Jim Tressel joined ESPN 850 WKNR in Cleveland on the Really Big Show to talk about what his job at Akron now entails, whether he misses being away from the football field, if he has talked to Urban Meyer since Meyer took over at Ohio State, whether he is surprised that Gene Smith is still the Athletic Director at Ohio State after everything that has happened over the last year, if he has anything to add about his resignation and if getting back into coaching is something he would like to do.

What his job at Akron now entails:

“It’s a lot of fun because I’ve had a chance to be here for about a month. I started officially a few days ago but I got to spend about a month in a fact finding mission and Dr. Louis Proenza, who is a great man, wants to have a comprehensive program athletically, academically and all the rest so I’ve had a chance to visit with all the various departments and the biggest thing that we want is what we’ve wanted for 30-something years when we were in football coaching was looking for ways to have greater student success, greater preparation to get them ready for a tough, competitive world. Obviously we have some great goals at Akron to be a school of 40,000 people and to have tremendous research and so forth. I’ve had a chance to kind of dabble in a lot of things but number one is student success and that is what it’s all about.”

Whether he misses being away from the football field:

“The part away from the field obviously I miss. The good news is though the best part of coaching is working with youngsters, watching them grow up and helping them get ready for life. Of course I miss the chess game and the smell of the grass and all the rest but I would say Tony (Rizzo) that probably 75 percent of our time was spent just working with kids and trying to recruit kids which we will be doing here for different reasons. We want to recruit kids to invent things that may save our pancreatic cancer problems or whatever it happens to be but of course you miss the excitement of a ball game and so forth but I haven’t had a chance to miss it too much because there’s more than you can imagine. I used to have 120 players now I have 30,000 and it’s so much fun trying to see what you can do to help them out. When you’re around the game a long time of course you miss it.”

If he has talked to Urban Meyer since Meyer took over at Ohio State:

“Absolutely. In fact we just did a little photo shoot a month or so ago with Coach (Earle) Bruce, Coach (John) Cooper and Coach Meyer. We had a little bit of fun and Earle is really big on research with Alzheimer’s. He’s lost two or three family members with that dreaded disease so we were creating a piece that would kind of kick off a charity function that Earle was having and in fact two of the photos were auctioned off, signed by us, that each got 7,000 dollars. I saw Urban and of course his spring practice started and then I started here so I really haven’t had a chance to visit with him at all. He’s got a good crew coming back, he will have a lot of fun and they will win a lot of games.”

Whether he is surprised that Gene Smith was able to keep his job as OSU Athletic Director after the scandal:

“Not at all. Gene does the best that he can possibly do. When you’re trying to have 36 sports, 1,100 athletes, I don’t know how many thousands and thousands of fans and boosters and alumni and all the rest but when you’re trying to keep that all in line I think he works like mad and does the best he can. I’m not surprised at all.”

If he wants to add anything to his resignation that he hasn’t already said:

“I really can’t add anything. You don’t always know how the script gets written and the ironic thing is here we are a year later and get an unbelievable opportunity to work with great people and try to affect young kids which is what I entered the business 38 years ago to do. We’re as happy as can be and excited. It’s a little different wearing all this blue and gold all the time I’ve got to be honest with you but it’s a great blue and gold and we’re excited to be here.”

If getting back into coaching is something he would like to do:

“I wouldn’t sit here today and say it’s something that I want to do but you never know what lies out there. I didn’t know for sure I’d be sitting here today. Three years ago, if I was on my tip-toes looking into the future I would’ve I’m sure been surprised that this would’ve been the future so you never know. The old Athletic Director at Akron taught me years ago when I came as a Grad Assistant, he said keep your mind and your rear-end in the same place. He didn’t exactly say it that way but know what I’m saying. My mind is here, I’m loving every day and what the future holds who knows? But I know this; I will give everything I’ve got here so this place will never get short sold and I’m enjoying the heck out of it.”

Listen to Jim Tressel on ESPN 850 WKNR here

Meyer hopes the Ohio State job is his last in his coaching tour and he was overjoyed to return “home” to Ohio to have the privilege to coach in a place where the expectation is to win every year. The Buckeyes head coach checks in as he starts the transformation process in Columbus.

Urban Meyer joined WCNN in Atlanta with The Rude Awakening to discuss adjusting to life at Ohio State University, feeling the pressure of having to win every game at Ohio State, Florida/Florida State/Miami not having a single player selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, the challenges of recruiting at Ohio State and the group returning at Ohio State this season.

How has this adjustment been for you going up to Ohio State?

“Well it’s great. It’s great to be back. It’s my home. 25 years ago I was in grad school there.  I’ve always grown up rooting for the Buckeyes and it’s good to be back home and great to be coaching again.”

What’s it like to be back in an environment where you are expected to win every game or else?

