For the full transcript, click here.
On the defense:
"Well I think the spread offense is an offense that uses the quarterback -- at least two of the three games we've had problems with, they use the quarterback
as a running threat. You saw the first of the game Ohio State used Troy Smith
to run the sweep. So, that’s an accountability that most defenses do
not take into consideration. That’s the strength of the spread offense.
The bad side of the spread offense is that that quarterback is going to take
a lot pounding and a lot of hits. If you look at the teams that tied for the
Big Ten championship, they are teams that use two backs in the back field a
good part of the time."
"Thirty points against our defense is too much, that's not a winning performance
any way you hack it."
On Ernest Shazor allowing the long pass to Anthony Gonzalez:
"We just didn't play the coverage well. That is a good coverage from the
standpoint of preventing big plays, but you've got to stay deeper than the deepest
receiver, and we didn't do that. When you look at the game, there's two big
plays there. That’s 14 points. If we don't give up those two big plays,
then in the fourth quarter the game is much different."
About the defense breakdown against the spread:
"I'm disappointed on how we got off blocks up front. I don't know if we've
worn down, you have to separate and get off blocks. I think that's been part
of our problem. I think we had some opportunities, for example on the play where
Smith scrambled for 42 yards. We hit him. We came off the edge and we had people
in position to make a play. A play that should have been a six or seven yard
loss turned into seven points for them. We just have to get back to where we
were. The first 7,8,9 games this defense played extremely well."
On being searched prior to the game by OSU police and dogs:
"I was followed down the sidewalk by the stadium there. Some guy was yelling
at me. Finally as I got to the door, the guy tapped me on the shoulder and said,
'Coach, we're going to have to check your bag with this dog.' And I said, 'what
is this all about?' He said, 'I'm just following orders.' So I asked Scott Draper
to check with the people at Ohio State and find out what this was all about.
Their statement to him was they're going to do what they want to do at Ohio
Stadium."
"First of all, I'm extremely proud of our players and our coaches that
we didn't have what could have been a very serious confrontation. There is nobody,
I can promise you, that wants to stand there with a police officer and a dog,
telling all of you to put your bags down so they could check them. I found it
extremely disrespectful at best because had they had the consideration to notify
us before we got to the stadium that they were going to do something like that…."
"After it was over, their media relations guy made the statement that
this was done to all of the other schools that played this year. My question
is, did they do it to Coach Tressel and Ohio State team? My guess is absolutely
not. But I know that they did not do it with Wisconsin, Penn State, and Indiana.
At least that's what those schools have indicated to us. So I think at best,
it was extremely disrespectful. It was an extreme measure from a standpoint
that the potential for a serious confrontation, some type of reaction
from our team and our players ... it could have been an ugly situation. I
think, at worst, it was a violation of our individual rights. In my 27 years
in this conference, I've never seen anything like it. I think it is just something
that is absolutely inexcusable."
"I was told as I walked down to the field prior to the game … I asked
the police officer from Ohio State that took me down … he said,' Coach,
I want you to know that we were only following orders and they were not the
orders given us by our superiors.' I said, 'Well who decided it then?' He said,
'The athletic department.' I don't know what their reasoning was. You would
have to ask them. But to say publicly that it has been done to all of the other
schools … that raises a serious issue of credibility. I resented it and
just don't understand anything about what happened there."
On if he thought it was gamesmanship on the part of OSU:
"You would have to ask them, which I think they're probably going to deny
based on what the statements have been. But I don't care what it was. I think
it's an extremely serious issue. I think the commissioner of this conference,
Jim Delaney, needs to look into it. Certainly, I think everyone here at Michigan
is extremely concerned about the issues of what happened there. To do that to
our student athletes, coaches, student trainers, and student managers … I
mean, what are we doing?!"
On what they were searching for:
"I don't know if they're looking for drugs. I don't think I'm a terrorist."
On how long the search delayed the team:
"I don't know. Look, let me make this clear. It had nothing to do with
the outcome of that game. Nothing! That is not anything we're using as an excuse.
We're talking about how a university in this conference … how their athletic
department chose to try to embarrass us, I guess. Obviously it was in front of a
lot of their fans where it was easy for them to watch. I don't know what the
reasoning is. But I certainly would expect something as an explanation because
I think that is absolutely unfortunate. That's it."
On if he'll file a complaint:
"I don't know."
On if they made them open the bags:
"You know, I don't even remember. I was pretty angry so I tried to control
my temper and my tongue, which I did a wonderful job of."
On if there is a normal security checkpoint they have to go through:
"Let me ask you this. I have another question for them. 9/11 … two
years ago we were down there, there was nothing. So, is it so much more serious
now?"
On if he would have been as upset if they had told him before hand
that there was reason to be concerned:
"Well, I think that's a major part of the issue. I guess when I look on
it, what really is interesting is that they would say that with all these other
schools it has been the same all year long when it hasn't. I mean, there is
an issue of credibility here. They made the statement that one team didn't bring
any bags in. We had people in our travelling party who took bags in that weren't
coaches. They didn't ask them for their bags. They just walked in right behind
us with their bags and nobody said a word to them. It was just the players and
the coaches."
"At one point John Faulk had to take all of the equipment in. He has got
thousands of pounds of equipment: helmets, shoulder pads, and jerseys.
They at first were going to make him open every bag, which would have
taken hours. All of these people … fans … standing around harassing
him as he brought it through the gate."
"I don't understand it. To me, if it's going to be the greatest rivalry
in college athletics, which so many of us believe it is, then I don't think
it is too much to say lets have great respect for each other. Lets treat each
other like we would want to be treated. I guarantee you that the athletic director
at Ohio State doesn't want his son treated the way that they treated our players."
On if the players were agitated:
"Everybody was agitated because if you're going to do something like that
to your guests, wouldn't it be appropriate to let them know? I just don't understand
that. And honestly, I hate to even talk about it. But I would have discussed
this win or lose. I want to emphatically say that it has nothing to do with
the game. The Ohio State team played great. Give them the credit."
On if Coach Tressel knew anything about it:
"Well, he asked me … it was interesting … he asked me if we got
in okay and how was everything going. I said, 'As a matter of fact, they just
had your dogs out there searching our bags Jim.' I said, 'I don't know what
the hell that was all about.' He said, 'Well, I didn't know anything about that.'
"
On if the episode rattled his team:
"No! Are you kidding?!"
On if he believes Tressel didn't know anything about it:
"You'd have to ask him. If he told me that, I'd have to believe him. But
somebody in that department knew."
Click below for the full transcript.
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