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Ohio State vs Oregon: Keys To Playing In A Big Game · Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning

0:00
Speaker 1: Welcome to a special airport. A bonus episode we'd be
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Speaker 1: hearing today from Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, a lot
0:07
Speaker 1: of interesting things to say. We will get a chance
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Speaker 1: to talk to him earlier in the week and have
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Speaker 1: more of these shows coming for you a little later
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Speaker 1: on today as Tony and Kevin and I are traveling
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Speaker 1: west to Oregon, have a lot of content for you
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Speaker 1: hopefully throughout the day. We're gonna start though, with that
0:21
Speaker 1: interview with Will Howard. Is Will Howard getting more comfortable
0:24
Speaker 1: with the offense and really specifically the RPOs that they
0:27
Speaker 1: have really been leaning on early.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, it's definitely something I've had to build on, you know,
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Speaker 2: if you watch me as a freshman, even me going back,
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Speaker 2: like I just felt very comfortable with it. Just the
0:37
Speaker 2: more that I've you know, kind of grown and gotten
0:41
Speaker 2: more experience in it, just feeling, you know, demeanors of guys.
0:44
Speaker 2: You know, is that guy triggering and coming into the box,
0:47
Speaker 2: you know, do I need to pull it and throw
0:49
Speaker 2: it off of him? Like you know, I've just I've
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Speaker 2: just seen more, more and more pictures and doing it
0:53
Speaker 2: more helps and I think we practiced it a ton
0:56
Speaker 2: in this offseason. With coach Kelly, and he puts a
0:59
Speaker 2: big emphasis on it, and I think it just helps
1:01
Speaker 2: our offense, you know. And then the better I can
1:03
Speaker 2: be with it, and the the more we rep it
1:05
Speaker 2: and the better I can be with my decisions, you know,
1:07
Speaker 2: the more we can stay on schedule.
1:09
Speaker 1: Number two Buck Eyes, Number three Organ Ducks one of
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Speaker 1: the biggest regular season games of the season and maybe
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Speaker 1: the last few years. So how much of the opportunity
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Speaker 1: to play in a game like this factory will Howard's
1:20
Speaker 1: decision to come to Ohio State. Oh?
1:22
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
1:23
Speaker 2: You know, when you come to a place like Ohio State,
1:25
Speaker 2: you want to play on the biggest stage, you know,
1:28
Speaker 2: college game Day, you know all the all the hype,
1:30
Speaker 2: you know, two versus three matchup, Like this is what
1:32
Speaker 2: you sign up for and this is this is what
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Speaker 2: I was looking forward to. And you know, it's it's
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Speaker 2: a challenge, man, It's it's it's fun. This is what
1:39
Speaker 2: this is what college football is all about. This is
1:40
Speaker 2: what is what you dream about as a kid. Man,
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Speaker 2: Like just you know, being on this stage, playing in
1:45
Speaker 2: front of you know, a ton of people and a
1:48
Speaker 2: ton of people watching on on on TV. Like it's
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Speaker 2: a dream man, and it's definitely a big reason why
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Speaker 2: I came here.
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Speaker 1: The Buckeyes are not new to playing in difficult road environments.
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Speaker 1: They've played in Michigan, they've played at Penn State and
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Speaker 1: recent or is Will Howard himself, he's played at Texas
2:02
Speaker 1: over the years. So how do you prepare yourself to
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Speaker 1: play in what is going to be a tough and
2:07
Speaker 1: hostile road environment like all itson stadium?
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Speaker 3: You know it's hard. Uh.
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Speaker 2: I don't want to say there's one way to you know,
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Speaker 2: kind of go about it. For me, you know, it's
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Speaker 2: just you know, preparing like I always do and and
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Speaker 2: trying to you know, even maybe heighten you know, how
2:22
Speaker 2: can I how can I be better with my preparation
2:24
Speaker 2: this week? How can I how can I you know,
2:27
Speaker 2: work harder? How can I, you know, be the be
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Speaker 2: the first one in, last one out every single day?