“Exactly the same rules. That’s…I don’t want to say it’s overrated, but it is. Every program…I’d say 95% of the teams in the SEC expect you to win every game. There’s teams like Ohio State, USC, Texas. Mac Brown is a great friend and he made a comment to me one time and said ‘You create a beast and then the problem with that is you have to feed it once and awhile.’ That’s real, but to say that’s an issue? That’s not an issue. That’s real life and it’s a dream to coach in a place where they expect to win.”

For the first time since 1981 there wasn’t a player taken in the first round from Florida, Florida State or Miami. What are your thoughts on that? It’s astonishing right?

“That is. You can’t explain that because every year Miami, FSU and Florida – the top five – the top 10 in the recruiting process.”

How tough is recruiting for you at Ohio State? Does the team recruit itself with the name Ohio State?

“Well Ohio is the only show in town in the state of Ohio. You gotta compete with your rivals. The team up north…Penn State. Some other ones come up there because there is great football. I think Ohio is one of the top five football states in America. I think it’s probably the best coached. The high school coaches of that state are fantastic, to say a school recruits itself? I don’t know if that is fair at all with the effort the coaches put into it. We work awful hard. I know Ohio. I hired my staff. Eight of the nine assists coaches are from Ohio and so we are going to pound that state hard. We are also going to cherry pick a little bit, which we have already done a little bit this spring.”

Talk to us about the group you have coming back this year?

“I like a bunch of our players. There’s some areas we need to strengthen a little bit, but that’s normal. I like my quarterback Braxton Miller. Defensively the last decade of football at Ohio State has been fantastic and Luke Fickell is going to run our defense. I don’t know the Big 10 well enough to really gauge what kind of season we are going to have. All I’m worried about is our team. Our team is…I like our guys.”

Listen to Urban Meyer on WCNN in Atlanta

It was the right call by Sullinger, but numerous questions will be asked before the NBA Draft. More than likely, Sullinger will be a lottery pick but after the way his season ended this year as well as last year, with the undersized Sullinger being stymied by the size of the players he battled against, it gives a reason for pause. There are numerous positives to Sully’s game. He is the ultimate winner and he is very smart but what is he at the next level? Is he an undersized center like he was in college? Is he a power forward that doesn’t seem to have the quicks and athleticism to play and guard against the guys is the NBA? Can he keep from acting like a brat when calls don’t go his way? Can he keep his weight in check as it seemed to fluctuate while at Ohio State? And can the undersized two-time All-American get his shot off in the NBA consistently? None of those questions were going to be answered by dominating the Big Ten for a third straight season. Sullinger was a dominant high school player and he dominated the Big Ten as well, but it’s hard to see him being that kind of player at the next level.

Jared Sullinger joined 1070 the Fan in Indianapolis on the Dan Dakich Show to talk about why he decided to enter the NBA Draft, what Coach Thad Matta told him about this decision, whether his decision was based on basketball decisions, what he is trying to work on before the Draft, and if he uses criticism as motivation.

Why he decided to enter the NBA Draft:

“Pretty much this University has done so much for me and I didn’t want to hurt the University or do anything that could hurt the University and then two, I just felt it was my time to go. With this year being incredible, we got to the Final Four and I love everybody on the basketball team but I thought it was best for me to go to the next level.”

What Head Coach Thad Matta told him about his decision:

“Coach Matta pretty much told me if you’re ready then go. He said whatever I do he’s behind me 100 percent. Same way with my father. Freshman year I really didn’t feel comfortable going to the next level. I felt I had to change some things for me mentally and physically, which I did. I thought it would’ve gotten me ready for the next level and I did that this year and I feel tough enough to handle whatever comes my way at the next level.”

Whether his decision was based on basketball decisions:

“It was a little bit of both. When we lost to Kentucky I immediately said I was going to come back and that was a basketball decision. As I was thinking about it and I looked into everything I wasn’t mentally prepared to go to the next level either. It was a little bit of both.”

What he will do in preparation for the draft:

“Right now it’s just trying to get healthy from the grind of the season. Pretty much work on everything that everybody says I can’t do. That’s explosiveness and I have to do that and it’s the jump shot, the ball handling, the lateral speed, and I’m just trying to do a little bit of everything and at the same time work on my strengths and touch up on my weaknesses.”

If he uses criticism as motivation:

“Always. I always wear everything as a chip on my shoulder because I was always that young kid that wanted to prove everybody wrong. Everybody doubted me at a young age so I’m used to it and I just learn how to change those negative comments into positive comments.”

Listen to Jared Sullinger on 1070 The Fan in Indy here

The group, with more veteran players, didn’t make it to this point last year. Now this year’s young squad is there after beating Cincinnati in the Sweet Sixteen and Syracuse in the Elite Eight. But Matta can’t sit around and enjoy it too long, as his group already faced Kansas in the non-conference season and lost by 11 points. The rematch awaits.

