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00:00 Well, obviously we're coming in on a different note this week,
00:05 as opposed to the previous multiple weeks with a victory.
00:10 And so now we look forward to playing a really good Ohio
00:14 State team, another top 10 team that we'll be playing,
00:17 our third one this season.
00:20 So look forward to the challenge and going down to Columbus.
00:24 Marlon, Saturday you said you hadn't really
00:26 talked with Sam about his future,
00:28 whether he would play again in Vernon Redshirt.
00:30 He said he was undecided.
00:31 I'm just wondering if you guys know the direction he's
00:34 going to go at this point in time.
00:35 You know we can't share that information.
00:38 Keep them preparing.
00:39 Keep them preparing.
00:39 But no, we're going to do what's best for the team,
00:43 and that's what he wants to do as well, and for him as well.
00:46 So we're still working through it, to be honest with you.
00:49 And then if he was to decide not to play again this season,
00:54 where would you go for depth at quarterback
00:56 with Caitlin being the only healthy scholarship guy,
01:00 Andrew behind him?
01:00 And would you move somebody to quarterback?
01:03 Or do you think Noah can come back?
01:06 You still have Drew Scorfire as a player for this,
01:09 playing quarterback as well.
01:11 So we'll stay in pat, but no decisions
01:15 have really been ultimately made concerning Sam yet.
01:19 So we'll just keep working.
01:22 Carly in the back.
01:23 You've come up here so many Mondays
01:24 and just kind of preached resiliency
01:26 and how this team continues to bounce back.
01:28 But I know it's been 24 hours, but how good does Saturday
01:31 feel and how much energy was in that locker room after the game?
01:34 Oh, it felt really good.
01:35 I mean, and winning does a lot.
01:37 You know, it heals a lot of wounds and pain.
01:40 But the energy in the locker room was outstanding.
01:43 I mean, everybody was excited and happy and joyful.
01:47 So it was good to see those guys having fun
01:51 for a change in a while.
01:52 Excuse me.
01:53 So it was great.
01:55 It was great.
01:56 Great feeling.
01:59 I think JD had said that right here.
02:02 JD said after the game that that was the type of win that kind
02:05 of brings life back into a team.
02:07 How do you guys plan to just carry that momentum,
02:10 knowing that you are about to face a really talented Ohio
02:13 State team this weekend?
02:14 Well, I told them today in today's team meeting,
02:18 we want to keep the positive energy going.
02:22 And so that's what we want.
02:24 Positive energy at all times from everybody, coaches,
02:28 everybody, staff, support staff, training room, weight room.
02:32 Positive energy is how you're going to keep it going.
02:36 And your body language speaks of negative or positive energy
02:41 also.
02:41 So we want to have great body language, positive body
02:44 language.
02:45 And there's a quote that I heard out there before.
02:47 It says, be positive or be quiet.
02:49 So that's what we're going to be this week and moving forward.
02:53 Harlan, you obviously know what it's
02:57 like as a coach to go down to Ohio State
02:59 and win in a game that you're not really favored in.
03:04 What does this team need to do this week
03:07 in terms of maybe summoning up some of that mojo
03:11 and carrying it?
03:12 What are the things that they need to do
03:14 beyond just being positive?
03:16 Great attention to detail.
03:17 You've got to have great attention to detail
03:20 the previous two top 10 teams that we've played
03:22 in Washington and Ann Arbor is 11 penalties with both games.
03:28 So we can't beat ourselves.
03:30 So great attention to detail will help us not beat ourselves
03:33 and get those costly penalties.
03:36 So give ourselves a chance.
03:38 Don't help them beat us.
03:39 Make them beat us.
03:40 Have them earn the right to beat us.
03:42 And so that's where we've got to start.
03:44 And then we move from there.
03:45 But great attention to detail is always
03:47 going to be a major factor.
03:48 And that great attention to detail means doing your job,
03:51 playing with great discipline, great eye control,
03:54 and great physicality.
03:57 Ireland, you've seen them-- you've
03:59 played them a lot over the years.
04:00 I was wondering, what do you think the difference is
04:02 this year?
04:02 It looks like they don't have a Heisman candidate
04:05 at quarterback.
