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News bullets and other items:
- Derrick Green won’t be far enough along in his recovery from a broken collarbone to play against Ohio State
- Hoke said that he has no idea whether a win over OSU would help him keep his job
- He said he doesn’t worry about his job, because that would be a distraction and would detract from what he’s trying to do for his players
- Someone asked Hoke how he would make the case to Jim Hackett that he should keep his job and he declined to make said case, saying that a press conference wasn’t the venue for that
- The Game, mutual respect, rivalry, atmosphere, preparation, etc.
Opening remarks:
"Thanks for coming. This is one of those weeks where there's a lot of excitement and obviously with this rivalry, which I believe is the greatest one in sport and that obviously would make it the greatest one in college football, and so it's fun and it's fun to prepare. It's a game where the intensity level between both teams is always at its highest. I think we all want to play our best, and that's the goal, to play your best game that last Saturday in November. Very balanced team we're going to play when you look at what they do from [an] offense, defense, special-teams standpoint. There's a great deal of pride when you play in this game and coaching this game that's special, and you talk to the guys who've played in it and they can tell you how special it is.
"We've got to improve. We've got to improve every week, and that's one of the goals we've always had. At times we're making strides and at times we're not as good executing as we'd like to be, but this is a game that is like no other and we're excited about it."
So many people thought that Ohio State was going to be in big trouble when Braxton Miller went down. Can you talk about what their quarterback is done just filling in?
"Yeah, I think JT [Barrett], I think you look at the progression from the first start to going through the season and I think he's done a great job in how they manage and what he wants and has to do offensively. He's athletic obviously. I think the way he's thrown the ball, the precision on that – I know last week was one of those games where the way it started wasn't as good. I think he's overcome a lot when those things have happened and I think he's been a guy who's done a great job for them."
Given the nature of this rivalry, given the perceived disparity between these two teams, in what ways do you prepare differently for this weekend differently than past weeks if at all?
"I think it's always a little bit different preparation, number one, because of the game itself and being The Game that you both on both sides have a lot of passion for and those kind of things. In rivalry games I think the preparation that you put in, how hard you're going to play is a big part in what happens in it."
From your perspective having lived in Ohio, having coached in Ohio, even having coached across the nation what makes the Michigan – Ohio State rivalry unique compared to other national rivalries?
"Yeah, I think the intensity and the masses themselves. Buckeye graduates and Michigan graduates, I think that's huge is how they feel. The size of the stadiums they both have, the atmosphere in the stadiums, and the passion in the stadiums."
There's obviously some speculation about your own future. How do you handle that personally and professionally, especially this week when there seems to be more speculation?
"Well, you know, they can speculate and do all that. I honestly – if we get distracted, if I get distracted with what we're doing then that's not fair to those 115 kids, so from that piece alone, and I think I've said it, I've never been worried about a job. I worry about the job we do for those kids."
[After THE JUMP: Basically “can you explain why everything is so terrible?”]
Can you describe the feelings you have towards Ohio State? Is it a mutual respect? Is it total dislike? How do you describe the emotional feel?
"Well, I think there's always been respect. In the Ten Year War there was a ton of respect that those two great coaches had, and that's what this game is about. You respect each other because of the traditions that both universities have."
Last year no one really gave you guys a chance and it came down to the final play. I think maybe a lot of people are saying, for lack of better words, they're saying the same thing this year. What worked last year? What was it that got you down to that final play and can there be any carryover? What are the similar things that you're going to do this week?
"Well, I think number one, I don't think the carryover from year-to-year– In a lot of ways they're two different teams. Different individuals on the team, there's different leaderships and attitudes on the teams. Every teams are different. What happened last year was a group of guys went out, played awfully hard together, executed, made some plays when they had to."
Can you explain to a young Michigan football team, many of whom might be going to Columbus for the first time, the atmosphere and the environment that they are about to walk into, and is Ohio State different than any other place you walk into?
"We have been in – Michigan State can be a different environment, but I don't know if you can simulate [OSU]. You try to. You try all week, but going into the Horseshoe, until you– There's really nothing like it. With the question about rivalries earlier, the Civil War in Oregon's a pretty good rivalry and pretty intense and 50 miles apart [are] the two schools, but when you look at the stadiums and the crowds that are in those stadiums in Michigan and Ohio, that's where the difference is."