Thad Matta joined 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis with Dan Dakich to discuss Lenzelle Smith Jr.’s performance, Jared Sullinger battling back from foul trouble, his impressions of Kansas, taking a moment to enjoy the successful run and sharing his story about being handicapped by his leg.

Lenzelle Smith Jr. had another big weekend. How much does he come up big for you guys in big moments?:

“He really did. The biggest thing with Lenzelle is just getting him to understand that job that he needs to do to help this team. I had a long talk with him a couple weeks ago about changing his mindset of every day he needs to ask himself what he needs to do to help this team win. When he does that, he’s very, very effective. Quite honestly, he hit some big shots for us the other night.”

Jared Sullinger had the first-half foul trouble against Syracuse, but it looked like he played angry in the second half:

“I think he did. He had the two fouls and had to sit the last 14 minutes of the first half. He was into the game on the sideline. That was probably the biggest thing. He was talking to guys in timeouts. He was very, very vocal from the bench, and that led me to believe his mind was where it needed to be. I’ve always said this about Jared, he likes the big games and I said at halftime to him, ‘You should be well-rested now and we need a big half from you in the second half.’”

On going with a unique approach against Syracuse’s zone in going inside more than relying on the 3:

“I think that was the one thing we tried to sell our guys. … We talked, from the time we beat Cincinnati after the game, we talked about the zone, we talked about the zone, we went to practice Saturday and talked about the zone. Right before tipoff I said, ‘Hey fellas, the one thing we forgot to talk about is defense.’ If we can guard these guys, that’s what’s going to win us the game. And I do think our defense was very effective.”

What were your impressions of Kansas in the win over North Carolina?:

“We played them in early December and actually a couple guys, their starters, did what they did. But the difference was kind of the guys coming off the bench was what got us. They pose a lot of problems with their size. They’ve got guys that can make plays off the bounce. Once again, we’re going to have be as sound as we possibly can. But the thing, the last three games, I think they’re averaging 17 offensive rebounds a game, so we’ve got to come up with the first-time rebounds.”

Isn’t it strange how seasons work out? A more veteran team last year doesn’t make the Final Four and this one does:

“We were talking about it last night as a staff. We’re going to the Final Four with one senior. It’s funny, we get upset two years ago in the Sweet Sixteen by Tennessee and William Buford is the only player on the team that played in that game. I’m proud of these guys.”

On enjoying victories for one night, reflecting and moving on:

“People don’t understand that, as a coach, you have to decompress after a game. You need time alone. You need to sit down and kind of go through your mind of what worked, what didn’t work. The next opponent, that’s going to come. That’s the one thing that I kind of want to do is enjoy this a little bit. I probably didn’t do it a few years ago when we went to the Final Four. It was just like, on to the next thing. But taking a deep breath and saying, ‘This team has accomplished a lot.’ As I told the team … I said, ‘Hey, we’re going to take this week and we’re going to get better. We’ve got to be a better basketball team on Saturday night than we were last Saturday.’”

What made you come out and tell the story about your leg?:

“My wife kind of talked me into it from the standpoint of letting people know that have a disability that you can go on and do things. … I didn’t want to do it and I told him no several times. … I’m kind of glad I did it because it let’s people know that have a disability that hey, they can go on and do things in life. If one person’s helped by it, I’m happy.”

Listen to Thad Matta on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis

Meyer’s first recruiting class was a huge success. He was able to change the minds of some big-time recruits and the minute he arrived in Columbus, players that weren’t even considering Ohio State, were all of the sudden seeing scarlet and grey. His determination, pride, knowledge, work ethic, and hustle might be unmatched by any other coach in college football. It caused other coaches in the Big Ten to question Meyer’s tactics, even going as far as using the word “illegal.” Without even coaching a game yet, Urban Meyer has flexed his muscles, raised the stakes in the Big Ten, and the conference has already started to take notice. After a down year a season ago, the Buckeyes are back.

Urban Meyer joined ESPN 850 WKNR in Cleveland with the Hooligans to talk about how he celebrated the success of his first recruiting class, on making sure things are done the right way at Ohio State, on evaluating players beyond the football field, if he learned anything from taking a year off, if he was mad at the comments made by Bret Bielema and Mark Dantonio, what he has to do to close the gap between the SEC and the Big Ten, and the biggest difference between coaching at Ohio State and Florida.

What he did on Saturday night to celebrate the success of his first recruiting class:

“Saturday night? Saturday night? Oh I went to my man’s concert. (Host: that’s what I thought. You were in Margaritaville right?) Yeah I’m a huge Jimmy Buffet fan. That’s good. You’ve got some spies out huh?”

