Live Updates Urban Meyer Radio Show — Previewing Penn State

Urban Meyer will appear Thursday on his weekly radio show on the Ohio State IMG Network. He will provide personnel updates on his Buckeye football team and also preview Saturday’s upcoming matchup with the No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions. Co-defensive coordinator Alex Grinch will then join the show for the final 20 minutes or so. We will provide live updates throughout the show once it begins shortly after 12:00 pm. Refresh for the latest updates.

Alex Grinch

+ Crowd noise isn’t usually a problem on the road because the crowd is quiet for the offense. Communication is easier and they do a better job of it on the road because they can hear each other.

+ Ohio State always prepares for tempo defensively because you can always slow things down if you’re calling stuff too fast. You have to be a down ahead defensively when you’re calling plays, which is almost impossible because you don’t know what’s going to be gained on the current down.

+ McSorley needs to be corralled early or else he can scramble out and turn a 5-yard route into a 15-yard route or more if it is uncovered. He throws a good deep ball and is uniquely accurate. There will be spies on him, but that’s one less guy in coverage or rushing the passer. “We’ll have a good plan for that and have done some of that in week’s past.” What you can’t do is let him scramble for 20-25 yard gains and make you pay for having good coverage.

+ Trace McSorley has an “alarming” ability to make a bad play good. “It all starts with him.” He drives the ball downfield. They are physical and athletic up front. Not much drop off from the run game last year. “They have a system and they believe in their system and no one seems to have the answers yet this year.” It’s very similar to last year’s offensive system.

+ The safety room is all young players with the exception of Jordan Fuller. You need to see improvement each week from the young guys. They are all sophomores and freshmen. They can’t be the same from day to day, they need to improve. They are trending in the right direction.

+ An experienced group can handle more tweaks and new things. You can’t be afraid to coach, but you have to make sure you’re not giving guys so much that it slows them down.

+ Defensively, you have to have carry over from a week-to-week basis regardless of the offenses you face. The game plan needs to have commonalities. You also need to be specific to that week’s opponent, but you can’t lose what you do in the process. It’s a fine line in deciding which way to lean and how much to add throughout the week that is new.

+ Tackles for loss and big plays both come from gap integrity. When you have that integrity, tackles can occur. When you don’t, the ball can go a long way.

Urban Meyer

+ 40 players had a 3.0 gpa or better this last semester.

+ Shaun Wade is one of the most improved players on the team and just keeps getting better.

+ The four-game redshirt rule is still being talked about. Chris Olave will play this season. Jaylen Harris has to continue to get better. K’Vaughn Pope and Teradja Mitchell are on special teams. They’re playing this year. It has been a good recruiting class with about 17 freshmen playing so well.

+ Brian Hartline is doing very well. Great family. Has worked so hard and had instant credibility and respect because of his NFL career.

+ Dwayne Haskins throws the bubble screen very well and gets the ball out so fast.

+ Tight ends Luke Farrell and Rashod Berry are playing very well. Berry is doing well in school and on the field.

+ Demario McCall is a great young man. Just not quite big enough at running back, but has improved at receiver. His value has gone up and you should see him this week on the field.

+ Generally Urban Meyer defers when he wins the coin toss, but sometimes due to weather they may choose to take the ball first.

+ Earlier in the week they turned the music up and crowd noise up in practice to help the offense get used to dealing with it. The scout team defense is also doing a bunch of motions and shifts so that they offense has to communicate in a loud situation.

+ Penn State’s offense has very good depth and athleticism and that takes over in the second half. They keep bringing in fresh bodies at you.

+ Nick Bosa is doing very well and getting healthy. The other five defensive ends will need to be ready to go though. Robert Landers is still good to go.

+ This week will be a challenge for the Buckeye cornerbacks. This team will throw and put stress on the secondary.

+ Davon Hamilton played his best game last week. “Our linebackers are getting better and better.” Tuf Borland didn’t play his best game, but he’s getting better. The safeties and corners weren’t challenged that much. The twos got in on defense in the second half and played well.

+ Isaiah Prince is playing at a very high level. The growth and maturity of college football players is what makes this sport so great.

+ Thayer Munford is playing at a very high level. “His story is incredible.” Malcolm Pridgeon is another great story. Had a tough upbringing, but “we’re all fans of a guy like Malcolm Pridgeon.”

+ The defense hasn’t changed much for Penn State. They blitz from both sides but are sound all around. The system has been there a while and it’s well thought out, but it’s the players that make systems work.

+ Running back Miles Sanders is not a drop off from losing Saquon Barkley. The offensive line is good as well.

+ Trace McSorley makes the offense go. He’s very similar to J.T. Barrett. “He is a great player.” Great leader and competitor. The run-pass and his ability to run are very difficult to prepare for.

+ There are three captains in the receiver group, which is very rare. They are great leaders and unselfish. A lot of the success in the passing game was due to receivers blocking well.

+ Justin Hilliard is another favorite player. Great family. Anything Meyer asks him to do, he does it at a million miles an hour. “I love him.”

+ Dante Booker has been a great guy since he arrived at Ohio State. He is unselfish and it was great to see him play well and be rewarded for it last week.

+ Premium No. 1 is taking care of the football. “That will be huge in this game.” They put a high emphasis on it. The skill players are doing a good job of keeping the ball off the ground.

+ The receivers have to step up again this week if Penn State gives them single coverage.

+ Asked what explains Dwayne Haskins’ accuracy this year, Meyer said he’s a very accurate passer. But it’s a cumulative effect of the offensive line keeping him upright, the receivers getting open and catching the ball, and having the running game to keep defenses off balance.

+ Parris Campbell is doing everything better, including catching the deep ball. “He’s just one of my favorite players of all-time.”