Big Ten Football Teleconference – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/31/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 31, 2001
%^$Coach Tressel addresses the national and local media:
%^$As you know, we had a tough one over there in State College, Pa. As you listen to the Big Ten Players of the week, with Zach Mills and Robbie Gould taking two of the three spots, you know that it was a difficult day for the Buckeyes. It was disappointing to have a lead in the ballgame and then allow that lead to disintegrate and turn in to a Penn State victory, but we have to give credit to the people that made that happen for Penn State and obviously learn from the mistakes that we made that allowed some of those things to happen. Like all of us in the Big Ten, we’re right in the heart of the Big Ten schedule and we have another road opportunity as we travel to the University of Minnesota, and take on the Gophers, who have won two straight and who are playing with as much confidence and enthusiasm as they have played with this entire year and we know what a tremendous challenge that will be and we’re looking forward to it.%^$
%^$Q-Can you describe the mood in Columbus? Is the honeymoon over for you?
%^$A-Well, the honeymoon ended when we were 1-1. If you want to ask me about my mood, I can tell you about mine. But I can’t really talk too much about the mood of anyone else. Obviously, we’re disappointed and feel as if we can play better football than we’ve been playing and make the things happen that need to happen to win football game. I would say that you could describe our mood as anxious for another opportunity.%^$
%^$Q-How critical is this game for you?
%^$A-Well, I would hope to everyone involved it is the most critical thing going on in their sports world. The three games after that are really irrelevant, outside of just how much progress we make this game will affect those last three games, but this game is everything.%^$
%^$Q-How would you assess your defense right now?
%^$A-Well, defensively, I think like we were when we began the season, we have an experienced group. We have a group capable of making plays. They’ve played very, very hard. There have been moments where people have made plays against us and there have been a couple of ballgames when people have come from behind, but I don’t think you can count our defense out.%^$
%^$Q-Why have you been so loyal to Steve Bellisari this season?
%^$A-Well, I hope that we’re loyal to everyone on our team and I hope that we don’t let loyalty get in the way of doing what’s the best thing for the team, either. We feel that Steve Bellisari has demonstrated that he is our best quarterback. He has not demonstrated that he has done all the things we need to do to be as good of team as we want to be, but he has demonstrated that he is our best quarterback. And as we’ve talked about week after week here, it’s an interesting situation in that he makes a tremendous amount of plays which is certainly helpful for a young offensive group like we have. On the flipside, he makes some mistake that really give our offense a problem, but going back to the first thought, we feel as if he is the best quarterback at Ohio State.%^$
%^$Q-How has he battled emotionally through everything he has had to deal with?
%^$A-Well, I think outwardly he has handled it well. I think he has handled it well with his teammates. His teammates seem to always be there for him. Now, inwardly, I’m sure, being the fact that he is human, it has been a difficult situation, one that I’m sure has been taxing and trying for him. But he’s a tough young man and these experiences, I’m sure, will continue to prepare him for great things in the future.%^$
%^$Q-Is there any sense of rivalry playing Minnesota?
%^$A-Well, I think the way that you’ve seen the Big Ten unfold here in the last ten years, you’ve seen rivalries with just about every setting. There have been so many different conference championships, there have been so many different games that have tipped the balance within people’s route toward winning a conference championship or not winning a conference championship. That’s what is amazing about the Big Ten, is just how much people value playing one another. As far as a specific rivalry, I don’t know that it’s any greater than any other. When we line up in the Big Ten, everything is a rivalry.%^$
%^$Q-How much a distraction is Glen Mason being considered for the OSU job to this game?
%^$A-Well, I would say this, the team that does not allow those types of things to distract them will win the game. I don’t know anything about two years ago or anything else. The only thing I do know about Mase (Mason) because I coached with Mase here at Ohio State is that outside the University of Minnesota, he loves Ohio State second best. But I know who he loves first best and he is going to have his team prepared to face the Buckeyes and they’ll be ready to go.%^$
%^$Q-Have you talked to Coach Mason recently?
%^$A-Well, at the Big Ten meetings back in August, but not since then. But I haven’t spoken with my wife since preseason began, so how you know us coaches are.%^$
%^$Q-Is there any added pressure because he’s on the other sideline?