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Speaker 2: Like maybe you know, maybe there's something extra I can
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Speaker 2: do this week, you know there's you know, it's a
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Speaker 2: big game, and you know, you want to say that
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Speaker 2: you don't want to treat any game more than another,
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Speaker 2: you know, but we know how big this one is
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Speaker 2: and we know it's a big matchup and we're gonna
2:44
Speaker 2: have to be on our stuff. So going into the game, man,
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Speaker 2: just being being poised, being confident, and you know, you
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Speaker 2: just want to you know, stay neutral, stay level headed,
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Speaker 2: and be as prepared as you possibly can go and
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Speaker 2: into the game.
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Speaker 1: One of the things that could be a major point
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Speaker 1: of differentiation on Saturday is Will Howard's ability to run
3:01
Speaker 1: the ball. He's probably not going to run for three
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Speaker 1: hundred yards, but just the threat of that run can
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Speaker 1: make a big difference in a game that could be
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Speaker 1: as tight as this one. So how comfortable is Will
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Speaker 1: Howard doing that running the ball in an offense at
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Speaker 1: this point?
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Speaker 2: Yeah, very you know, everything's on the docket, and you know,
3:18
Speaker 2: we've definitely ramped it up as we've gone and you know,
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Speaker 2: I think, you know, the design quarterback run stuff is
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Speaker 2: definitely going to be more of a you know, more
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Speaker 2: of a of an emphasis, you know, going forward. And
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Speaker 2: I think that you know, it adds an element to
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Speaker 2: our to our offense, you know, And and anytime that
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Speaker 2: you know, you can add something that you know they
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Speaker 2: have to they have to be worried about, or something
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Speaker 2: extra that you know that can present an issue to
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Speaker 2: a defense, Like we're going to take every advantage we
3:44
Speaker 2: can get. And I think the quarterback run stuff is
3:47
Speaker 2: has been good, and I think we have a lot
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Speaker 2: more up our sleeve and I'm excited to to get
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Speaker 2: it out on the field.
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Speaker 3: And I love doing it. I think it's fun.
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Speaker 2: I think, you know, getting my, getting my you know,
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Speaker 2: pads downhill and popping people like I think, you know,
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Speaker 2: it makes you feel more into the game, you know,
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Speaker 2: and I like to you know, that first hit, you know,
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Speaker 2: kind of kind of warms you up and it gets
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Speaker 2: it gets you going, man, and it makes you makes
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Speaker 2: you it makes you a little more juiced, and it's
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Speaker 2: it makes it more fun.
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Speaker 1: The Oregon defense is one of the better defenses in
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Speaker 1: the nation. So what really stands out about them? You're
4:15
Speaker 1: gonna hear him reference a couple of people, sort of
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Speaker 1: very vaguely. Number one is Jordan Burch's defensive end, and
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Speaker 1: then he'll mention Kobe who he played with at Kansas State.
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Speaker 1: That is Kobe Savage, a defensive back.
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Speaker 2: I think they have a they have a solid front,
4:27
Speaker 2: you know. I think their front is a you know,
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Speaker 2: they got some dudes. I think number one is a
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Speaker 2: really good player, you know, in the back end, my
4:33
Speaker 2: my boy Kobe from from Kansas State. Uh, he's a
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Speaker 2: good buddy of mine, man, So I'm excited to play
4:39
Speaker 2: against him. You know, they got some the some talented
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Speaker 2: transfers back there, and I think, you know, the thing
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Speaker 2: thing about them is they're so multiple, they can do
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Speaker 2: a lot of different things. You know, they got a
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Speaker 2: lot of good players. You know, they want to they
4:53
Speaker 2: want to play physical. You know, there's a lot of
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Speaker 2: different things about them. There's that you know that that
4:59
Speaker 2: present challenges for us. But you know, I think overall,
5:02
Speaker 2: I feel good about you know, just just initially watching them,
5:05
Speaker 2: and you know, I think there's some things that we
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Speaker 2: can do that will present issues for them. You know,
5:09
Speaker 2: I think, you know, they do have a lot of
5:11
Speaker 2: transfers in so I knew, I know that, you know,
5:13
Speaker 2: this is their first year in the system together, and
5:16
Speaker 2: I know that factors into it a little bit. And
5:18
Speaker 2: so you know, I think I think there's some different
5:20
Speaker 2: ways we can attack them. But you know, we we
5:22
Speaker 2: got we got a challenge and we know that, and uh,
5:24
Speaker 2: you know it's we're going to have to be on
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Speaker 2: our stuff and and uh, you know, they're they're a
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Speaker 2: good team.