Whether or not it is true that he has taken locker room privileges away:

“There’s some stuff within the team and certain things, I’m not going to get into specifics, that’s between us and unfortunately in today’s day and age everything you do all of the sudden hits the media or blogs or something else but we have a strong belief that it’s a privilege to be a member of the Ohio State football team, walk into these great facilities to do certain things and if you don’t do things the right way then that privilege will be taken away from you and I’m not just talking about locker room. I’m talking about scholarships, I’m talking about jersey, gear, certain numbers people want to wear, it’s a John Wooden approach to a program and that is an incentive based program. Everything we do is incentive based. Everything. I could go on for probably two hours about there’s everything you do as a football player at Ohio State you get treated a certain way if you do things the right way. If not certain things will be taken from you.”

On evaluating players beyond the football field and the idea every position is up for grabs:

“That’s a great question because if you want to dig into the inside of what we’re all about. Our football program, it is about all those things you just said. It’s not about your vertical jump or you can throw the ball really well but you act like a jerk off-the-field, all those things go into a formula that we’re going to make decisions on players. We have for example a magnet of each player in our staff room and we’re going to give them a 1-10 rating. The strength coach is, the trainer is, the position coach is, the coordinators, and the head coach. All I’m looking for is every day, every week, every month, you have to get a little better. The minute we hit an athlete that’s not getting any better than I have to evaluate why. Is it because of resistance? Is it because he doesn’t want to be here? Is it because of some social issue? You just hit it right square on the head that everything is being evaluated. I mean everything. We’re putting them in enough situations that it’s easy to evaluate and the easiest way is putting them in a situation where you either win or you lose. There’s no grey area. Well I tried hard. Yeah but you lost. So that’s currently what we’re doing right now.”

If he learned from taking the year off:

“Incredible self-evaluation. Incredible evaluation of other people, programs, ways of doing things, and I felt like there were certain things that we could’ve done a lot better. We’re currently doing it. It’s something I learned on the road, but we just don’t have enough time with all the things. I had a notebook everywhere I went. I was working for a great company, ESPN, but I was also working for myself to try to make myself better. Hopefully I have.”

How he plans on adjusting his style knowing there is a bowl ban for Ohio State:

“I really don’t know. I’m actually going to do some research. There’s a program, USC, that’s done a good job. They’re dealing with a really severe bowl ban of three years.  Thought that staff has done a good job so at the appropriate time I might reach out there but I don’t know that answer. We haven’t spent much time on it. At some point I will. I can tell you this, it won’t be any different how we manage the game because we have a really clear plan to win and that’s how I manage the game. We’re going to go one game at a time and our objective is to win every game we play. I think your question about do you play a younger player versus an older player? Do you get them experience getting ready for hopefully a run in the following year, those are all questions I can’t answer yet but that stimulates thought.”

If he was mad about the comments Bret Bielema and Mark Dantonio made about him this offseason:

“Not a strong enough word. No. Really not a strong enough word at all especially my name associated with those two terms that were used, first of all it’s not true and then to use that in the media, no, mad is not a strong enough word.”

What they have to do to close the gap between the Big Ten and the SEC:

“I think we have to recruit better. I think the whole Big Ten, that’s our challenge and Jim Delaney is our commissioner and we’ve had a conversation about that. We’ve got to go get some top recruiting classes. There’s some great players in this league, great players in this league but we can get greater. I think that’s a great challenge for all of us in this conference that we can better and I think we will. Our rival is doing a really good job recruiting and there’s some other schools doing a great job and I just think as a whole we can do that. Are you kidding me some of the stadiums in this conference, traditions in this conference, the coaches, it’s all here. We just have to enhance our products.”

On the biggest difference between coaching at Florida and Ohio State:

“I think it’s very similar. I think the biggest difference is the fact that this is my home. When I say the great state of Ohio I know it and I’ve lived it. When I meet with the high school coaches I’ve known some of these guys for 20 years. I started my career as a head coach at Bowling Green, played college football here, I played high school football here, so really I think they’re very similar because the fan base is so intense. The intensity, the expectation level is really out of control. However my biggest thing is the fact that I was born and raised in the state of Ohio, that’s the biggest difference for me.”

Listen to Urban Meyer on ESPN 850 WKNR here

Ohio State coach Thad Matta says he tried not to make it about revenge. He says he’s got a young team that needs to simply play like it practices and realizes why it is they play so well when they do. Ohio State returns to action Saturday at Nebraska.

Thad Matta joined ESPN 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis with Dan Dakich to talk about getting some revenge on the Hoosiers after Indiana had beaten Ohio State earlier in conference play, the play of Lenzelle Smith Jr. in the victory, not letting the team get ahead of itself as it continues to grow as a young team, a pregame speech by football coach Urban Meyer and the importance of a connection between football and basketball staffs.

On exacting some revenge for an earlier loss to Indiana and a loss to Illinois by beating the Hoosiers by 17 points Sunday:

“It’s funny. I’m trying to get where we’re not in a revenge mode. We had three great practices leading into the game. I’m just trying to get these guys to play like they practice. We did a great job; we wanted to get off to a good start and I thought [defense] was going to be the key. When you play a great team like Indiana, you’ve got to slow them down.”