Just to get back on Ohio State, obviously the rivalry, what do you tell Devin Gardner? Obviously it's his final game coming off a bad Senior Day. What do you tell these guys? Is it kind of lambs off to slaughter? You're not really-
"That's exactly what we tell them."
I mean –
"What do you tell them? Go out and play their best football and prepare to play their best football."
With Devin coming off such a terrible game –
"I thought he rushed to the ball pretty good. It's not all Devin."
Right.
"Right."
But what do you tell your quarterback coming off a game like that and going into Ohio State, a team that's –
"Prepare, prepare, and play better."
What would a win against Ohio State mean? It gets you bowl eligible. Would it change the way you look at the season at all for these guys?
"You know, it's – either team, whether it's Ohio or Michigan, winning that game always means a lot. I don't think there's ever a time with any senior class going out or any football team in my experience in this game where it hasn't meant something because you want to be able to go back and say, 'My senior year we beat Ohio.'"
Looking back, last year the defense in the last game and down the stretch wasn't what you wanted and this year it's more of what you want. Talk about over this season and where the defense made those strides.
"Well, I think the one thing when we – I think moving Jake Ryan into the middle. He's a Butkus award finalist now. I think that. I think the maturity of the front, because a lot of the same guys played some in that game last year that are now playing more snaps. I think that part of it, the front seven, as much as anything.”
Three years ago, 2011, your first year you guys beat Ohio State. Ten wins, you go win the Sugar Bowl. I don’t think Ohio State’s lost a Big Ten game, regular season, since then. You guys are kind of now fighting to now be sub-.500. Can you wrap your head around what’s happened and what has happened during that whole stretch there since that time?
“Well, I think the one thing is we had 15 fifth-year seniors that year who were experienced, who really understood the rivalry to some degree and also understood playing for Michigan, and I think as you look at our teams, have we been as good as we wanted to be? No. We’ve got to do a better job on all fronts. I think we’ve got a lot of guys who have grown and matured during the course of this year, and they’ve matured after some losses and they’ve matured after some wins.”
Does it seem like that was only three years ago to you?
“You know, I don’t know. I never even think about that.”
Did you speak with Jim Hackett after the game Saturday?
“Yeah, I talked to him yesterday.”
What was the tone of the conversation?
“It was more about this week and this game. He’s- I think his dad played at Ohio. His brother played at Ohio. He’s from Ohio, from London and me being from the Dayton area I think we both as kids who grew up with this rivalry we talked about that.”
Obviously the speculation about your job future is not going to go away any time soon. If you could make an argument to Jim Hackett right now what would be your case for you coming back?
“That would be something, and I appreciate the question, that I would talk with Jim about. I don’t think this is the right venue to do it. I think this is a venue to talk about a great rivalry coming up.”
If you win this game, though, do you think that pretty much means you’re coming back?
“Oh, I don’t know. Nah. I don’t know about that. There’s always an evaluation, and I respect those evaluations. I’m sure you have them. We all have them.”
To kind of follow up, when Jim addressed us Saturday before the Maryland game he was very complimentary towards you, the football staff, and the players for the adversity and the way that you’ve conducted and handled yourself. Business as usual, pretty much. Can you tell us anything about these meetings, because it seemed- he gave us the indication you’ve had several conversations with him. Are you confident that he has a pretty good handle [on] what you and the football team have had to endure this season?
“Again, number one, those conversations are conversations for Jim and I, and the other part of it, this to me is about our 115 kids getting ready to play in a great atmosphere and a great football game and when the time comes to really talk about the different evaluations, the hypotheticals, we can do that then.”
Can you talk about- I don’t think you really talked about the postgame locker room, what you said to the kids and what their reaction was to a disappointing loss.
“You just said it there. Obviously very disappointed, and disappointed for a lot of reasons. Number one, you want to compete and you want to win. Secondly, our seniors and trying to send them out of Michigan Stadium with a win, and at the same time we talked about what’s ahead of us and being a team and everyone having a role to prepare for this week.”
You’ve talked a lot about evaluations and how Hackett will do his evaluation. Can you evaluate your program, where this program has come in four years?
“I think I could but I don’t know if I will right here.”
How come?
“I don’t think this is the right place for it. We’ll have another press conference, I got a feeling, sometime here.”
You’ve mentioned the seniors and beating Ohio State to send them out. With all the speculation around your job-
/laughs
“You guys really want to talk about this!”
-is there any thought of in your mind treating this game differently? This may be your last chance to beat the Buckeyes.