04:05 And defensively, it seems like that's
04:07 what's really leading them.
04:09 Not that they don't have talent, obviously, on offense.
04:10 But it seems like the defense is what's
04:12 carrying them this season.
04:13 I see what you see.
04:15 No, they're a good team regardless.
04:17 They always get a lot of great talent down there.
04:22 Marvin Harrison is an outstanding football player.
04:26 And they have others as well.
04:28 So they're not lacking for talent, offense, defense,
04:34 or anywhere.
04:34 So we've got to go down there, like I said,
04:37 have great attention to detail, and make
04:39 sure we're going to execute on every chance
04:40 we get an opportunity to execute.
04:44 H, do you see Ohio State as being more like Washington
04:48 with the high-powered passing game,
04:50 or more like Michigan with the physicality?
04:53 You almost made me say something.
04:59 I see them as a mixture, I guess you can say.
05:07 You know what I mean?
05:07 They're a little bit of both.
05:09 They can throw it around, obviously.
05:11 Different quarterback in Washington than Ohio State.
05:14 A little bit different.
05:15 He's been the quarterback there for longer.
05:18 He understands their offense probably better, and more
05:21 experienced.
05:23 But it's kind of a combination of the two.
05:26 I see Michigan's had a couple of games
05:28 where they didn't have a penalty.
05:29 Nebraska did not have a penalty against you.
05:32 How does a team do that, go through 60 minutes?
05:35 Seems like a stretch, but--
05:36 Tell me about it.
05:37 You tell me.
05:38 I don't know.
05:39 I don't know.
05:40 I don't know.
05:41 So good for them.
05:42 Maybe they coach it up, and they do a good job at it.
05:45 One more thing.
05:45 What'd you do with the ball?
05:48 It's getting painted up, and they're
05:50 going to give it to me later.
05:52 So they took it from me, and I don't have it anymore.
05:54 So I got to wait to get it back.
05:57 Harlan back here.
05:58 You mentioned Marvin Harrison a little bit,
06:00 and you guys saw what he did last year against you guys.
06:02 How do you hope to contain him, or just slow him down
06:04 a little bit?
06:05 I can't tell you that.
06:07 But I will say this.
06:09 He's a really good football player, and we know that.
06:16 That's what I'll say.
06:17 One of the biggest stories in college football right now
06:25 is obviously the sign-stealing scandal with Michigan.
06:27 We asked you about that when Michigan was here.
06:31 But just with the news of Conner Stallions
06:33 no longer being part of their program,
06:34 and the call from last week with coaches in ADs,
06:36 I'm just curious, what's been your reaction?
06:39 Do you think that the conference needs to take action more now,
06:44 immediately?
06:44 Or just where do you stand on all of it?
06:47 I'll reverse that back to you.
06:49 What you think?
06:51 I don't usually--
06:52 [LAUGHTER]
06:54 I caught you off guard with that.
06:57 I'm used to asking questions, not answering them.
06:59 I'm messing with you.
07:02 I'm thinking like most people in this room are hopefully thinking.
07:05 I'll leave it at that.
07:06 What does Saturday do in terms of--
07:14 in talking to some of the guys, they
07:16 talked about a weight being lifted.
07:19 What did that weight feel like?
07:22 And what does it feel like now to have it off you guys?
07:26 And can playing free and easy help a team at this point
07:29 with the road you got ahead?
07:32 It can help.
07:34 Like I said, the guys have been coming to practice even
07:38 when we were going through the tough times
07:40 every week with energy and passion and ready to go.
07:43 But you can feel, man, finally we got one.
07:47 And it's like a weight is off your back a little bit.
07:50 But we still expect the same energy and passion
07:53 throughout the course of this week like they've been doing.
07:56 But like you say, at least there's one under their belt,
07:58 and it feels even a little bit better.
08:03 Do you expect anybody back this weekend that has been out?
08:06 Maybe Malik or Trey or any of those guys?
08:10 Yeah, Malik will be back.
08:11 Malik Carr will be back this week.
08:14 Trey, is he still--
08:16 He's still-- he'll still be out.