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Speaker 3: So we respect them. But you know, we're ready.
5:32
Speaker 1: Mentioned earlier that this is not Will Howard's first big game,
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Speaker 1: So what can he take away from previous big game experience?
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Speaker 2: You know, I think there is it's hard to circle
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Speaker 2: on one thing, you know that that you want to
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Speaker 2: focus on in these big games and you want to
5:45
Speaker 2: take away from these big games. But from my experience
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Speaker 2: and playing in them, the biggest thing is staying neutral
5:51
Speaker 2: and not getting too high and getting too low because
5:55
Speaker 2: we know the emotions are going to be running rampant
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Speaker 2: in this game. You know, we know the the implications
6:01
Speaker 2: of this game. You know, we know it's a big one,
6:03
Speaker 2: you know, But at the end of the day, you
6:05
Speaker 2: got to stay neutral and you can't get too high,
6:06
Speaker 2: you can't get too low, can't let things that happen
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Speaker 2: affect you.
6:10
Speaker 3: You know, I played it.
6:11
Speaker 2: I'd say one of our biggest games last year was
6:13
Speaker 2: at Texas and we were down twenty seven to seven
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Speaker 2: in the fourth and we ended up tying it going overtime.
6:18
Speaker 2: Like I've learned, like you can't you just can never
6:21
Speaker 2: say die, you know, and you can never and you
6:23
Speaker 2: can never be up by too much either. You know,
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Speaker 2: it goes both ways and you have to just you
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Speaker 2: have to understand that the situations really matter and that
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Speaker 2: one play can make the difference in a game, and
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Speaker 2: every single play really matters, and you know, in a
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Speaker 2: matchup game like this, you know, we were really focused
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Speaker 2: on that and want to make sure that you know,
6:42
Speaker 2: we we we take every opportunity we get to capitalize
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Speaker 2: on opportunities.
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Speaker 1: We look at the Ohio State schedule heading into the season,
6:49
Speaker 1: it felt like this was sort of a gradual ramp
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Speaker 1: up of difficulty. Sort of the three not particularly different
6:54
Speaker 1: difficult non conference games, then Michigan State is projected to
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Speaker 1: finish middle the body of the Big Ten. Then Iowa,
7:01
Speaker 1: who's projected to finish middle or higher in the Big
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Speaker 1: Ten now number three Oregon. So has that helped prepare
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Speaker 1: the buck Eyes that they got to start a little
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Speaker 1: easier and then sort of get a little more difficult
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Speaker 1: each passing week.
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Speaker 2: For me, man, it's it's the way our schedules set up.
7:17
Speaker 2: I can't control that, So we're just gonna play who's
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Speaker 2: in front of us. But I do think that, you know, yeah,
7:23
Speaker 2: working working up in terms of competition, yeah, does it
7:27
Speaker 2: give you a little more leeway with things, But you
7:29
Speaker 2: know it's for me. I don't really focus on that
7:32
Speaker 2: as much. I'm just kind of worried about, Hey, how
7:34
Speaker 2: can we beat this team that we're playing this week
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Speaker 2: and do everything that we can that week, And obviously
7:38
Speaker 2: you know that, you know, the bigger games are looming,
7:41
Speaker 2: you know, but at the same time, like you don't
7:43
Speaker 2: want to overlook anyone or get past anyone. So it's
7:46
Speaker 2: kind of just taking it one week at a time.
