Los Angeles, California — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham met with the media on Friday for a formal Rose Bowl press conference.
Here are the highlights of what was said from each coach.
Ryan Day
+ The players have had a great week in Los Angeles. They appreciated the Rose Bowl bringing the Columbus weather so they have felt right at home.
+ This is a great opportunity for the younger players to build some momentum for the off-season and they are looking forward for the older guys to finishing out the season the right way.
+ Day is comfortable with the roster size. They have had their adversity over the last month but at receiver it’s a great opportunity for the younger players. A big portion of the team is returning next year, so this is a great opportunity and challenge for a lot of players to play a good team in this game.
+ On having a chip on their shoulder after Michigan, Day said they’ll find out how much they have improved. “It doesn’t take an expert to figure out what we needed to focus on over the last month.” A lot of progress has been made but they will find out on Saturday.
+ On Chris Olave still practicing this week, Day said he doesn’t think there’s any chance Olave will change his mind last minute. He hopes so, because of what Olave means to this team and program. “I don’t expect for that to happen but you never know.”
+ There are a few players who will be game-time decisions.
+ On a younger receiver jumping out or standing out this week, Day said they are all practicing well. He talked to Marvin Harrison Jr. and told him that nothing really happened in Chris Olave’s freshman season until the last game at Michigan, and his career took off. It was the same for Garrett Wilson’s freshman year. Julian Fleming also now has an opportunity. “What we see in practice is not what everybody else sees. They were behind two great receivers and now they have an opportunity.”
+ On the significance of the Rose Bowl, a percentage of the team played in this game two years ago. But there’s two years of players who really haven’t been through a full bowl experience, so they are excited and they understand how big this game is.
+ On the Big Ten play preparing the team for facing Utah, Day said that last six games they had to bring it everyday. Day thinks Utah is similar to some of the teams in the Big Ten. Week in and week out they have to bring it in the Big Ten, so it prepares all of the Big Ten teams to play well in their Bowl Games.
+ On Jaxon Smith-Njigba potentially having to work harder to get open and make plays in this game, Day said it has been the opposite. He believes in his teammates and knows that if he does too much he will get out of whack. He needs to do what he’s done all year and believe in himself and his teammates around him.
+ On one thing he learned from Urban Meyer, Day said it’s very unique both he and Whittingham took over for Coach Meyer. The way Meyer recruits every day always stood out to him.
+ On the interior defensive line depth in this game, Day said it’s important and it’s a challenge in this game because of how Utah plays at the line of scrimmage. But the standard is the same. It has always been an emphasis. They are down a couple of players but they have a lot of guys there and they have a challenge.
+ He hasn’t used Jim Knowles in preparing for this game. He will start on January 2nd.
+ There are three goals this week: To win the Rose Bowl and end the season in the right way and send the players off with a win, to represent Ohio State in a first class manner, and to enjoy this week.
+ They have prepared for a non-neutral crowd due to Utah selling more tickets. “We’ve prepared for all of those situations.”
+ The COVID situation on the team has been typical to what it has been the past few months. They have had a few isolated incidents but they will have a full roster.
+ On the linebacker depth and Cade Stover practicing again at linebacker, Day said they’ve had Cade Stover playing on both sides. They have been a bit light at the linebacker unit in practice, they feel better there now, but Stover has brought a toughness there and he is excited about it.
Kyle Whittingham
+ “We are elated to be here.”
+ This is what they’ve been shooting for for a lot of years. They are excited to play Ohio State, a top program in the country year after year.
+ On Ohio State’s team, everything they do concerns Utah. Their offense is terrific, one of the most expensive offenses in the country, the QB is terrific and is leading in the statistics, they are terrific on defense. They have no weaknesses, they play hard and they are well coached. They have good players across the board.
+ Most of the players on the team understand the history of this game and being the Grandaddy of Them All. He grew up in this area and knew of its importance since day one. But the team has had conversations about it and his players are well versed on the magnitude of this game.
+ A steady improvement in recruiting has allowed them to get here. It has taken them some time to improve their roster year after year. They got over the hump this year but it was a process, there was no one moment in time that made the tables turn.
+ They pride themselves on being a physical team. That is preached in recruiting.
+ The Big Ten is a physical conference and whenever they play other Pac-12 teams they matchup well at the line of scrimmage and that is a strength of theirs. He hopes that physicality there will help with the matchup against Ohio State.
+ On one thing he learned from Urban Meyer, Whittingham said he worked under him for two years. When the previous coach was let go he thought he should get the job but Urban Meyer did and it ended up being the best thing that happened to him, working under Meyer for two years and then taking over. Meyer always had a complete, meticulous organization of the entire program.
+ Knocking on wood, they are in good shape and are not dealing with any COVID concerns.