How about the performance by Lenzelle Smith Jr. despite being sick?:

“I didn’t know until Saturday evening that he was going to play. We hadn’t even seen him. We had him away from the other guys. He had a case of strep throat and came in on his own and watched some film, but we didn’t want anyone else to get it. It was amazing what he was able to do [Sunday] in knocking down the shots.”

Is this a game that you have to make sure that your team doesn’t get ahead of itself, because it’s blown out other teams at home this year?:

“No doubt about that. I think anytime you have a team as youthful as we are, you’re trying to find the buttons to push in getting guys to understand that in today’s day and age of college basketball, it’s an everyday grind, that you’ve got to do all the little things and continue to build a camaraderie and friendship with your teammates and understand that we’re playing for more than ourselves. Hopefully guys can continue to learn why we play well and why we don’t.”

On Urban Meyer addressing the team:

“He came in before the game and I was sitting in the locker room and we were talking and I said, ‘Hey Coach, do you mind saying a few words?’ He was unbelievable. A lot of people don’t know this, he’s a Buckeye. Like he was telling me, ‘I grew up the biggest Ohio State fan and as a young kid my dream was to play basketball at Ohio State.’ So he was very honored and did a tremendous job.”

Will it be the same as when Jim Tressel was there for you, that football and basketball can coexist?:

“That’s the one thing that when I got here eight years ago, I reached out to Jim and now with Urban, the things that we can do together. Football is such a big part of this university and obviously Urban and Jim are or were kind of the faces of the university. A football Saturday here in Columbus is one of the greatest sporting events I’ve ever seen. It’s definitely beneficial for us to be connected with the football staff.”

Listen to Thad Matta on ESPN 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis here

Cooper was full of ideas during this interview on Monday, including saying that the NCAA should look at the situations of the teams in the SEC. His thought process is: “We say the SEC’s the best and they are the best, but they’ve also had more NCAA violations than probably all the other leagues put together the last 10 years.” Make of that what you will.

John Cooper joined 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland with Baskin and Phelps to discuss the current bowl system and his most current thoughts following Monday night’s BCS Championship Game between Alabama and LSU, his ideas to change the system of deciding a national champion, a tournament-style postseason and what kind of format it might take, why the current power brokers in the BCS and at the administrative levels of universities across the country won’t consider the playoff style format, why that reality makes him an advocate of at least implementing a plus-one system as the next best option, his take on what happened at Ohio State in recent years, the pressure of being the Buckeyes’ head coach and how similar situations of rules infractions are widespread throughout the much-celebrated SEC.

What do you think about the current system after watching Monday night’s game?:

“Absolutely no question in my mind we should have one more game. I would love to see Oklahoma State play Alabama and find out if Alabama’s defense is as good as I think it is. I think it is. I thought that was one of the best defensive teams I’ve seen in a long, long time. I thought they were well-coached and played together. … On the other hand, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an offense that was as bad as LSU’s was. If I asked you what kind of offense LSU runs, what would you tell me?”

More on his plan:

“I don’t know why in the world we don’t take the top 10 teams in the country and let them play in the major bowl games. Maybe we’d have to add one more bowl, maybe a bowl down in Texas or something. And then after those games are played, let’s take the two top teams and play and determine the true national champion. The only thing I would add to that is I would love to see some of those great Southern teams have to come up here and play. We’re always the visiting team for goodness sake.”

What about a tournament-style postseason?:

“I’d like a playoff. I’d like a true playoff, but you might as well shut up. You’re not going to get a playoff. They’re not going to let us do that. … The bowl people might be the most corrupt people in athletics. The first thing they do, they invite you to a bowl game but you’ve got to buy 13,000 tickets or so many tickets. Most teams nowadays lose money going to bowl games. … The old days you went to a bowl game and a bowl game was an award for a good season and you had fun and rewarded your players. … I never coached anywhere where 6-6 was a good year and this year UCLA went to a bowl game and they were 6-7.”

You don’t think they could find a way to make a playoff make them even more money or is it just that they don’t want to make the effort?:

“I don’t think they want to make that effort. I even suggested this week that, as we speak, the American Football Coaches Association is having their convention down in Texas and I suggested let’s have the coaches sponsor one more game. … There’s a lot of money that could be made off of one more game, a BCS plus one more game, but I don’t think there’s a whole lot of interest in that among the coaches even.”

What’s your take on what’s happened at Ohio State in the past year? It has to have broken your heart, right?:

“Well, it has. There’s absolutely no question about it. I thought Jim Tressel, Coach Tressel, was a great, great football coach. I still think he is. … I think with Urban, whoever coaches at Ohio State is going to win. It’s too good a program. … Urban I think is a great football coach and great hire here.”

