Presser Bullets: Kevin Wilson, Members of Ohio State Offense Expect Physical Matchup With Georgia, Embrace Underdog Role For Peach Bowl

Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and tight end coach Kevin Wilson, CJ Stroud and Emeka Egbuka were the first to the mic as Georgia, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Paris Johnson prepare for the Peach Bowl and Saturday’s College Football Playoff Semifinals. Jr., we discussed the match against Chip Trayanam. followed after that.

11 warriors I made a note of everything each Buckeye said below.

Kevin Wilson

• Wilson said Ryan Day was “persistent” to putting together a game plan by the end of the hiring cycle, and that this was a “playoff” week, not a “bowl” week, and that’s the big difference. said.

• Of Georgia’s tight end, Wilson said, “Both teams are going to attack each other, so both groups are going to be huge on Saturday night.”

• Of Jaren Carter, Wilson said Georgia “has a lot of great players and they always do.” Ohio State has several bulldogs “not just him,” Wilson said. Wilsons says it will be a “two-way attacking game.”

• “The game isn’t a perfect game,” Wilson says, and the Buckeyes’ best games are still ahead of them. It has to be everything.”

• Wilson said the Buckeyes had multiple running backs against Georgia in practice yesterday after Myann Williams battled an injury late in the season. is required.

• Of the trade-offs with his new job in Tulsa, Wilson said he had to “recruit his own team to keep everyone from jumping into the portal.” Wilson said that “70%” of his time was spent bowling his game for OSU, with much of Tulsa’s extra work done “in the middle of the night.”

• On being an underdog, Wilson says the Buckeyes don’t necessarily talk much about it, but said the team is “chasing greatness.”

CJ Stroud

• “It’s been a goal since I was in school,” said Stroud, to play in a national championship.

• Stroud says it’s nice not having to deal with the cold weather in Columbus or the Big Ten, and thinks “the vibe is going to be cool” at the Peach Bowl.

• Of his joining Georgia, Stroud said “there is nothing but respect from both sides”, with the Bulldogs being the second pick for his joining.

• Stroud says he did the same thing Wilson always does in bowl prep. Stroud says Wilson has a “head coach aura.”

• Stroud says OSU must play “buckeye football” and not worry about what LSU did to Georgia. “I’m sure they have a plan for that.”

• Stroud says Marvin Harrison Jr. and Egbuka are either “there or there” whenever he’s at the OSU practice facility. Stroud says their “dog mindset” has paid off this season.

• About being an underdog, Stroud says, “It’s football,” and doesn’t think much of it.

Emeka Egbka

• “I’m very confident in the talent we have on offense,” the Buckeyes say.

• “You have to play a complete game, not just catching passes, but blocking runs, making little to no mistakes.” Stepping up to play, the group says they “want to be those guys in those scenarios.”

• “I feel more contained and more focused” than he was in last year’s Rose Bowl.

• Egbuka says he knows Ohio State will face adversity at some point during Saturday’s game.

• Of being an underdog, Egbuka said, “If you look back, you can see what the final fourth-place team at Ohio State did.”

• “We’ve been counted on before, so it’s nothing new to us.

Marvin Harrison Jr.

• Harrison said that although the Buckeyes “failed to hit their mark”, they “had a lot of fun this year.”

• Asked about his father, Harrison said, “I’m a player for myself first and foremost. He’s done great things, but I’m just trying to be myself.”

• Harrison says the Buckeyes will “worry about themselves” and put less weight on what LSU did to Georgia.

• Of being underdog, Harrison said, “I was always oh-so-to the world.” Harrison says he “likes to be the villain or the underdog” coming into the game and that’s why he likes playing against Georgia in Atlanta.

• Harrison said the Buckeyes have emphasized athleticism all season and the team “hasn’t changed anything” to prepare for Georgia in terms of athleticism.

• Harrison says Kyle McCord is “getting better every day” and needs to be prepared in case something happens to Stroud.

• Harrison said he was “definitely proud of Coach Wilson” for getting the head coaching job.

Paris Johnson Jr.

• “They have a strong defensive line and I think they’re probably one of the strongest units on the team.”

• When studying Georgia’s defensive line, Johnson says he usually likes to look at the last five games, whether he’s played against his best opponent or against a particular offensive tackle. But Johnson says he was able to watch almost all of Georgia’s games heading into the CFP.

• In the LSU game, Johnson says he learned “a big lesson” about offensive line room heading into the Peach Bowl.

• Johnson says the game embodies the slogan “Ohio vs. the World.”

• Johnson said physicality was “by far the biggest factor in this game” and he’s happy to be that way as an offensive lineman. “That’s what it takes to beat them.”

• Johnson says he “never” thought about the SEC-Big Ten rivalry since the matchup was announced.

• Johnson says he wants to see Kevin Wilson coaching his father in Miami, Ohio, and Wilson thriving and happy in Tulsa. “You could see the smile and the energy he had when he got to work and went back to practice because this is his last run at Ohio State.”

Chip Trayanam

• “We believe we have to play our best game on offense,” Trajanum said, adding that the OSU offense appears to be on track to do so based on the practice the unit has been doing. appear.

• “I think everyone’s counting us,” but says that’s why he wore the Buckeye uniform.

• Trayanam says playing linebacker has made him a better running back. “Since returning to the offense, he has received nothing but praise from his teammates.”

• Trayanum said all the mat drills and winter training have helped the Buckeyes get used to the physicality of what’s to come on the field on Saturday.

• “We’re not worried about bragging rights,” Trayanum says when it comes to SEC vs. Big Ten.

• “Only one trophy matters at the end of the day.”

• Trayanam said he was so proud to play in his home state of Ohio that he “didn’t even get really nervous anymore.”

• Trayanam says he’s known Kevin Wilson since his sophomore year of high school and was happy to see him get the head coaching job.