (Nickey) “I think we gained some respect from what we did.”
Q: How much credence do you put into the Indiana against Wisconsin game film?
A: “I think from an X and O standpoint you have to watch it. I don’t think you saw them playing their best, but I think you saw them playing their schemes. So you have to separate that. If any of us watch the Indiana film and say that is the Wisconsin we are going to play then we are in trouble. We need to watch that Fresno State game. We need to watch that Oregon game. I think it was 31-28 and it was one of the best games in the country. I would be really surprised if anyone at Ohio State would under estimate just how good Wisconsin can be. But we still need to watch the X’s and O’s from the Indiana game. Interestingly enough we had that same discussion last night when we were watching the film. Man this is not Wisconsin, bit it was Wisconsin as far as their schemes. It just wasn’t them at their best. Hopefully we are mature enough to separate those two issues and know just how good Wisconsin has been, can be and probably will be.”
Q: What did Indiana do to Wisconsin? What confounded them after they handled Penn State?
A: “I think the biggest thing is when you are preparing to play an option team defensively you are preparing for a full different avenue. And you know Penn State is not an option team. As Wisconsin’s defense was preparing for Penn State and Indiana – that’s two different worlds. The other thing is that when Ohio State played Indiana, Ohio State had the ball for 35 and a half minutes and that did not happen last weekend. I though Ohio State did a great job of adjusting to the various things Indiana brought and part of that was special units did a great job. The offense got the ball and we got real good experienced, confident folks on the defensive side. Indiana really ran the same things that have always been running. They brought a little option that day. They bring great misdirection pass. Their tailback is a good one. Their fullback is a good one. Their offensive line is good and they were clicking. I don’t think you can write that off. There are those days when, boy everything is falling right and the deep passes that look like long foul balls some days land right into the receiver’s hands for 60 yards. And that happened on the first play of the game. I think Wisconsin did not play as well as they can and I know they are going to play as well as they can Saturday. So, we better do the same.”
Q: What task must coach Barry Alvarez master this week to get Wisconsin back on the right track after a big loss?
A: “Well I don’t know his team that well, but I think if he feels good about who they are then they are going to take care of themselves. The pride that they have in themselves. The pride that they have in their program and teammates and so forth. I don’t know if they are going to be jumping up and down and be doing anything any different because I a he has a lot of confidence in what those kids have done before and what they are capable of doing now. It wasn’t like it was that long ago. It was three or four weeks ago that they played Oregon and Fresno State and played them very well and Penn State two weeks ago. I don’t think he’ll change. He has a plan and he has executed that plan for a dozen years or so up there, so I don’t think he’ll change his plan.”
Q-Donnie, what was the wristband you had on during the game?
A: “That is how we call our defense. Northwestern would line up in their formation and then get the call from the sideline. We would have to do the same thing. They got some speed and that is what was crazy about Northwestern. They executed the spread and did it at such a fast pace.”
Q-How has the transition been from coach Pagac to coach Dantonio?
A: (Nickey) “Everything has been pretty smooth. Their philosophies are similar. Their schemes are different. Their names are different. I think everything has been going well.”
Q: LeCharles, what are your impressions of Wisconsin’s Wendell Bryant?
A: (Bentley) “Wendell is a great player. I had the opportunity to play him my sophomore year. I have a lot of respect for him and you really have to watch out for him.”
Q: Between the 1999 and 2000 games against Wisconsin, which one do you remember most?
A: (Wells)”We have to go back and look at both of those games, but they are all in the past. We want to get the positive aspects of both of those games and go forward from there.”
Q: Jim, do you worry about a possible let down after a big win?
A: “I hope not. LeCharles said it best. We took a step, but we understand that we only took one step. What has gone on in the past, as Jonathan mentioned, is irrelevant. We’ve got the 2001 Badgers coming in here who are going to be standing up for who they are. We have to focus in on who we are and what we do and I’d be very disappointed if we didn’t move forward from this point.
Q: Do you expect Wisconsin to come in with a little more motivation coming off a loss and last year’s dancing on the “W” at midfield?
A: (Bentley) “I think they’re upset about what happened. Wisconsin is a great team and they’ll be ready to play. It’s going to be a great game.”
Q: What was your reaction to Wisconsin’s big loss to Indiana on Saturday?
A: (Wells) “I was pretty shocked at the score when I saw it. But I’m expecting those guys to bring their A-game. This is Ohio State. We have to play good against every team. I expect those guys to bring a lot of intensity, but I also expect this football team to come out with just as much intensity and get the job done.”
Q: Jim, is the level of toughness on your team where you want it to be or is there another step yet to be taken?
A: “I think there’s always more steps to take. As everyone gets into the season they become tougher and more thicker and stronger. I was pleased. I thought our offensive and defensive guys played physically, our special teams played with a lot more velocity and physical play, but we’ve still got to grow. We have to become more physical and tougher as time goes on. I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made. But if we take a step back from that then we’ll be in trouble because Wisconsin is tough.”
Q: Jonathan, do you fell like you’ve made the transition, like Eddie George did, from your junior to senior season’s and are you starting to get into your comfort zone so to speak?
A: “That big run at the start helped a lot. It really helped my confidence. My offensive line, you can’t say enough about those guys up front. I watched a lot of film on Eddie last week and I kind of got into a rhythm out there.”
Q: Jim, has the tight end not being part of the game plan affecting your offense or is it that they’re just not getting the ball?