%^$A-Other than the fact that he is a very good coach, no.%^$
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%^$Tressel’s opening statement
%^$We were obviously very disappointed in the outcome of the Penn State football game. We felt like we prepared hard. We felt like we had a good plan in place. We felt like our kids were mentally and physically ready to play the football game. We knew there was going to be a difficult challenge going in to Happy Valley in light of the emotion that was running deep on the other sideline. And then to have the opportunity to make the plays to have a victory and then not make them is obviously very disappointing. And as we reflected back on that-after watching technically the film because it’s real easy to see what you do and you don’t do. It’s easy to see what tackle you make and what tackle you missed and what gap you didn’t block and what pass you shouldn’t have thrown or whatever-after looking at that the thing we needed to make sure we understood is just how do you approach the fact that here is where we are. And we talked about a number of things, but I think the most important thing we talked about is we can’t wait a second to head back in the other direction. We can’t listen to anyone saying, ‘Well, it’s going to be okay, or don’t worry, you’re getting better or you’ve had a tough break or gosh, just think if you would have made the field goal.’ If we listen to any of that, then we’ve spent too much time on the wrong things. We’ve got to make sure we go back to work as we did on Sunday and we’ve got to do the things that you need to do. We’ve got to make sure that we understand that you go out and gain victories. Victories don’t just come to you if you do part of the job. That’s kind of the approach that, we feel, at this point in time, that we need to take. I felt good about the fact that there was no question that our players feel the same way and as I’ve said to many people, I have not been disappointed one bit with the effort with anyone in or around our program. I haven’t been disappointed with anyone’s interest in being as good as we can possibly be and doing it the right way. But of course we’ve been all disappointed at various times with our own part of the puzzle, whether it be the coaching part of the puzzle, the offensive part, the defensive part or the special units part. The fact is, we can’t wait. We’ve got to go to work and do the things that you need to do to be a victorious football team.%^$
%^$Q-What are some of the problems you saw?
%^$A-Well, the most common things is the obvious thing: we were ahead in both games and ended up losing. Were there any of the details of the situation that were exactly the same? I don’t know that I could sit here and recite those. I think if you want it in general terms, we have got to make the plays that Penn State made and we can’t make the mistakes that Ohio State made. That’s as simple as I can put it. Now, which ones are they? We could go down position by position, starting with the coaches and we could cover the gamut, but that’s what we do everyday.%^$
%^$Q-What do you think of the effort being put forth by your team?
%^$A-Well, I would say this. I don’t think we could be accused of doing everything right, mentally and physically all of the time from top to bottom. But, as I mentioned, being generally pleased with the effort, which is the part you are referring to. Our kids, effort wise, practice wise, game wise, willingness to adjust, not allowing the ebb and flow of a ballgame to have them fall apart. I don’t know that in any of those games we fell apart. In my mind, you have to make the plays are there to be made and I haven’t seen anyone disinterested in doing that, I’ve haven’t seen us do that. You’ve got to make the right call when the right call is needed.%^$
%^$Q: What defensive players graded a winning performance on Saturday?
%^$A: “Joe Cooper graded a winning performance. Tim Anderson and Will Smith also graded winning performances. On the offensive side we had LeCharles Bentley and Tyson Walter for the seventh straight game. Adrien Clarke graded much better. I think he’s a little more healthier and he’s much more comfortable at guard. I thought our receivers played well. They graded winning performances, Chris Vance and Michael Jenkins. Ben Hartscock continues in his role to grade winning performances.”%^$
%^$Q: Does it bother you at all to look back and see that you could very easily be 7-0 because all three of your losses were very winnable?
%^$A: “Let me answer it this way. Let’s say that we made that field goal. Does that mean everything is okay? I wouldn’t think so. Then the questions all would have been Steve Bellisari took them back on a winning drive the kicking problem is solved. We might have missed some real stuff. Yes I think that it’s a confirmation of something I’ve always believed that if you do certain things you have a chance to win every game and its going to balance on whether or not you do the key things. We had a chance to win seven games , we haven’t done it, but I think it is validated in my mind that if you’ll do the things that need to be done on all three parts of the ball you have a chance to win.%^$
%^$I’ll tell you what we’ve got seven films in from Minnesota and as the year goes on your eyeballs get more bloodshot. You turn the video on and you study and study and study and quite honestly while were watching those films were not sitting there drifting off at the could’ve or should’ve. I hope guys aren’t spending much time thinking what they could have been. We’ve got to think about what we are and what we want to be.%^$
%^$Q: Can you talk a little bit about Minnesota and what you’ve seen from them?
