Meyer, Ohio State focused on Northwestern
Buckeyes ignore talk of playoffs, whether their coach will return
INDIANAPOLIS — Urban Meyer arrived in Indianapolis for the Big Ten championship game on Friday with one goal — heading home with another Big Ten championship trophy.
He treated everything else as a sideshow.
Meyer ignored speculation about his coaching future and deflected talk about what No. 6 Ohio State would need to earn a spot in the college football playoff. Instead, Meyer stuck to the same message that he has relayed to his team all week: Just focus on football.
“We wanted to be hard on them, be fresh and be mentally prepared, and I think we’re there,” Meyer said. “I like where we’re at.”
Being back in Indy for another shot at the title and yet another possible playoff berth should be a relief in itself.
Seven weeks ago, the Buckeyes’ championship hopes nearly vanished with an embarrassing 49-20 loss at Purdue. But Ohio State rebounded by hanging on against Nebraska, walloping then-No. 18 Michigan State and outlasting Maryland in overtime before moving back into playoff contention with an impressive 62-39 Big Ten East-clinching victory over fourthranked Michigan
Since then, Meyer has dealt with all sorts of chatter and speculation, ranging from potential playoff scenarios to reports about his future with the Buckeyes (11-1, 8-1).
“Uh, no comment on that,” Meyer said when asked Friday about a report that next season would be his last in Columbus, Ohio.
Northwestern continues to embrace playing the underdog.
Few expected the No. 21Wildcats (8-4, 8-1) to dethrone Wisconsin in the Big Ten West, especially after losses to Duke, Akron and Michigan in successive weeks in September. But their only other stumble came against Notre Dame, another playoff hopeful, and now it appears Northwestern is one win away from reaching its first Rose Bowl since coach Pat Fitzgerald was a Wildcats player in 1995.
With quarterback Clayton Thorson still limited after surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the Wildcats lost those three consecutive games after a season-opening win at Purdue. Top running back Jeremy Larkin had to retire because of a spinal issue after the third game. Despite all of that, look at them now.
Northwestern is rolling, with seven victories in its last eight games. And Cameron Green insists Fitzgerald is a big reason.
“He pushes us to be the best that we can, whether it's working out, it's conditioning, practicing,” said Green, who plays the hybrid “superback” position. “He always knows we can be one step better, and he believes in us, which is very key to everything. Never really puts doubt on us or puts us down in any circumstance or situation, and he picks us up more than anything to give us more confidence. I think that, honestly, is one of the best things you can have as a person.”
It will be the Wildcats’ first appearance at Indianapolis and one Fitzgerald believes is overdue.
“We’ve been building this program now for 13 years and a lot of thoughts, a lot of emotions when we pulled in here,” Fitzgerald said, recalling what former coaches Gary Barnett and Randy Walker did for the program and his career. “This was the next hurdle for our program to get over. The next goal is to win it.”
Again, the doubters give Northwestern no chance against suddenly resurgent Ohio State.
The Buckeyes were installed as two-touchdown favorites Saturday — one week after hanging 62 points on one of America’s stingiest defenses. They are led by Big Ten offensive player of the year Dwayne Haskins, who set conference single-season records for yards passing (4,081) and touchdown passes (42).
And while the Wildcats rely on an old-school style, Fitzgerald knows just how well they must play to give themselves a chance against a team that seemingly needs a huge victory to impress the selection committee.
“I only deal with it when you ask me, so it’s not uncomfortable,” Meyer said about what the Buckeyes must do. “We don’t deal with it.”