Can you just give us what it’s like to be in that position, the pressure that comes with it and how a situation like this one could have developed?:

“Coach made a big mistake. All he had to do when he got that email is pass it on to Gene Smith or the compliance people. … Some of those players would’ve had to sit out. … I’m told, I don’t know and I haven’t coached in that league, but I’m told that the Alabamas and LSUs and some of these teams that have these great players, that maybe the NCAA needs to look into their situation. Those teams have been on probation. … We say the SEC’s the best and they are the best, but they’ve also had more NCAA violations than probably all the other leagues put together the last 10 years.”

Listen to John Cooper on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland here

Hoke isn’t apologizing to anyone for that, saying that his team has simply worried about itself all season and that isn’t going to change now. The former San Diego State and Ball State coach also has some interesting opinions on Denard Robinson and the rumors that the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry game could be moved from the last week of the season.

Brady Hoke joined WXYT in Detroit with Stoney and Bill to discuss preparing his team for distractions in New Orleans, the excitement level of his team as they prepare for a BCS bowl game matchup with Virginia Tech, the threats Virginia Tech poses in all three phases of the game, the agreement between the Big Ten and Pac-12 to play each other every year, the future of quarterback Denard Robinson, and the potential moving of the rivalry game with Ohio State from the last weekend of the regular season.

Are there distractions you have to worry about with your team playing in New Orleans?:

“You’ve been here, right? And you’re distracted easily. When you’ve got a bunch of 18 to 23 year olds and you’re in a great city that has a lot of different opportunities, it can be a distraction. … We pretty much check them in every night. … They had a little time to themselves, but believe me, we check them all in.”

Do you have to educate your players about the surroundings and what’s going on down there?:

“No question. We brought in the New Orleans police department and they do a great job of really trying to educate your guys on the different elements that are here and the different traps that you can fall into. I thought that was a great orientation.”

(Before the college football bowl season winds down, check out Top Bet’s online sportsbook to place your bets safely and securely.)

How excited is your group and can you understand the frustration of fans from teams like Michigan State who think they should be in a BCS bowl game?:

“We’re extremely proud and excited to be here and playing in a BCS football game. All year long, we haven’t worried about anybody else but ourselves. We’re just going to go out and represent the University of Michigan and represent the Big Ten Conference to our highest level.”

On the matchups with some dynamic offensive players for Virginia Tech:

“The running back, you have a 1,600-yard back. That’s a pretty special thing. He’s definitely a guy who can do an awful lot — hitting the hole, he’s got great explosion, he’s a triple jump champion at the Penn Relays. He’s a very athletic guy, David Miller. And then Logan Thomas at quarterback is a 6-8 version of Denard. He’s 250 pounds. He reminds you a lot of Ben Roethlisberger at an early age, when he could move around the pocket a little better.”

What are your thoughts on the new agreement pitting Pac-12 teams against the Big Ten every year?:

“I think the two conferences have so much tradition together, when you look at the Rose Bowl. I think it’s good for our conference. You definitely have to look at your scheduling and what you’ll do with that, going on from here, if that’s what you’re going to have.”

Do you believe Denard Robinson will be back next year?:

“I think so. We’re the ones who encouraged him to find out [more about the NFL]. There’s a lot of different reasons you would do that, maybe some motivation, maybe some insurance a guy can take out. All of those things are a part of it, and to see where you’re at. Denard kind of came to me about it and was very hesitant and I said, ‘No, I think we need to do this and I think it’s the right thing to do for you.’”

On rumors that the Ohio State-Michigan game may be moved earlier in the season and you guys would always end the season against Michigan State:

“I would be very much against it. That rivalry with Ohio has always been played at the end of the year and you’d probably find a lot of people with the same sentiment that it needs to be kept where it is.”

Listen to Brady Hoke on WXYT in Detroit here

After 11 months of embarrassment, a disappointing 6-6 season, and the program being in the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons, Meyer will be looking to the same things at Ohio State. The conditions are not ideal in Columbus. The NCAA has still has to decide what punishment will be handed down to the Buckeyes after a scandal rocked the program earlier this year and the expectations will be enormous for Meyer as he will have to fill the shoes left behind by Jim Tressel. However, if there is any coach in the country who can not only reach the bar set by Tressel but leap over it, it’s Meyer. The two-time national champion is the best coach the game of college football has to offer and will have the Buckeyes back at the top of the college landscape and in the national spotlight once again very quickly. This time for all the right reasons.

Urban Meyer joined The Dan Patrick Show to talk about why he decided to keep Luke Fickell on his staff at Ohio State, whether or not he had any doubts about taking the OSU job, if he thinks he will have a lot of pressure to win at Ohio State, whether or not he believes this is his last job, if he was surprised by the way people in Florida reacted after he was hired by OSU, and what he would do if he was coaching against Tim Tebow.