%^$A: Offensively they are very basic they do a great job running the zone play. They have two very good running backs, they are very well schooled in what they do, there three step passing game is excellent. They’ve got the bonus of a guy like Ron Johnson out there who can jump up and make plays even when he’s covered. I think he’s somewhere near the top of the all time leaders in the Big Ten from a receiving standpoint. So they are a very solid offensive team. They’ve gone back and forth with two quarterbacks we don’t have a handle on the whys and the where forths and what is precipitated who plays when and so forth. They’ve both done some good things and they’ve both done some things that have hurt them. Defensively I think you have to start with there two safeties the concept of there defense is to get their safeties down and make the line tackles and over the course of time they’ve had some great safeties and they continue to do so number 2 and number 27 are real good safeties. There defense starts with number 50, you’ll all remember him from a year ago, he really created a lot of problems for us. They’re a sound defensive set up and they just keep playing it and they don’t get flustered when people make plays on them which I think is a mark of a good defensive football team when they can put that behind them and keep coming hard at the next play special teams wise especially they had a kicker and punter who were both thought of as preseason All-Big Ten candidates and so forth. Their kicker hasn’t had quite the year and I hope he doesn’t snap out of it now, but he’s been 5 for 11 in field goals. That’s significant. Were 6 for 16 and we all now how significant that is but there punt game they’ve had three punts blocked which is uncharacteristic of their football team they’ve had good punt returns they’ve had good kickoff returns. Bart Schneider was on the staff for the last 4 or 5 years. He knows and we all know because we were all trained by earl that you spend a lot of time on specialties and they certainly do that and they always have things ready for you so were going to have to be on our toes specialty teams wise.%^$
%^$Q: Have you been in any games where you can remember blowing 17 and 18-point leads?
%^$A: I’ve coached a lot of game a couple hundred games I’m sure where I can’t think of one right of the back that is quite as fresh in my mind as this one.%^$
%^$We do have Pat o’ Neil with us. Pat was our first choice after we found out Maurice was in math class for the special teams because Pt really as the only other guy discussed in our staff room as being a candidate for special units player of the week. Pat does an excellent job on our kickoff cover unit in fact and he and coach Conaster are probably the two people that adjust over the course of time throughout the course of time in a game when it comes to our kickoff coverage He does a good job on really all of our special units on top of things defensively he’s going to end up being a good linebacker here again I thought Pat could represent our special units and our defense and then deferring questions offensively and I’ll answer those.%^$
%^$Q: Is there sort of a lack of confidence among the team at this point in the season?
%^$A: (Pat O’Neil) “I don’t think there is a question about a lack of confidence among the players. We’ve had some rough times these last couple of games but I think we’re all eager to get back to practice and keep working hard.”%^$
%^$(Jim) “I probably can’t answer that confidence question anymore accurately than anyone could. I asked our coaching staff after we got home how the guys reacted. They told me that the guys were just disgusted and were eager to get back out there and get better. So and so may have been down because he felt like he let the team down, so and so thinks he should be playing more … the list goes on and on. But in general, how was our confidence, I think in this day in age and at this level, confidence is not something that stays constant. We were 5-0 against Minnesota last year and our confidence seemed to hit rock bottom for a minute. There are times when you’re not playing that well and you make that game winning field goal and your confidence soars a little higher that it deserves to be. And all of the sudden you have a little wake-up call as you go.”%^$
%^$Q: Is this team sort of missing that killer instinct to put guys away? Is it scoreboard watching, just relaxing, what?
%^$A: “It was 27-9, we kicked off and they scored quickly. We did then move the ball back down, but we left it on the ground. So do you say the offense didn’t answer? I guess so because we’re all part of the offense. Yeah, that’s disappointing. We’re equally disappointed that the defense didn’t shut them out from that point on and equally disappointed that the special teams didn’t capture the victory when they could’ve. I hope there never comes a time when we’re national champions and someone says we’re national champions because of our defense. That’s not true. When we’re champions, we’re going to be champions because of our offense, defense, special teams and everyone else involved. So the disappointment is across the board when you fail just like when you succeed.%^$
%^$There would have been a positive thing come out if we would have drove down and made that field goal in the end. That would’ve been a little bit of proof to each other that we were called upon and we got it done at that moment. Would that have put away other problems we were having, no. I think with those game winning drives you got to really be put in those situations. You’ve got to truly believe that you’re going to succeed in them. What goes through our guys heads at that moment, again I don’t know. There doesn’t seem to be any, “hey, don’t send me out there.” They all seem anxious to get out there and do the offensive part when it is needed. No one this year has labeled us as the cardiac kids this year because we’ve come from behind and won three games, because we haven’t done that.”%^$
%^$Q: Coach, how would you address the kicking game. It looked like they were getting comfortable there for a while and then missed the last two?
