Kevin Wilson: Ohio State Preview

On the preparation ahead of Ohio State...
"I think it has been good. I think the game the other night was hard fought, took a lot of effort and took a lot out of our kids. But the game ended so late that I do not think there was as much of a celebration. Our guys did not have enough time to get big-headed. We came in on Sunday and talked about the corrections that needed to be made. We are finally back in the normal routine, as the first few weeks we were not. I like the way we have practiced, I like the upcoming challenge. We have bumps and bruises like everyone, but I think we are pretty healthy. We have had a good week of prep. I appreciate our team, our coaches and our leaders for the way they have gone about their business."

On younger offensive players getting reps...
"You are going to need the young guys to step up in this day in age with the tempo of the game, guys get tired. With the work that we put on these guys, sometimes their bodies can wear down. We need guys to stay fresh for practices and in the games. The better you are in practice, the better you will play in games. Natee had a slight knee injury that set him back, but he has practiced better and better. Coach McCullough had confidence in him. The bulk of his play was in the fourth quarter, but we will see how it goes this week and in the weeks to come. He is a talented young player. Cole Gest has an ankle injury, he is probably still a week or so out. We need some of those freshman to come in and keep playing hard. It makes us a better football team."

On the defensive preparation...
"It is tough. Ohio State has a lot of speed. They can run it. Their line is very athletic. They have a quarterback that is a veteran player, great leader, can make a lot of plays, good runner, he can throw it and I think he is one of the best players in the country. They talk about a lot of individual players, but I really respect him because of the way he has battled in competition. They have had a lot of competition at the quarterback position. From afar, I think he is a special, special player. We have to play team defense. We have to minimize, the best we can, the big play because they are fast. They are also number one in the league in rushing, so if you play too soft they will just cram it down your throat. We are going to have to work to keep them off schedule and get stops. When we do that, we cannot give up the big play."

On the atmosphere playing on the road...
"We were on the road once, but there were not a lot of people. This will be the first time for the young guys. The old guys have been in it, they have played in a lot of games like this. We simulate the crowd noise, but we work on communication daily in everything we do to get people to talk louder. A good team and a confident team is a loud team, but that does not mean you are talking smack to the other team. We have been working on it, but it will be tested this week, especially offensively. They are educated fans, they will be very loud when we are on the ball. Our defense is going to have to do a great job of communicating to get lined up with as fast and talented as the offense is. Communication and being on the same page will be key this week on the road."

Indiana University Athletics

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Cole Gest

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