Coach Meyer’s comments following the win over the California Golden Bears, courtesy of Fox Sports Ohio: (transcription provided by the Ohio State Athletic Department)
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COACH MEYER: Thank you all for being here. The best thing about 3‑0 is a chance to go 4‑0. And that’s about it. We’ve enjoyed a win against a very quality opponent, Cal, very good athletes, well coached.
And our guys found a way. I have been in games before where I thought we were going to lose, where I just kept waiting I thought someone would make a play, I really did.
And to see Devin Smith, having an athletic quarterback to get you out of trouble sometimes, sometimes gets you in trouble. But what is going to happen is we’re going to have to be throw the ball, become efficient throwing. We’ve gotten better. You can take a look at the evolution in the past, what’s it been 12 months, or 24 months, whatever it’s been.
But since Braxton became our quarterback, he’s much better. But we’ve got a long way to go. It’s kind of turning into that kind of a world for us right now that there’s a lot of players, people, numbers, committed to stopping the run.
And the good thing is we are developing some receivers. Devin Smith had a hell of a day, made a couple of great plays. Philly Brown is a good player. Evan Spencer is coming along. Jake had a decent day.
We’re starting to develop a little bit of depth. And you think about where that was to where it is now. If this would have happened in April whatever the 7th, they said okay, they would be able to stop the run, I’d say I don’t know; we’d have to figure out a way to score. And I think we just have to do a good job of finding a way to throw the ball a little bit better.
On defense, bad tackling. That’s all I know, is bad tackling. We’ve gotta get that figured out. It’s time to play Ohio State defense and that wasn’t Ohio State defense at all.
We’ve got to get that thing worked out. I know it won’t be from a shortage of effort. We are going to get it worked out and go. John Simon played hurt today. Gave a little emotional speech in there.
He had a sore shoulder. They kept telling me all week, it should be fine, it should be fine; it just didn’t heal as fast as we hoped. Boy, he just lost it in the locker room as far as just sharing, opening up his soul for this team.
And I’ve done this a long time, man, and he’s as good ‑‑ you mark that down there, can you put a jersey up there or something that says John Simon, because that’s a grown‑ass man ‑‑ excuse my language ‑‑ that’s a guy.
If we have another child I want to name him, what is it, Urban John Simon Meyer or something like that. (Laughter) can’t wait for that headline. But that’s how much I love that guy. I’m not ashamed to say I love him. Love that guy. Man.
Makes all of us look in the mirror and say: Are we doing enough for our team. That guy, what he just did in there, not to give you too much of what went on in there, but am I doing enough. When I say I, as our coaching staff, are we doing enough? Are we doing as much as he’s doing? No. We’ve gotta do more. Gotta do more. Gotta get you fired up.
And that’s what this great game teaches you. With that said, great respect for the team we just played and the coach I know, best thing about 3‑0 is, what, a chance to go 4‑0 and get better.
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Q. Can you tell what John Simon did, did he take blame upon himself?
COACH MEYER: No, no, he almost didn’t play. I didn’t know that because they told me all week he should be fine. He didn’t practice much because of his sore shoulder. No ligament damage or something like that.
When you say sore, for most human beings they’re probably laid up in the Ohio State Medical Center, because that’s how tough he is. And he just ‑‑ because he almost didn’t play this game. And he goes so hard. So that’s kind of what happened.
Q. The other question I had is the penalties, two weeks in a row you’ve had 10 or 11 penalties.
COACH MEYER: Bad ones, too. I don’t agree with the PI. I think the guys were going after the ball, big one at the end, third down and 21 ‑‑ was it third and 21, launched it down the middle of the field. Guys are going after the ball.
I haven’t seen the personal fouls. My eyes are here and I see it. I know we had a bad one. Once again I’ll have more for you after I watch it. Whatever I do that Monday ‑‑ is Monday the press conference? I’ll let you know Monday just off the top of my head.
Q. Fourth touchdown pass, I think it was, it got so crazy. Second one to Stoneburner was very reminiscent of a Tebow play.
COACH MEYER: It was a jump pass. It was a pass that I saw with everyone else in the world saw when Braxton Miller, they had the world to stop Braxton. And they came up, really good execution by Jake Stoneburner, blocking and releasing in the back of the end zone. That’s if you’re pounding the quarterback that’s a hard one to stop.
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Q. We talked to Coach Knight last night. He was talking about how he’s not very positive or he wasn’t very positive with his players with a situation like this.
COACH MEYER: Bobby Knight.
Q. Yes. Not to make that comparison, but I was curious how you are with your guys in the locker room after a game like this where you said you felt like maybe there was a time where you felt like you were going to lose.
COACH MEYER: I guess I’ve just lost enough games to know that when you win, go enjoy it. I won’t say tomorrow will be all peaches and cream, but today you enjoy the win, man. And best thing about 3‑0 is to go 4‑0. And we have a nice thing in there: Defend The Shoe, which we did, against Pac‑12; you won, go enjoy your families and let’s go to work.
The good thing is they expect to go to work now. I see it in their eyes.
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