Sept. 19, 2006

David Patterson, senior defensive tackle
On his anticipation for the game vs. Penn State
"It will be a great game. We play them every year, so every time we get out there, we know the players. Our team knows their concepts. They have a good defense and play a hard nosed football game. It will be a challenge of two teams fighting hard."

On starting play within their conference
"We'll be ready. We are getting focused. Coach Tressel says that the season starts now - which doesn't take anything away from our pre-season play. It's just that the Big Ten is the best conference in the nation. I might be biased because I play in that conference, but Big Ten teams are going to bring it. This is what you come to Ohio State for. There are big hits, good tackles and sound football."

On Penn State
"They are physical. They come out and try to hit you. They also have great playmakers and great speed on offence. Their new quarterback is doing a great job of throwing balls into the hands of playmakers."

On playing Penn State at home
"I'm just happy to have another home game in Ohio Stadium because my seconds are ticking down. I want to embrace the fans. The students are back and they will be rowdy. I'm glad with whatever the students will do to be fired up."

On what the Ohio State defense needs to improve
"We need to execute responsibly and be where we are supposed to be. We need to get better on the little things, which will correlate into big things. I have to do everything I can on my part to show that I'm ready to play - especially to the guys around me that I have influence over."

Troy Smith, senior quarterback
On Penn State's defense
"Penn State puts a lot of pressure on offenses with their front four and they spread the field on the corners. They are a good team because they are the same team as last year. Penn State has the same defensive coordinator as last year, but I think we are going to see a lot of different looks from the defense this year." On Ohio State's offense
"It is a totally different comfort level from last year on offense and that's a credit to the people around me. My teammates have helped me grow more comfortable. We spend countless hours watching film and each game I just try to stay on course. On offense, we need to continue to grow as a team and learn from our film studies. One thing we learned from the game last week was we have to work as a unit and keep plugging away to be successful."

On Smith's growth since the Penn State loss
"I think people mature as they get older. I feel like I have matured into a better person because of the look on my teammates' faces. They see my face everyday and when they see me up and still working it translates to them."

On Ohio State's player rotation
"The young guys are able to give starters a chance to refuel and will probably get a chance to play later in their career. It gives them the ability to experience the environment and release any nerves."

Doug Datish, senior center
On playing Penn State
"It's going to be a tough, hard-nosed game. It's going to be fun, though, too. They are a clean opponent - there's not a lot of jawing between us. They are well-coached and classy. It's going to be a hard-fought game. If you're not ready to go, you're going to be down in the dirt."

On the play of David Patterson
"Dave has insane moves. If he gets you one-on-one, that guy's toast. He doesn't stop. He has tremendous heart and tremendous drive to excel."

On the crowd this weekend
"I hope our fans come out and show Penn State what it's like to play in Ohio Stadium. The 'white out' (last year at Penn State) didn't effect us so much as the sound. It's hard to have a blitz adjustment when you can't hear."

On the game at Penn State last year
"I couldn't hear anything. My ears were ringing, it was so loud. It was disappointing that we fought so hard and it came down to the end and we lost. I don't like losing in general, and I really don't like losing to a Big Ten opponent."

Quinn Pitcock, Sr. defensive tackle
On Anthony Morelli
"Our game plan hasn't changed a lot. He does sit back in the pocket more than (Michael) Robinson, but he still has a great arm, great patience and will find an open receiver."

On playing Penn State
"Every game in the Big Ten will be tough. The first game you play is always physical and Penn State is always a tough team to play."

On the win last week
"We were excited about another win but also had to stay focused. That's just how the game is. You have a few minutes to celebrate and then you have to think about the next game."

On getting revenge
"Revenge is not a factor for us. Penn State is just another team and we are going into this game working hard just like every other game."

On the changes school will bring
"The biggest change for our defense will be the time we spend watching films together. We have spent a lot of time building relationships, especially with the younger guys, and now everyone's class schedules will be different. Everyone will need to take responsibility to watch film and get their lifts in on their own time."