08:19 And is there anything, I guess--
08:21 you kind of talked about it, but the--
08:23 not beating yourself, but anything else
08:25 you learned in those two games against the top 10 teams
08:28 you've already faced this season?
08:30 That's the main thing as far as the penalties
08:32 and beating ourselves.
08:34 I told our guys that we're not--
08:37 we're a younger team, especially when we play Washington.
08:41 Inexperience in some areas on the team,
08:43 a lot of areas on the team for that fact.
08:45 But now I said no longer.
08:47 That's no longer an excuse if you want to call it an excuse.
08:51 We got a lot of guys that got a lot of time in this year
08:53 and played a lot of football.
08:54 So now we got to go out and execute and, again,
08:56 have great attention to detail and perform
08:59 under that type of situation by playing Ohio State,
09:04 a top 10 team.
09:06 And so I think our guys, hopefully they've learned,
09:09 got that experience, and feel comfortable and confident
09:12 when they go out there on Saturday
09:14 to go get the job done.
09:16 Harlan, the decision to have Scottie up in the booth,
09:20 and somebody who's been a coordinator in that,
09:23 what you get on the sidelines versus what you get in the booth,
09:26 the advantages, disadvantages, and what was behind that?
09:29 So I brought it up to him a few weeks back.
09:34 And he was like, yeah.
09:35 I said, just think about it.
09:36 Just think about it.
09:37 And he came back and said, I feel more comfortable
09:40 staying down initially.
09:41 And then Minnesota, I said, man, go up.
09:46 And like you said, as a coordinator,
09:47 you watch so much film.
09:49 When you're up in the booth, it's like watching film again.
09:52 You see everything.
09:53 And I said, man, you will be outstanding in the box.
09:57 As much film as you watch, you will be outstanding.
10:00 And it's not like he's never done it.
10:03 He was just probably a little concerned
10:05 about sideline adjustments and things like that.
10:08 And we assured him and the guys that were going to be doing it
10:12 that they will get the job done on the sideline adjustments.
10:15 I said, man--
10:15 and so I think it's been good.
10:17 I mean, it's been two weeks in a row now.
10:20 I know he sees everything.
10:21 And like I said, nobody knows the defense better than him.
10:24 He brought this defense here.
10:26 And nobody knows it better than him.
10:28 And so he sees things right away and can call it out and get it
10:31 fixed, as opposed to being down on the sideline.
10:34 I think you hear from some guys in the box.
10:36 They know, but you kind of--
10:38 what was that really?
10:39 And then as opposed to being up top,
10:42 and he's seeing it right away.
10:43 Because he's been in, like I said,
10:44 been in this defense for so long.
10:45 He knows the good, the bad, the adjustments and all that.
10:49 So I think it's been really good.
10:51 Harlan, last year, obviously only two interceptions
10:56 for you guys as a team.
10:58 Numbers have changed.
10:59 I mean, I think Jaden's got, what, four on his own.
11:01 I guess, is there anything you can
11:02 attribute to the increase in the number of takeaways
11:05 you've got there?
11:07 And not that we didn't do it last year,
11:08 but we talk about getting the ball all the time.
11:10 We say, the ball, the ball, the ball.
11:12 We got signs up in the meeting room, the ball, the ball,
11:15 the ball.
11:16 So we're always stressing to get the ball back for our offense
11:19 and give them multiple possessions.
11:21 Keep getting the ball.
11:22 Get the ball, get the ball.
11:23 And turnovers, in my time as a coach and as a player,
11:29 they've always come in bunches.
11:31 They come in bunches, it seems like.
11:33 And so now we're intentional at going after the ball.
11:37 But at the same time, that's how they come sometimes.
11:40 Some people say, if you're living right,
11:42 you're just living right, man.
11:43 You got tip balls and all that kind of stuff.
11:45 But our guys are trying to be intentional about going
11:48 after the football, not only interceptions,
11:50 but calls and fumbles and things like that.
11:52 How much do you think if Washington
11:54 had a really good group of receivers by the state,
11:56 would you check on Barbara to have this challenge
11:59 for your young guys back there?
12:01 Again, they're past the young stage now.
12:02 So it's going to be a great challenge.