7:47
Speaker 2: But I do think that, you know, the way that
7:50
Speaker 2: this season has set up has definitely you know, allowed
7:54
Speaker 2: us to kind of get more comfortable and get better
7:57
Speaker 2: every single week. And I think it has set up
7:59
Speaker 2: pretty well.
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Speaker 1: The Oregon defense is known for getting a lot of
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Speaker 1: pressure on the quarterback. So what has Bill Howard learned
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Speaker 1: about having to play under pressure in the pocket over
8:09
Speaker 1: the years?
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Speaker 2: You know, my ability to kind of stand in there
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Speaker 2: and make throws when I have guys in my face
8:16
Speaker 2: has gotten a lot better. And the only way to
8:18
Speaker 2: get better at that is doing it. And you know,
8:21
Speaker 2: I've I've been in a lot of situations where I've
8:23
Speaker 2: had to you know, stand in there, take a hit
8:25
Speaker 2: and make a throw, and you know, I think, yeah,
8:28
Speaker 2: definitely they got they got some dudes over there. Are
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Speaker 2: they going to make plays? Absolutely? Are they gonna, you know,
8:32
Speaker 2: try and try and present some tough looks for us
8:34
Speaker 2: in the in the front game. Yeah, absolutely. And but
8:37
Speaker 2: I'm I'm super you know, confident in my own line.
8:40
Speaker 2: I think we got the best of line in the
8:41
Speaker 2: country and they're playing at a really, really high level
8:43
Speaker 2: right now, and I'm I'm excited for them. I think
8:45
Speaker 2: they're gonna they're gonna take on that challenge and I
8:48
Speaker 2: know that. But for me, I mean, it's just staying
8:52
Speaker 2: under pressure, staying calm under pressure, keep my feet in
8:54
Speaker 2: the ground, you know, not throwing off my back foot
8:57
Speaker 2: too much. And I've gotten better at it, you know,
8:59
Speaker 2: I I think I definitely still could be better. You're
9:03
Speaker 2: never gonna be perfect, but uh, you know, it's definitely
9:05
Speaker 2: something we're gonna We're gonna need to be worried about
9:07
Speaker 2: this game. And you know, they got some good guys
9:08
Speaker 2: up front, so you know, we got to be worried
9:12
Speaker 2: about twists and picking up you know, the blitz and
9:14
Speaker 2: the stunts and whatnot. But man, I got I got
9:16
Speaker 2: all the faith in the world of my line.
9:18
Speaker 1: Well, Howard had three touchdown passes to a mecha abooka
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Speaker 1: last Saturday, and then went over Iowa. Did he have
9:23
Speaker 1: a favorite that's tough.
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Speaker 2: I'd say probably the one in the back left corner.
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Speaker 2: This is the second one, the real route that I threw.
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Speaker 2: I just felt like that was kind of a tight
9:36
Speaker 2: window throw and we had worked that exact look and
9:40
Speaker 2: I kind of missed the throw during the week, so
9:42
Speaker 2: it was really nice to to get that opportunity back
9:45
Speaker 2: and get the chance to put it in there and
9:47
Speaker 2: put it on them. I think that was probably my favorite,
9:50
Speaker 2: But I mean, mech was out there balling, man. I
9:52
Speaker 2: think you know a lot of people, you know, when
9:54
Speaker 2: they see what Jeremiah is able to do, and they
9:56
Speaker 2: see what Q and Trey are able to do, you know,
9:57
Speaker 2: Mechetz gets forgot about almost and uh he reminded some people,
10:01
Speaker 2: you know, of how good he is.
10:03
Speaker 1: When you have a game like that with a bunch
10:06
Speaker 1: of really great throws, what is that like to go
10:08
Speaker 1: back and watch those on film later in the week.
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Speaker 3: It builds confidence for sure. You know.