“I don’t think so. Believe me, I’ve been through this game 14 times, 13 times? Or this will be the 13th time? I’m not real good with math, maybe this will be the 13th time, but the one thing I know [is] if you don’t put all your focus and everything in to your preparation and your emotion for this game then as a coach you’re kind of missing it too. I mean, it’s a fun week, and that doesn’t make sense to some people probably but when you have an opportunity and for both teams this is truly an honor and a privilege to play in this game of coach in this game, because it is The Game when you look at it. It’s the greatest rivalry there is.”
So it’s not any different being that this is possibly the last time you’re involved?
“No, not at all.”
Everybody talks about how you guys have stuck together through all this. Why have you stuck together and has it been hard to get everybody to stick together?
“Really, and I said this earlier in the year, we’ve had very good leadership throughout our team. We only have 12 seniors so there’s been a lot of leadership from guys who’ve played a lot of snaps, from some younger guys and this team has been resilient. They’ve been unified, and I know I’ve said that before but truly they have. This has been one of the teams that goes out and works extremely hard every time we go out to practice, and so the respect that they have for each other, I think, is a big part of it.”
When you look at the makeup of your roster, the ratio of underclassmen to upperclassmen is about 3:1. There isn’t any other school in the Big Ten or any top 25 school with that ratio. How’d it get here and what kind of challenge has that presented for you?
“I can’t answer all the things why it got to this to some degree. I know we only have three fifth-year seniors of a class that was a pretty big signing class, and some of those guys have graduated and opted because of playing time to go to some other places. There’s always attrition that happens, especially in new programs and there’s been some- there was a schematic, philosophical change offensively and defensively, from a three-man front to a four-man front. The needs and wants that you need for that. Obviously a more pro-style [offense]. Still like to have a quarterback who can be good with his feet and create, but there’s a lot of different reasons. It is where we are and the kids that are here want to be at Michigan.”
At one point after the game there were three guys from Ohio in here. They talked about how important this game is. How different a feel for those guys is this game?
“You mean the guys who are here? I think it’s always been different. I don’t know how many are on their roster from Michigan, but obviously that game always- those guys understand it. Let’s put it that way. Every year since they were growing up there’s somebody in their household if they’re playing football that’s going to tune in to that game.”
Was the ‘97 Ohio State game the single best that sticks out in your mind because of what it meant, or was there another one that’s the best?
“That was obviously a game that meant a lot. They’re all…I’ll be honest with you, there’s some heartbreakers in there too, but they’re all an exciting, fun game.”
Any update on Derrick Green?
“He won’t be able to go.”
Last year in this game nobody gave you a chance. We didn’t give you a chance, and you played them within one point. What did you tell them when you went on the field last year? What was the message in the locker room?
“You know, I really can’t remember what I told them. I probably told them for our seniors [it’s their] last game here at home. I’m sure I did that. As far as…I don’t think it’s what you tell them right before they go out. I think it’s a message all through the week about the game, and that message from year to year really is the same because you’re talking about this rivalry and what it means.”
I know The Game’s different, but why have you not been able to replicate that sort of whatever it was week in and week out this year?
“Execution. Consistency that we need. I think that’s part of it, but at the same time every team’s different and that’s part of it.”
You were listing the reasons why this team has struggled over the last couple years. You look at Ohio State and they have brought in an emergency quarterback who has excelled, and I believe they have three or four new starters on the offensive line. Why is it they’ve been capable of adapting to this and excelling whereas you guys have been struggling with the offensive line and quarterback?
“That might be a better question for Urban because I couldn’t tell you. I’m not in their locker room.”
But why is it though that you have a fifth-year senior quarterback who’s struggling? You’ve had more consistency from the offensive line, yet they’ve been able to-
“I would say this to you. I’d say, number one, if anything, and we’ll go talk about the quarterback; a guy who played receiver, a guy who’s been in two different systems since he’s been here- really thee different systems since he’s been here, so it’s not easy and so there’s been a lot. A year ago we didn’t support him as well as we needed to in the offensive line, so I think that’s part of it, too.”
There is a lot on the line for Ohio State; possibly a berth in the final four. Is there any part of your guys that get a sick satisfaction out of knocking them off?
“Did you say a ‘sick satisfaction’?”
/room laughs
Yeah, that would enjoy watching them knocked out of [the playoff]?
“You know, I don’t know and I’ll be honest with you, we haven’t talked about that part of it. We’ve talked about what the rivalry is, so…”