Urban Meyer recaps ups and downs of Penn State win in weekly press conference

For the second year in a row, the Ohio State Buckeyes have needed an improbable come-from-behind, fourth-quarter rally to survive against the Penn State Nittany Lions. Down 12 points in the fourth quarter, OSU found a way to come back and remain undefeated thanks to a 27-26 victory.

On Monday, head coach Urban Meyer met with the media to discuss the epic victory in Happy Valley, and to look ahead to next week’s game against Indiana.

Watch Meyer’s press conference here:

Champions of the Game

Offense: J.K. Dobbins, Mike Weber, Binjimen Victor, Johnnie Dixon, K.J. Hill, Austin Mack, Isaiah Prince, Demetrius Knox, Michael Jordan
Player of the Game: Terry McLaurin

Defense: Jonathon Cooper, Davon Hamilton, Malik Harrison, Pete Werner, Tuf Borland, Kendall Sheffield, Jeffrey Okudah, Jordan Fuller
Player of the Game: Chase Young

Special Teams Players of the Game: Justin Hilliard, Drue Chrisman, Jeffrey Okudah, Terry McLaurin

Penn State Recap

• Urban Meyer opened his remarks by thanking the fans of Buckeye Nation who traveled to the game on Saturday.
• He also praised the Penn State team and Trace McSorley specifically. He called him a great player and a “war daddy.”
• Of McSorley, he said, “Great respect for our opponent. That was a real one. Very talented. That McSorley is a war daddy now. He’s a competitive guy and a great player.”
• Wide receiver Terry McLaurin was named the Ohio State Offensive Player of the Week, despite not having a single catch. Meyer loves the effort that he plays with, specifically the blocking.
• The coach also notes that this receiving corps is starting to play as unselfishly as the group from 2014.
• Meyer said of punter Drue Chrisman, he is playing at an “elite, elite level.” He said that he can’t imagine a better punter in the country.
• Meyer said that despite the fact that early in his career, Victor “darn near refused to block,” he has bought into doing the little things that all OSU wide receivers need to do.
• Meyer said he is all-in on player safety, and he accepts the call against Isaiah Pryor, but he doesn’t like it, since there was clearly no intent.

Indiana Preview

• Meyer said that this week, they will have a conversation about not having a let down following the huge win against Penn State.
• Meyer said, “We’ve got to get ready for a really good Indiana team that’s 4-1.”
• He said that the Hoosiers are “very dangerous.”
• Meyer said that the IU defensive scheme is “outstanding” and that they have a ton of talented players. “They’ve got answers for everything.”

Injury Updates

• Meyer said that Mike Weber wasn’t 100 percent against PSU, but that he should be getting back to being completely healthy soon.
• Meyer said that Dre’Mont Jones and Damon Arnette are both probable for Indiana, and even though they weren’t themselves against Penn State, Mike Weber and Robert Landers should be almost back to normal this weekend.

Position Battles

• Meyer said that there was a “call to arms” meeting yesterday focused on getting talented players to step up and contribute as the team is beat up getting into the middle of the season.
• The coach admits that the safety position is still concerning for them, especially with Isaiah Pryor having to sit out the first half following a targeting call. He said that Jahsen Wint, Shaun Wade, and Brendon White will compete for the spot, and this week will be an important week of practice for them.

Evaluating his Team

• Meyer said that they can’t continue to give up “those darn big plays.”
• He said that the team hasn’t played close to their best game yet, but there’s room for improvement.
• “You have to play better,” Meyer said. “We had some new players, but it’s Week 6. You can’t just give up those big plays.”
• “There is a tremendous ceiling on this team and we haven’t gotten close to it,” Meyer said.
• Meyer said that they don’t put a QB under center often, because of all that can go wrong for players that don’t play that way normally. However, he said that the suggestion from the media was “Duly noted.”
• The head coach profusely praised the WRs blocking. “Elite blocking. Great probably not strong enough adjective for what’s going on out there.”
• When asked if he was uncomfortable not having a running quarterback, Meyer thought, smiled, and said, “We’re 5-0.”
• He also praised Haskins throwing the ball. “We’re throwing for 340 a game and winning games. He’s a very good player.”
• Meyer conceded that while he has a philosophy that he would like, you adapt to the talent that you have on the team.
• Meyer said that the Buckeyes are not anywhere close to the ceiling that the team can achieve.
• “We’re just coaching our tails off to get players better,” Meyer said.
• Meyer said, “We went on road twice. We’ve done it and walked away with wins. And, by the way, lost one of the top football players [Nick Bosa] in the country on defense.”

The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes return to the friendly confines of Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. ET against the Indiana Hoosiers. The game will be broadcast on FOX.