Michigan-Ohio State: Urban Meyer weekly press conference recap

Ohio State's head football coach Urban Meyer addressed the media for the penultimate game week press conference speaking about Ohio State's thrilling 21-14 overtime victory over Wisconsin, The Game (and what it meant to him growing up), as well as Maryland's pending move to the Big Ten conference. The highlights of the press conference were as follows:

– C.J. Barnett gets pointed out for playing his best game of the year. Shazier gets praised as well.

– Zach Boren, who Urban Meyer calls "one of the great stories in college football and certainly in Ohio State history."

– Christian Bryant and Orhian Johnson, the special teams player of the week, were also defensive champions. Says Johnson is really coming on.

– John Simon was the player of the game with 6 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks. "The heart and soul of our team."
"On offense, we didn't play very well. Philly Brown, Evan Spencer, and Carlos Hyde was our offensive player of the week."

– "I know Denard. I recruited him. I have great respect for him as a person and an athlete... You better know where he is every snap."

– Greg Mattison was the first phone call Urban Meyer made when he got the Florida job.

– Meyer gave credit to Ed Warinner, Kirk Barton on Reid Fragel's successful transition from backup TE to starting RT.

– "No one has had greater success than Jim Tressel," on Michigan-Ohio State.

– Meyer will do senior tackle Thursday night.

– "If you're asking me what makes it unique, I grew up in the state, and it was all I knew."

– "The Bo Schembechler/Woody Hayes era, when college football really started to explode on the national level... made this a visual rivalry."

– Meyer on Maryland "No. Gene approached me yesterday and was the first time I ever heard of it. I said ‘what?'"

– Meyer called the players sticking around in lieu of the bowl ban "a leap of faith." "They didn't know me, I didn't know them."

– Said Greg Mattison was his only link to Brady Hoke. Said they had dinner twice, but not much of a relationship.

– Meyer states the team will have to open up the offense against Michigan. Said the team "tightened down" against Wisconsin.

– Meyer implores someone to write a book on Zach Boren. "I learned from this senior class." Praises Simon, Boren.

– "I haven't had much chance to reflect because I want to put these guys, this senior class in position to win a football game."