Why he decided to keep Luke Fickell on his staff:

“Yeah Gene Smith the Athletic Director asked if I would meet with him. I knew Luke from before. He actually came down when he was an assistant at Ohio State and visited our staff at Florida. We kinda knew of each other so when we met, we met for about four hours. He brought his wife over and my wife was there and it couldn’t have gone better. It was like we knew each other a long time. He’s a Buckeye, he handled the situation as well as he could and that’s all important but the reason he was kept on is because he’s a great football coach. We got to talk football the next morning and we’re fortunate to have him stay with us.”

Whether or not he had any doubts about taking the OSU job:

“Oh yeah. The contact was made on that Sunday but I kinda was watching all Fall and this whole NCCA you just don’t know until you know. I’ve always been an Ohio State fan as far back as I remember but I’m not gonna do something that’s not the right time. Once I was able to visit with people and do the homework I needed to do it was kind of a no-brainer.”

Whether or not he thinks he will be under a lot of pressure at Ohio State:

“I think there is a misunderstanding of pressure. I think there’s pressure at Bowling Green, I think there’s pressure when I was a linebacker coach at Illinois State. The pressure for me is to keep focused and keep it in centerfield and doing what I like to do. I love coaching players, I love teaching, and I love building teams. I’m not a big fan of dealing with all the nonsense in college sports. I can’t stand that and I’m not gonna do it. I’m not dealing with it. The NCAA has their job to do and the recruiting if I get involved with someone who is not doing it the right way then I’m gonna walk away. If that means we’re not gonna get a great player I’m not gonna deal with that. The pressures I’m gonna deal with are gonna keep everything in centerfield, focus on doing what I love to do and what I’m actually pretty decent at, and then I’m going home. I’m gonna be with my family and do the best I can to go watch my girls play sports.”

If he thinks this will be his last job:

“I think so. I’m never gonna make those, I’ve made some comments before that came back to haunt me because you just don’t know. I hope so.”

Whether or not he was surprised at the backlash from Florida fans:

“I was. I tried to say I didn’t watch or listen but I did. Not from Jeremy (Foley), the president, and the people that know that we put every ounce of everything we had for six years in there but there were fans that were upset when we beat Tennessee only by ten points. I mean like really upset. I tried not to let that bother me but I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say it did bother me a little bit. I heard the word dishonest and that couldn’t be the furthest thing from the truth. (Host: Yeah traitor. I heard that too.) Yeah that’s a shame.”

If he is surprised at Tim Tebow’s success:

“I’m not surprised at all. I think what he has done in the NFL from what I understand hasn’t really been done very often and to win that many in a row I knew he’d be successful but I am a little surprised that it happened so fast because the team was so bad for so long. I couldn’t be happier. Quarterbacks are a product of what’s around them. Tim has made an impact, but don’t forget those other guys. That defense is playing at a high level and that kicker walked out there and hit a 59-yard field goal. Tim’s a magical player and a magical person but Tim, I tell this to Tim, I tell him to cool out now and realize he’s just a cog in the wheel. I’m really happy for that team to experience the success they have had so far.”

On the game plan he would use if he faced Tebow:

“I’d force him to throw it. I’d force him to throw it. I’d load that box and force him to beat ya. I don’t know his receivers very well yet but I’d force him, like most people, I’d force him to beat ya throwing the ball. I think he can beat ya throwing it but I’d force him to throw it.”

Listen to Urban Meyer on The Dan Patrick Show here (Audio begins 22:20 into the podcast)

Smith joined 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland to talk about how the ideal hire — Urban Meyer — fell into his lap, how he’s felt an immediate lift in energy and spirit around Columbus and the Buckeyes program since the announcement of Meyer’s hire was made, what he’s learned from his interactions with the media during the Tressel scandal and the Meyer hiring process, the difficulty of not responding to every last false report published by what he considers to be untrained new players in the media landscape that lack the values to report properly, the Penn State sex scandal, how bad he feels for the victims there, why he thinks his school’s football program was handed down an extraordinarily harsh punishment considering no crimes were committed, and why he’s in favor of increased stipends for student athletes so that they can afford things like cell phones that everybody considers a necessity these days.

On how the ideal hire in Urban Meyer seemingly came out of nowhere to just materialize perfectly and at just the right time:

“Yeah, it did. We were fortunate on so many different levels. One is having a chance in the summer, and then in the fall during the season to do due diligence on a number of candidates, and it afforded us the opportunity to move swiftly at the end. And then, of course, Urban not being at an institution and coaching gave us an opportunity to move swiftly. Had he been coaching, it would have taken a little bit longer. So we were able to get to a point where we could have a conversation, and get together face to face and come to a deal.”