A: “I think the tight ends have done a great job from an assignment standpoint. There hasn’t been many times where we haven’t thrown to them when we were supposed to. There have been a couple of times where we have not gotten the ball to them when we should have. I don’t sit here with concern about where the tight ends fit in or what their level of confidence is in the passing game. If you ask me what the top three things are that we have to get better at in the passing game, you have to start with protection. Then you go to the quarterback and then the receivers. The tight ends in my minds are the last place that we need to get better at. Not that we don’t need to get better because we do. It’s not because that they can’t catch why they’re not getting the ball. I don’t want anyone to think that Darnell Sanders is having a bad year catching the ball. He’s where he needs to be. I can only think of one route all year where he just misheard the call or whatever.”
Q: Jesse, how good can this team be?
A: “I think you can only answer that question when the end of the year comes around. Until then, it all comes down to preparation week in and week out. We have to get better each week. To say where we’re going to be at the end of the year is dictated by what we do from here on out.”
Q: Donnie, how much does the defensive backfield rely on communicating with each other?
A: “Communication is very important. You have to have good chemistry back there. You have to be able to communicate when you can’t hear that well also. You have to be able to communicate back there.”
Q: How much of a difference does Jim Sorgi and Brooks Bollinger bring to their offense?
A: “I don’t think scheme wise they’re different. Experience wise they are. I think Bollinger likes to run it a lot more. I haven’t really studied them offensively that much. I just know that his name shows up a lot. He carries it a lot and brings great experience.”
Q: Jim, you talk about LeCharles being possibly the best in the game at his position … where do you put Mike Doss right now?
A: “He certainly makes plays. When people start talking about national categories, you start talking about all this and all that and statistics come into play. He certainly produces. We have a production board and I think he’s produced around 40 points. He makes plays. LeCharles is probably playing more consistently. I don’t think Mike graded 97, he was 91. But I think Mike Doss is an outstanding player.”
Q: Jim, your guys seem really modest and humble right now, would you kind of like to see them being a little cockier and show a little bit more swagger?
A: “That’s tough question. Would I like to see them be more cocky? I think they know that there’s only been four games. I haven’t seen anyone in the middle of the season be cocky and be as good as they can be. Would I like to see them more cocky? No. Do I think they’re coining answers for you? No. I’ve watched how they work and approach things. They want to be good. They know the only way they’re going to be good is to keep their eye on the task at hand.”
Q: What parts of the team have made the biggest improvements in you mind?
A: “I think we’ve improved across the board because our guys practice hard. Would I like the pace to be quickened in a lot of areas? Sure. But we have to go one step at a time. We’ll go to work today and get ready for Wisconsin and get better at the same time. We just have to keep taking those small steps forward. So many parts of the team have started at different levels. It just depends on where you are. But I think the progress is steady in terms of going from no experience to a lot of experience. I think the progress has been steady throughout.”
Q: Jim, do you remember when the light bulb went on for Bryce Bishop?
A: “I thought he made a good transition from the spring to the fall. And I remember saying at the end of spring that I hoped for great improvement as we relearned. That there would be carryover. The thing that Bryce has done, if you’re in there practicing and you’re in there playing you’re going to get better. He hasn’t missed any time, he’s young, he’s got a long way to go. I always ask LeCharles about how Bryce is coming along and so forth. He’s not where we want him to be yet, but he’s moving forward and that’s all we can ask.”
Q: The way that LeCharles is playing and being graded, is he having an impact on the rest of those guys (on the offensive line)?
A: “He sets the standard and gives the direction. Coach Bollman’s theory starts with the center and everything grows from there. We talk about Jonathan watching film on Eddie George and LeCharles sits beside him and watches the great players also. It’s a great thing for us to have a great leader.”
Q: Jonathan, what kinds of things are you looking for when you watch games on Eddie George?
A: “He’s a guy I look up to as a role model type guy. He’s had some great years at Ohio State and I like to watch great people. He’s not the only guy I watch. I watch Raymont Harris and a lot of the older guys a lot. They’ve all done great things and those are the types of things that I want to be able to do.”
Q: What has Joe Montgomery done for as a player?
A: “Joe keeps in touch with me all of the time. Joe is a real upbeat and positive guy. He’ll let you know that you’re not done with just one big run. Having a guy like Joe Montgomery on the sidelines is real positive for me.”
Q: Under what scenario will you put in another quarterback? It looks like you may have had the chance late in the game to do so and didn’t.
A: “We had a little discussion at the time that it was 38-13. But we made the decision on the field that it probably wasn’t the right thing to do. We’ll keep trying to create opportunities. I would like some of them to be game time, but sometimes it doesn’t work. How’s come no one ever asks, why don’t we put another center in? It just seemed to be what the team needed at the moment. That’s what we base all our decisions on.
Q: On the radio and things like that, you’ve been said to have a team like the Baltimore Ravens: a team with a great offense and limited defense. Is that a fair comparison?
A: “There have been teams who have had success doing a lot of different things. I would like to be one of those teams that does everything well. That’s what we’re shooting for. If I had to pick my top two, no surprise to anyone, I would like to have great defense and run the ball. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to throw the ball. If we’re going to be Big Ten champions, we have to throw the ball a lot better than we have.”
Q: Jim, does it bother you that Northwestern is still ahead of you in the polls?
A: It’s October. That’s irrelevant.
