Sugar Bowl Update I: Buckeyes arrive in New Orleans – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/27/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 27, 2014
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Buckeyes arrived in New Orleans, La., Saturday at 5:20 p.m. central time to begin their final week of preparation before meeting Alabama in one College Football Playoff semifinal game at the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The game – Jan. 1 at 7:30 p.m. CST; ESPN – pitting the No. 4 ranked and 12-1 Buckeyes against the 12-1, No. 1 seed Crimson Tide is sold out at the 72,500-seat Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Head coach Urban Meyer along with two student-athletes – junior tight end Nick Vannett and junior defensive tackle Adolphus Washington – met with a large contingent of media on the tarmac as soon as the team arrived.
“It’s great to be here and it’s great to be representing the Big Ten Conference, the Ohio State University and a football team that is excited to be here.” Meyer said. “It’s been made very clear that this is history … the College Football Playoff. And what a great place to have the game – New Orleans, and the Sugar Bowl – and we are honored to be here.”
Responding to a dozen or so questions, Meyer also said:
– “Everyone is here who should be here.”
– “[Injured] H-back Dontre Wilson is still 50/50 for the game” and “Armani Reaves is good to go.”
– As to whether this was a bowl game experience for his players or a championship game experience: “It’s a championship game. You hear the word and I use it a lot, that it’s a playoff game. There is just a different feel.”
– And on what jumps out at him regarding Alabama: “The quality of their players. The depth of their rotation of players, especially along the defensive line.”
The Buckeyes returned to practice late Friday afternoon following a four-day respite for the holidays. Players who left Columbus reported back to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center by 1 p.m. Friday at the latest. Coach Urban Meyer and staff worked them through a brisk workout Saturday morning before the team grabbed a quick lunch at the Woody before bussing to Rickenbacker, located just south of the city near Obetz.
Just Buckeye 1
Ohio State typically flies on two charter planes to its bowl destination but this year the team, coaches and additional support staff flew just one. But it was a big boy: a 747 with multiple levels, 350 seats, 10 seats across separated by two aisles and staffed by 15 flight attendants, one pilot and a first officer who is an Ohio State graduate.
Full team on board
There is no limit to the number of players who can travel to the bowl site as the team has to be able to field a scout team practice squad, so every healthy Buckeye is on the trip as well as the majority of players who are injured and unable to practice, including quarterbacks Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett.
A delicious dinner
Once the team checked into its headquarters hotel – the New Orleans Marriott – the players had a team meeting and then went to dinner at Basin Street Station/Zea’s. Throughout dinner players were entertained by numerous amphibians – a python and a couple small alligators – and a card shark, plus there was a lovely lady passing out pralines for dessert.
Dinner? It was merely outstanding. The menu consisted of rotisserie and BBQ grilled chicken, shrimp breaux bridge pasta, Zea’s famous Thai ribs, rainbow trout, Zea’s signature grits, red beans and rice, sugar snap peas and dirty rice. Mmmm good. Nawlins’ style.
Practice and media opportunities Sunday
The team’s first New Orleans practice will take place Sunday at approximately 10 a.m. at the Superdome.
Following practice, the defensive unit will bus to Tulane University to lift and the offense will head back to the team hotel. At 3:15 p.m. offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tom Herman and QB Cardale Jones, TE Jeff Heuerman, WR Evan Spencer, LT Taylor Decker and RB Ezekiel Elliott will take part in a press event at the New Orleans Marriott Convention Center, the official media hotel of the 2015 Allstate Sugar Bowl.
