COLUMBUS – Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald spoke with the media following the Wildcats’ 22-10 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game.
Here’s a summary of what was said.
Pat Fitzgerald
+ ” This was a hard fought battle. They earned it. They are Big Ten Champs for a reason.”
+ “We didn’t come down to play hard, we came down to win.”
+ He is really proud of the seniors, but he’s hurting for them. To not get the job done is disappointing. They will lead them again in preparing for a Bowl Game. They have a lot to play for. They wouldn’t be here without the seniors.
+ He thought they put together a really good plan and they executed it well for about three quarters. Then they misfit gaps and had people in places they shouldn’t have been. “The Buckeyes are too good to allow that kind of space and time.” Offensively, there were missed opportunities.
+ “We are building a championship level program and it’s not good enough to just be here. Our expectation is to be Big Ten Champions and to not get it done today is disappointing.”
+ “You are playing a final four team and you have opportunities to put points on the board and you don’t, it makes it really challenging, but this was a team loss.”
+ He is just so disappointed for the fans and for the seniors.
+ They try to play with a blue-collar mentality. They fight for every inch on the field.
+ “To be here now two out of the last three years is really special. The next step even more so. Just disappointed.”
+ On defending Justin Fields, Fitzgerald said he is not a good player, he is a great player. They were just able to get pressure early, tip balls, had good coverage, he was off on a couple throws but not very much, but down the stretch and the run fits and gap fits, didn’t look like his team the last quarter. They have to get those things fixed, it’s something they pride themselves on. But credit to the Buckeyes for that.
+ He believes Ohio State deserves to be in the College Football Playoff. First, they are undefeated, they have a talented team, have overcome adversity, the challenges they have been through, their skill, they put new guys in and they played outstanding. It wasn’t like they skipped a beat with those guys out, one guy goes down and another 4-5 star comes in, and they are Big Ten champions. They should be in the final four.
+ He looks forward to the day they get there. He has to coach better, they have to get bigger and stronger, create more depth in recruiting, make more explosive plays, limit those on defense, and be the most sound, fundamental, blue-collar team in the country.
+ They didn’t see anything tonight that they didn’t prepare for. It was a fundamental and technique issue, not scheme issue.
+ He told Twitter to start the campaign to get Peyton Ramsey to come back for another year. He hopes he comes back.
+ Ohio State is violent on their front seven.
+ “Trey Sermon is a heck of a player.”
[Note: Photo is from a 2018 game]