10:13
Speaker 2: It's like, you know, even when the coverage is tight,
10:16
Speaker 2: you know it doesn't matter, I can I can put
10:18
Speaker 2: the ball there and and you know, those guys are
10:20
Speaker 2: going to make plays, and you know, at the end
10:22
Speaker 2: of the day, it just builds confidence looking back at
10:25
Speaker 2: those things. And it's fun to sit here in the
10:26
Speaker 2: team meeting on Sunday and watch those plays back and
10:30
Speaker 2: you know understand that, you know, the work that we've
10:32
Speaker 2: been putting in is paying off. And she got to
10:34
Speaker 2: continue to make plays and and and make them on
10:36
Speaker 2: a more consistent basis and you know, iron out mistakes.
10:40
Speaker 1: This is the first talent is equated real really gain
10:43
Speaker 1: for the Buckeyes this year against Oregon. When you're playing
10:47
Speaker 1: what could be a very tight game and any one
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Speaker 1: play can really swing the outcome, how do you balance
10:53
Speaker 1: having the fact that you have to maybe might have
10:55
Speaker 1: to make a big play versus not wanting to have
10:58
Speaker 1: to do too much or try too hard or force
11:01
Speaker 1: it somewhere.
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Speaker 3: That's good. That's uh, that's a good question. Balance.
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Speaker 2: You know, balancing that is is huge. And you got
11:08
Speaker 2: to know when to you know, take your medicine if
11:10
Speaker 2: you will, and and just kind of take the check
11:12
Speaker 2: down and and not force things. There's this balance between
11:15
Speaker 2: forcing and capitalizing, you know, and and you you don't
11:19
Speaker 2: want to you want to force something, try and make
11:21
Speaker 2: something happen. But you got to take advantage when and
11:24
Speaker 2: capitalize when those opportunities are there. And it's that's the
11:28
Speaker 2: game that you got to play. You know, you got
11:29
Speaker 2: to know when. I got to know when to hold
11:31
Speaker 2: them and and you know, no when fold them and
11:33
Speaker 2: and there's no doubt man. So you know it's it's
11:36
Speaker 2: that's the game that we're playing. And you know, we
11:38
Speaker 2: want to we definitely want to go downhill and run
11:41
Speaker 2: a little bit. We want to take some shots, and
11:42
Speaker 2: that's every game. So you know, we gotta got to
11:45
Speaker 2: know when to hit them and when to when to
11:47
Speaker 2: kind of take our medicine and check it down.
11:49
Speaker 1: And Mecha book is three touchdowns last week. We're definite,
11:52
Speaker 1: definitely a difference maker for the buck Eyes in their
11:54
Speaker 1: win over Iowa. What is the best part of a
11:57
Speaker 1: Mecha Abooks game.
11:58
Speaker 2: I think I think his versetility is what makes him
12:01
Speaker 2: so good. Like he is mech is just one of
12:03
Speaker 2: those guys that and he'll never complain, like if he
12:07
Speaker 2: doesn't score a touchdown and JJ and Carnell have four,
12:11
Speaker 2: like he will not say a word. He'll be happy
12:13
Speaker 2: as happy as ever for those guys. He goes out
12:16
Speaker 2: in blocks. I mean he saw it in the Michigan
12:18
Speaker 2: State game. I mean he was pancaking dudes in the
12:20
Speaker 2: secondary like pancake and linebackers like. He can do so much,
12:24
Speaker 2: and he can run, he can line up in the backfield.
12:26
Speaker 2: We can have him run the ball from the backfield.
12:28
Speaker 2: His versatility presents so many challenges for a defense. And
12:31
Speaker 2: you never know how he's going to hit you if
12:33
Speaker 2: he's going to run inside, run outside. He runs unbelievable routes,
12:37
Speaker 2: got great hands. I mean, there's not many bad things
12:40
Speaker 2: that you can say about the kid.
12:41
Speaker 1: The two quarterbacks in this game, Will Howard and Dylan
12:44
Speaker 1: Gabriel are both super seniors, played quite long purs over
12:50
Speaker 1: the years. There's similar track records in a lot of ways.
12:53
Speaker 1: So where does that experience show up on the.