12:04 It'll be another great experience
12:06 to play against a top 10 team and look forward to it.
12:11 I tell them guys all the time, this
12:13 is why you come to play college football, if you're a competitor.
12:16 And so competitors will be out there for us on Saturday
12:19 and having fun and going to get the job done.
12:23 I guess when it comes to the offense,
12:25 there's been a lot of three and outs.
12:28 How does that impact, I guess, the team's rhythm
12:31 when the offense is only out there for three plays
12:33 and then the defense team is back out there?
12:36 And what are some ways that maybe you guys
12:38 can start to make progress and keep moving the ball?
12:42 Well, we constantly talk about the mindset.
12:45 I said this a few weeks back, what our mindset is.
12:47 Special teams, maximum effort, offense score, defense,
12:50 three and out takeaway.
12:51 And so just trying to get the mindset to, hey, everybody,
12:56 if I go out and execute and do my job,
12:58 that's going to allow us to keep moving the ball down the field.
13:02 So obviously, they're not trying to go out there and get three
13:05 and outs.
13:05 But they're working.
13:07 We're getting better.
13:08 We're progressing.
13:09 Had some things that we did to open it up a little bit
13:12 on Saturday.
13:13 Had a halfback pass deal and all that.
13:17 And pass back to the quarterback, things like that.
13:21 So we're doing any and all things
13:23 that we can to help us move the ball and score the ball.
13:26 Last seven games against Ohio State,
13:31 the score has been 282 to 74.
13:35 Last seven games.
13:36 Yeah, last seven.
13:37 But the first one of that was the '17-'16 game here
13:40 back in 2016 when you guys had won three games that year.
13:44 But I guess, is the first start being competitive?
13:52 And is there a point where you have to say,
13:54 we're in this game.
13:55 We can do this.
13:57 Or is there something where you can't--
13:59 I guess the start in particular, I
14:01 would imagine you can't let Ohio State just jump on you.
14:04 Right, no doubt about it.
14:06 You went the last seven games.
14:07 So I'm going to tell you where my mind goes.
14:09 '13, we won.
14:10 Let's go to '12.
14:12 '12 should have won, had a scooping score.
14:13 They called it back, but it was a bad call.
14:15 Should have been a touchdown, close game.
14:17 '13, we won.
14:19 '14 should have won.
14:20 They called a touchdown back when we should
14:21 have been leading at halftime.
14:23 '15, we won down there.
14:25 '16 should have won here, close game.
14:27 That's where my mind goes.
14:29 That's where my mind goes.
14:31 So I know what it is to go down and compete and play
14:35 hard against these guys.
14:37 They're beatable guys, just like anybody else.
14:40 And so we're going to go down there with the mindset
14:42 to go attack them and get a win.
14:45 So that's our mindset.
14:46 It will never change.
14:49 And I said last week, I think--
14:52 somebody mentioned spoiler.
14:53 And I'm like, that's a scrub mentality.
14:55 That ain't never been my mentality,
14:56 and it never will be.
14:57 So we're going down there to attack these guys
14:59 and see what happens.
15:00 You won down there in '11, too.
15:02 You dropped out.
15:03 Yeah, no, I didn't forget.
15:04 I didn't want to go too far back on you.
15:06 I didn't want to go too far back.
15:07 And '12 was when the previous coach was there.
15:10 So I just wanted to stay there.
15:13 You mentioned that some of the young guys
15:15 aren't young guys anymore.
15:16 But one of the freshmen who's been playing a lot more
15:18 over the past three games or so has been Jalen Thompson.
15:21 He made a big impact on Saturday.
15:22 What have you seen from him in practice that you
15:24 trusted putting him in that role?
15:26 We've seen that he's been getting better and better.
15:28 Coach Dyron Reynolds does a great job
15:30 of coaching those guys up.
15:31 And he's going to be a really, really good football player,
15:34 as you guys saw on Saturday.
15:36 And the best is still yet to come with him,
15:39 because he's still learning.
15:40 But a really good player, smart, tough, physical, fast,
15:44 everything that you want in the defense to end.
15:46 So we're really excited about Jalen Thompson.
15:49 Thank you, guys.