%^$A: The short field goals that we made from the real close angles were solid kicks. The 38-yard extra point that we made was as solid of a kick that I’ve seen. The kick at the end was not hit well. I don’t think it was protected perfectly, but I don’t think it had anything to do with not making it. I don’t think it would have made it despite that.%^$
%^$Q: Have you team goals changed at all now that you’ve lost a few games?
%^$A: We talk constantly about being the national champions and out-right Big Ten champions. That’s our mission and that’s our goal. At this moment in time, it seems highly unlikely that we’re going to deserve to be national champions, unless that formula is a lot different than I thought. Obvioulsy our chances of being Big Ten champions are less. Now we just talk about being as good as we possibly can be. We haven’t addressed in detailed fashion that we’re now going to do this or that.%^$
%^$Q: How has the team mood been, so to speak, about the way the players have handled these tough losses?
%^$A: I think their response to adversity has been the right way. Have we demonstrated that we’re playing the best we’re capable of playing, no. I think our guys know how to handle it and they know they have to go out and do something about it.%^$
%^$I hope we’ve been very, very objective all along. I’ve had teams that we’re 2-4 or 4-3, and was fortunate enough that there wasn’t a BCS formula and went on to become national champions. I hope that all along we’re evaluating things objectively. I hope we dwell on the good and bad when we win and the same when we lose.%^$
%^$Q: How do you plan t stop their receivers now that you have two corners from last year playing in the NFL and having the guys this year that probably aren’t going to be in the NFL?
%^$A: I doubt it wa that game that got that corner to the NFL. But the thing that I think is solid about the way Minnesota approaches things is that they run enough where they can’t double a receiver. The move their receivers around enough that you would be getting a little complicated if you started putting two guys on this guy. We just have to play our coverages the way we know how. We have to make sure we don’t give up big plays. That’s the key to defense: play with great emotion and don’t give up big plays.%^$
%^$Q: Have you talked to the other coach Tressel this week at all?
%^$A: I haven’t talked with coach Luke Tressel. He is working as a graduate assistant there and I know he’s excited about the opportunity. My oldest brother Dick, who is with us now, he and his family lived not very far from there and he and his staff spent a lot of time with coach Mason. Luke spent some time there as an intern, they needed a good man and they got one in Luke.%^$
%^$Q: How do you respond to people saying that you have mixed emotions with coach Mason about you getting the job and not him?
%^$A: I think the only one who would think that is someone who doesn’t know any of us. We’ve known one another for years and years and have had an excellent relationship. Anyone who would paint that picture obviously doesn’t know us.%^$
%^$I guess the fun of it is that is you’ve won a lot or you haven’t won a lot you can sit and talk about what you can do better. Do I have a concern that it’s a major issue as opposed to making field goals, no. Compared to turning the ball over, no. Is it an issue, of course. It’s an issue we talk about everyday. I haven’t watched the films and said, boy we look out of gas. I think those tight ball games are won and lost more by your mental fitness rather than physical.%^$
%^$Q: How do you see the quarterback situation evolving now that it’s been a big issue pretty much every week?
%^$A: I think that if any team feels they have a number one quarterback that they’re going to play them. I like to do it early in the year to get a second guy in there some. But I don’t knowif I’ve ever said that this is something I want to do the whole year. I haven’t all of the sudden said, hey, Penn State and Minnesota have been playing two quarterbacks and I think that’s what we’ll do.%^$
%^$Q: What was the team missing when they weren’t able to punch the ball in on the goal line?
%^$A: Short yardage is attitude and perfection. You’ve got to be perfect. They’re going to have ten guys up there, but you’ve got ten. You’ve got to beat the guy over you. There comes that point where they don’t have to backpedal anymore because there’s the endzone. And there’s a little bit of guess involved. I think the biggest part is attitude and execution.%^$
%^$Q: Is Lydell your guy on the goal line since he’s able to hit the hole much quicker than Jonathan?
%^$A: One thing about Lydell is that he’s been successful on the goal line. I wouldn’t say that we’ve made a decision that Lydell is going to be our short-yardage back because Jonathan has gotten in the endzone as well.%^$
%^$Q: Is Steve sort of the lock to play every down now or are you planning on maybe still giving Scott a chance to give a change of pace?
%^$A: If you told me that he was going to be healthy and he’s going to progress that he’s going to be our guy. I was really hoping that we were going to have that error free kind of day at the quarterback position. We’re moving in that direction. We made the big plays when they were open. They wanted to jam their safeties down to stop the run and that left the middle of the field wide open. We did a lot of the things we needed to do to win. Unfortunately we didn’t do that in the fourth quarter.%^$