On the defense exceeding preseason expectations
"You have to credit the tremendous coaching staff. They really prepared the seniors and made us understand that a good defense would be made by us taking younger players under our wing, getting them ready for practice and excited about games."

On his career-high three sacks vs. Cincinnati
"I don't know what came over me. I was just able to get off the blocks and react to the pass well."

On David Patterson thinking Pitcock could be their best pass rusher
"I think he is just talking me up. In my opinion David is a better pass rusher than I am. I think we look up to each other a lot."

On the 10 game wining streak beginning with Penn State last year
"There is no carry over. Last year's wins don't count in which bowl game you go to this year. It is a whole new season, a new team and we take every game as a new game."

On playing alongside David Patterson
"Playing with David I know I can trust he's doing everything he is supposed to. With him by my side I know I can let loose a little more and not have to worry about covering him. We can do our jobs and have fun."

On students being back on campus
"Anytime we can fill the stadium with crazy student fans it's a good thing. We have the best fans in the land and having the students behind us will definitely make an impact."

On causing turnovers being a signature of the defense
"I don't think we have a signature yet. There are no true starters and you can't really get a feel for that until the ninth or 10th game. Turnovers are a big thing, though, and something we looked a lot at when we studied film from last year. We wanted to cause more turnovers than we were able to last year. We knew if we could do that, we could make the team better by giving the offense more chances to score."

On playing for Joe Paterno
"I think the biggest reason young kids still want to play for Coach Paterno is his attitude of toughness. He brings back the old school attitude of toughness and now with his son on the coaching staff, they are bringing in a more modern style of spreading things out. It's a great combination of new and old."

On the biggest difference with conference play
"With Big Ten teams it doesn't matter what everyone's record is. Each game is going to be a hard fought game and it will go down to the whistle every time."

Antonio Smith, senior defensive back
On beginning the Big Ten season
"The Big Ten we all know is very physical. This week we practice on defense to get ready for a lot of play action. The loss last year was a heart breaker, but this is a new team. We practiced extremely hard this summer."

On his role on the team
"I play safety a little bit and tackling is just something you have to do. You have to be physical on this Buckeye team. It's a lot of fun to be out there as a member of the team. I played my role on special teams too and I made the best of it. Now I'm just trying to fulfill whatever the coaches ask me to do.

On the defense
"I think we are coming together as a unit and playing with enthusiam. We put a lot of focus this summer on creating turnovers and we are doing a good job going after the ball.

James Laurinaitis, sophomore linebacker
On starting play with Big Ten teams
"Coach (Tressel) has been saying all week that when you play games in the Big Ten, it's a whole different level. It kind of sounds clich, but the Big Ten will be big and emotional. Everyone wants to win the conference and be on their best game.

On his expectations for the upcoming Penn State game
"The game with Penn State was a punch in the mouth last year, but you can't dwell on last year. It's an OSU (vs.) Penn State game - we expect the very best. We have got to be ready for anything, because it's going to be a long day. It helps when you have a team like Penn State to get your focus back. You can't drop your level of intensity."

On his growth as a player
"I don't feel like I've arrived yet. It's an honor for people to think highly of me, but we have I have a long way to go. I watch film of guys that played here, like AJ (Hawk) and Bobby (Carpenter), and realize that I have a long way to go. I will strive to reach my goals.

TJ Downing, senior offensive guard
On the upcoming Penn State game
"Tressel has been showing us story lines from past Penn State and Ohio State games. We have a huge challenge ahead of us. Our largest goal is to establish Pittman with 100 yards rushing and get him in the endzone. Our pass protection has always been good, but opening up holes for our running backs is key for us."

On the Penn State game last year
"The environment at Penn State was hostile. I couldn't even hear Nick Mangold and I was two feet from him. The only thing I can do is issue a statement to our fans to do the same, because that would help us out a lot.

On rotating players throughout the game
"If you get a chance to take a series off, it helps you stay fresh. During the Northern Illinois game, I was more tired because we didn't rotate as much. What Coach Tressel has done has been a smart move, and if we keep winning games, that is what matters."