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Speaker 2: Field on on situations where you know, you got to, like,
13:01
Speaker 2: like I just said, you know, you got to know
13:02
Speaker 2: when to take your shots and when to not. And
13:05
Speaker 2: you know, I think I've done a pretty good job
13:07
Speaker 2: this year of keeping us on schedule and keeping us
13:10
Speaker 2: out of bad plays. I think there's been probably one
13:12
Speaker 2: or two plays a week that I'm like, man, you know,
13:15
Speaker 2: you really can't make that mistake. You want it back.
13:17
Speaker 2: And and obviously that's you know, something we just got
13:19
Speaker 2: to continue to grind on. And I, you know, just
13:22
Speaker 2: something I can't do, you know, turn the ball over
13:24
Speaker 2: obviously is a problem like that. But for the most part,
13:27
Speaker 2: it's just you know, decision making. For me, it's like
13:30
Speaker 2: keeping us on schedule, knowing when to when to take
13:33
Speaker 2: a shot, knowing when to check it down, knowing when
13:35
Speaker 2: to force the ball into a tight window or or not.
13:39
Speaker 2: You know, it's it's all those little things that go
13:42
Speaker 2: into it. It's not you know, it's kind of hard
13:45
Speaker 2: to zero in on one thing because you know, it's
13:47
Speaker 2: just you know, experiences is experience, and you know, you
13:52
Speaker 2: can't really replicate doing things until you're out there actually.
13:55
Speaker 3: Doing it, you know.
13:56
Speaker 2: And and you know, me and Dylan have have definitely
13:58
Speaker 2: been you know through a lot of a lot of
14:01
Speaker 2: football games. So you know, I think, uh, that's something
14:05
Speaker 2: I try to lean on.
14:06
Speaker 1: You Will Howard and Dylan Gabriel of course have a
14:09
Speaker 1: background in the Big twelve. Gabriel was a former quarterback
14:11
Speaker 1: at Oklahoma. Howard was a former quarterback at Kansas State.
14:15
Speaker 1: So what does he remember about Dylan Gabriel from his
14:18
Speaker 1: big twelve days.
14:19
Speaker 2: Yeah, No, he's a he's a great player. I've I've
14:22
Speaker 2: I'm I'm buddies with him. He's you know, he's a
14:23
Speaker 2: good guy.
14:25
Speaker 3: Man. He's a good player.
14:25
Speaker 2: Man. He can sling it, ball comes out of his hand. Well,
14:28
Speaker 2: you know, I think I think he played a good
14:30
Speaker 2: game that year against us, and and at the end
14:33
Speaker 2: of the day we just outlasted him.
14:35
Speaker 3: But yeah, he's a good player man. He's he's he's
14:38
Speaker 3: a he's a dude for sure.
14:39
Speaker 2: So I'm excited for the opportunity to go against him
14:42
Speaker 2: in this in this big matchup.
14:44
Speaker 1: Well, if you were watching this, this means that the
14:46
Speaker 1: airport Wi Fi and Phoenix has cooperated nicely. We'll have
14:50
Speaker 1: much more coverage for you coming up throughout the day
14:53
Speaker 1: as we're traveling west, but still trying to give you
14:55
Speaker 1: lots of coverage. He's gonna have a live chat on
14:57
Speaker 1: our board like a huddle dot Com when Kevin and
14:59
Speaker 1: I answered questions about the buck Eyes, this game, college
15:02
Speaker 1: football in general, the Major League Baseball playoffs, if you
15:04
Speaker 1: want to talk about that, I certainly do, and whatever
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Speaker 1: else you want to talk about so have that. I'm
15:09
Speaker 1: going to try and have a live show for you
15:10
Speaker 1: a little later on tonight when we get to Portland.
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Speaker 1: That will probably be early evening Columbus time. And have
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Speaker 1: a lot of content coming for you this week at
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Speaker 1: buckeheudle dot com and YouTube dot com slash bucke Huddle,
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Speaker 1: so we hope to see you in both of those places.
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Speaker 1: That'll do it for now. We'll talk to you later.