If he’s felt an immediate buzz around Columbus and the program since the hiring of Meyer:

“Yes we have. He’s a perfect fit as you guys said. He’s from Ohio, his wife’s from Ohio, and all their family is still here. And having the success that he’s had at different institutions and grown as a leader, in my view makes him uniquely qualified for this one. Not just because he’s won two national championships, but because he also has the other intangibles that are so important. So you’re right, people are excited about him, he has great personality, he’s engaging, and he has Midwest values. So he fits. Different leaders fit at different times, and the right time for him is now.”

What he’s learned about the media having been a part of two big stories now with the end of the Jim Tressel era and now the hiring of Urban Meyer:

“It’s really interesting. Having been in this business for so long and been in so many different situations over the years — everywhere from feeling the exhilaration of winning national championships to having a student die to hiring coaches over the years — I’ve been engaged with the media on so many different levels. And you know, my perspective has always been is that the media are people who are doing their jobs. What’s been interesting and actually kind of sad for me has been the growth and the technology that puts you guys in such a tough spot where you feel like you have to be first. And the people who have become a part of the media who do not do any due diligence to determine the credibility of a story and ultimately just say things on their own, primarily because of technology, that puts everyone in a tough situation. So, frankly during the Urban search process, it was comical in a lot of different ways, because I was reading some of these contract deals that people said we did, and I was like ‘wow, where’d that come from!?!’ That’s amazing. And they say it’s from a credible source inside the athletic department, so it’s like so funny. So I look at it, and I feel for great people like you and the other writers who are credible and great people, I sometimes feel sorry for what you have to deal with. Not me, because I don’t have to deal with it. but at the same time, I know it’s just people doing their jobs. I try to keep it in perspective. So, it’s been crazy, and I just always try to keep it in perspective and try to help when I’m allowed.”

On having to determine when to respond to information disseminated in the press and when to keep quiet and distance himself from claims or allegations:

“Constantly. That press conference was one of the worst experiences in my career. I look back on it and I learned from it, but last week was probably the one where I knew that in order to protect the confidentiality of all of the people that were involved, I needed to go mute and let all the things that were going to come out just come out and try to get to the end.  Keep in mind, I was hopeful as the process moved, we were hopeful that we were going to come to an agreement with Urban. But had it not, there were other people that I had already done due diligence on. So I had to protect the confidentiality of those people and their lives that I didn’t want to be turned upside down. So I had to go stealth as I call it, and mute, and just try to move forward, keep my head down, and make sure I did things the right way so I could get to the end game and then hopefully have a chance where I got to clear the record.”

On how the scandal that Ohio State paid a hefty price for pales in comparison to what’s rocked the Penn State program recently:

“Yeah, guys, you’re hitting on one that’s almost a case study. I felt our case, at a number of different times, was sensationalized. And that’s maybe because of who we were and the success we’ve had. And then the other part I think — and I just feel this — is there’s people that’s entered into the media world that don’t have the training like you guys, that don’t have the training like some of our top writers and top television and radio people. And they’ve just come into the business with really no values, and they just put stuff out there. So it feeds it and it gets sensationalized. I am so devastated by what’s happened at Penn State for the people that were hurt — the victims first and foremost. And then the other people, the players on that field who have no culpability. But when you look at it, you’re right: our young people did not commit a crime. They violated some rules that they ultimately paid an unbelievable price for in their sanctions, but they did not commit a crime. So it’s a learning experience for them and others. But it’s just so sad at Penn State with the victims, and we’ll just have to see where it goes.”

What does he think of the new rules governing player stipends and what does he think ultimately is needed to clean up college football and sports over time:

“I think a couple things. First of all, I wish people would use a different term because we’re not ‘paying’ them like you would in a work environment. If you’re talking pay, you’re talking worker’s comp, you’re talking quantifiable goals and objectives, you’re talking about evaluations that would ultimately cause you to be terminated. That’s not what we’re doing. When we put the $2,000 in place, it was to recognize the fact that the stipend we had in place with the old scholarship model, did not truly recognize the cost of attendance; it does not truly recognize the expenditures that kids have today outside of school and those type of things. Now, it’s different than when I went to school, because all I carried was bell bottom jeans. But now they’ve got cell phones, I mean, this is their world. We need to recognize that. They have cell phones, and they want to have electronics just like everybody else. So why can’t we provide the resources that take care of those expenditures. So anyway, I’m a big believer in making sure that they have that type of money so that they can live a life just like any other student does that works to get extra money . So that’s what I believe in. And I believe what we passed with the $2,000 is a start. At the NCAA level with the enforcement team, they’re great people, they’re great people, they’re just operating the system we put in place. We need to help them find a way to shrink the process. Because with all our cases, people think ours took a long time? Track the Miami case, look back at the USC case, look back at the Oklahoma case — those were well over 18 months, and the Miami thing is going to take forever. So we need to find a way to help these good people have a better system to serve the members.”

Listen here to Smith with Cleveland’s Talking Heads’ on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland