Oct. 3, 2006

T.J. Downing, senior offensive guard
On blocking for Troy Smith
"We take great pride in blocking for everyone, not just Troy. But it is a pleasure to block for Troy. He is so smart. I think we are one of the teams with the lowest number of sacks allowed and we take pride in that."

On being the OSU Offensive Lineman of the Week
"It has turned into a competition for who gets it. Whoever gets it gets teased. They get called Jim Parker, so I'm Jim Parker this week. At the game, Alex Boone kept telling me he was going to get it. It just makes us get better every week."

On preparing for games
"We prepare the same way for every game. The difference at Iowa was we just executed from the get-go. It's up to the players, not the coaches. It's about who wants it more. Everyone one in the locker room knows where we want to go. We have to have focus."

On his mohawk haircut
"I was cutting it every Friday. Kirk Barton would cut the back and I would cut the front. But I didn't cut it for the Iowa game. So, it might get longer now."

Anthony Gonzalez, junior wide receiver
On playing Bowling Green
"It will be a nice change of pace. They are an opponent that we haven't played in at least the last few years. We are at a point in the season where the grind takes place. Early on, it's hard not to look ahead, because the season is so long. After game five, the pace is a bit slower."

On Troy Smith
"Troy is at a high level in terms of understanding everything with his game. He grows each and every week and his command of the game is unbelievable. He just literally doesn't make mistakes. We have one of the most talented players in the country running our offense." On his approach to studying an opponent
"The key is not to research records and stats, even when we are playing a good opponent. People make a big deal out of it. In that regard, it's important to look at each team on a personal level and their schemes. You do what you have to do, but it is still football. It's about who has prepared the most and who makes the most plays."

On the team progress
"We still have all of October, November, and bowl practice - hopefully - but we are not out of the hole yet. It certainly is exciting. The most difficult part of each season is to keep going and keep growing."

Brandon Mitchell, senior safety
On his improvement
"It is all about preparation. I study a lot more film and have a lot more communication within the defense. The coaches have a lot more confidence in me. When I wake up in the morning I think about Bowling Green's spread offense. It is all about preparation."

On his roll
"I am helping prepare the younger guys for the Bowling Green offense. I am the only one who has actually seen this offense. I know how good they are and I have to convey that to the younger guys. It's going to be like a track meet out there with their (Bowling Green's) no huddle offense."

On Bowling Green
"They (Bowling Green) run the ball well. They have good running backs and very mobile quarterbacks. They are more of a rushing team because they get their quarterbacks involved in their rushing game a lot more."

On the thought of an upset
"Any time you make mental mistakes and miss tackles you can lose. We have to stick to the fundamentals of the game and not worry about making big plays. Everyone just has to play their "1/11" of the defense."

On handling adversity
"Coach Tressel has talked a lot about handling adversity; how to handle being on the road, playing tough teams and getting through the toughest part of our schedule. He has also talked a lot about handling success in the coming weeks. We can't just put it in cruise control and not prepare for every team just because some say we are through the toughest part of our schedule."

On interceptions this season
"There are two main reasons why the defense has had such an improvement with interceptions. One reason is the extreme emphasis that the coaches and our players put on making interceptions in the spring and preseason. Coach Tressel told us that we were ranked 100th last year in causing turnovers. As a defense, you never want to be that high in any category. Secondly, the defensive line has been putting a lot of pressure on people. James (Laurinaitis) has said that a lot of his interceptions have come from quarterbacks throwing it right to him because of the continued pressure from the defensive line through four quarters."

On how school experience helps with football
"It is a lot about preparation. I spend countless hours watching films, picking an offense apart. It is just like studying for a math exam. You study weeks in advance, not the day before the test. I watch film all week to prepare for Saturday."

On whether or not this year is meeting his expectations
"It definitely is. It isn't only because we are undefeated or ranked No. 1, it is because of all the fun we've had. This team has so much fun during the games, off the field, goofing around in the locker room. We are focused but Coach Tressel has told us that there is a time for play and a time to be focused and we have been able to do both. I have just had a lot of fun with these guys."

On the defense
"We have definitely exceeded people's expectations in getting turnovers. Nobody expected us to be causing this many turnovers. I think we have not met our own expectations when it comes to stopping the run. The number one goal for any defensive player is stopping the run and we haven't been able to do that as well as we should. Also, making tackles; we have to stop missing tackles.

On preparing for Bowling Green
"We just have to play responsible football. Everyone has to take care of their assignments and do their "1/11" of the job. Bowling Green plays hurry-up football. We just have to stay clam and focused, do our job and play our game."

On the rest of the season
"Everyone keeps saying that the championship is ours to lose, both the Big Ten and the national championship. Great teams go out and take the championship. We have to stay focused and not go into cruise control."

On the mentality of the team
"I think part of our success comes from the competitiveness of this year's team. In the past we have had a lot of guys returning but this year we have a lot of younger guys. Everyone wants to get better every game and play the best they can because they know if they have a bad game they could lose their starting spot to someone else."

Rory Nicol, sophomore tight end
On Bowling Green
"Bowling Green is going to come in and play physical. Any time a team comes into this situation, they will bring their `A' game. We can't mess around and take a week off. We have to look at every week as a chance to get better. Bowling Green would do anything to knock us off, so we have to be aware of the danger an instate team can bring."

On the cohesion of the Ohio State offense
"As a group, you form a friendship and you grow. It is a matter of us all molding together. Our guys pride themselves on every aspect of the game and have fun making big plays. We have some spectacular, unselfish guys."

On preparing for the rest of the season
"Practice was an eye-opener. Coach (Tressel) is not taking us lightly. He asked us how much better do we want to get, and how much better do we need to get. It's not about what other people think - it's about us and how we showcase it. Surprisingly, we still have to get better."

Roy Hall, senior split end
On his opinion of Bowling Green
"They are a young team, distinguished and pretty good. They came close with Wisconsin in the beginning of the season, so they will come in and give us all they got. We are taking this game just like we did with Iowa, and Texas, as far as preparation goes. They will come in here and they will be fired up."

On the depth of the receivers
"I think we have one of the best receiving units in the nation. We have guys in the ranks that could be starting at other schools. It's a good competition. Everybody has respect for everyone. When I was injured, these guys had my back. Now, when I get in, I just have to keep rolling."

On the team outlook
"We have a message to ourselves that we want to be the best, but there is no yellow brick road to victory. We must regroup, get back to it and make a statement every game."

On his health
"I feel good enough to compete and play. No football player ever plays at 100 percent. I am still going through rehabilitation and hope I can make it through the season with no more bumps and bruises."

Marcus Freeman, sophomore linebacker
On his interception against Iowa
"You want to go out there and make plays. When you play a game like that, it's a confidence booster. It comes along with watching film, going to practice every day and geting used to knowing what you need to do. Having more experience will make you better."

On the depth of the defense
"You have to do your job. When you have a chance to make big plays, you have to take every opportunity you have. You can't coast when you have a starting spot, because at practice, if you mess up, the guy next in line will be waiting."

On teammate Jamario O' Neal
"I think Jamario has been ready since he began playing this year. It's great to see that he has a chance to go out there and prove himself."

On the upcoming Bowling Green game
"We just want to go out and do the best we can. Every team is going to bring their best game to play the number one team and we have to be ready."

On the defense
"We played well against Cincinnati but last week we missed some tackles and missed assignments. You have to give credit to Iowa, but we just have to keep getting better."

On generating turnovers
"The big thing has been the stress that we have put on it in practice. The coaches have been stressing the importance of it everyday and that carries over into the games."

Joel Penton, senior defensive lineman
On Bowling Green's offense
"They (Bowling Green) are very good. They run a lot of different formations that we haven't seen all season long. Their offense gives teams a lot of problems. We are going to have to play our best game."

On playing an instate team
"I don't think it is an advantage, I think it might actually be an advantage for them (Bowling Green). They have increased motivation to come in and play their best. Kids that may have wanted to come here and play will be playing against us and they are going to want to prove their talent."

On the 2003 Bowling Green game
"We did not play well in 2003. We gave up 17 points and the game came down to the wire. We came out with the win, but we don't want it to come down to the wire this year."

On the tone of the team
"We definitely set the tone in practice today. We set the tone that we are going to continue to work very, very hard. I think it may have been a shocker to some of the guys' systems and they found out we are not going to be taking anyone lightly. Coaches at the beginning of practice set the tone and then it trickled down through the seniors. By the end of practice everyone had caught on."

On Bowling Green's offense
"Bowling Green has a very good offensive line. They have great running backs, a great offensive scheme, they use their quarterbacks a lot and they throw a lot at you very quickly. The definitely keep the defense on their toes."

On preparing for two quarterbacks
"It just takes more film study and that much more time and preparation. It is just one more thing they can throw at you and one more thing you have to be prepared for."

On team confidence
"I think the guys are very confident. We have had to step up to a few challenges and we met them and came out on top. At the same time, our guys are humble enough to know we can be beat."