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ROSE BOWL GAME: OHIO STATE VS WASHINGTON

December 27, 2018

Greg Schiano

Pasadena, California

Q. What are your thoughts on Washington's offense since you've prepared for them?
GREG SCHIANO: You know, they're really good in several different position groups. I think the running back group is probably as good as we've seen. Their tight end ground is really strong. Wideouts really compete for the ball.

Offensive line, really sound, getting their one real good tackle back. They got him back there at the end of the year. And then the quarterback, certainly, has production over his career that you respect.

So it's a complete offense. There's not a position group that you look at and say, ah, that's a weakness. There really isn't.

Q. You told us -- we'd ask at the end of the season about defense, you said it's a week-to-week thing and things can get better, could be a matchup situation. Did you take a look after the year at the season as a whole, and how did you evaluate the way you guys played on that side of the ball?
GREG SCHIANO: Well, the biggest thing that stands out is the long runs. In this day and age, people are going to hit passes, and that's something you live with. Can't have too many of them, but we have not -- I've never had long runs like this in my career. And for a lot of different reasons.

But when runs break, you know, the first eight to ten yards can be attributed to the front seven. But then it's the secondary's job to get it down. That's why they call it the secondary. And we just haven't done a very good job of that.

We're going to have to do a good job this game because they're going to get the ball into the secondary. They run the ball very effectively. They're very patient. And as I said earlier, they have really good personnel.

So we're going to need to -- when the ball does pop, we're going to need to get it on the ground for us to win the game.

Q. (Indiscernible) have always used that evaluation friendly mantra, whether it's coaches or players. Do you look at this year and see the wins and the Big Ten Championship and being here and consider it something must have been okay, or are there issues that you think need to be addressed with this defense?
GREG SCHIANO: Well, we need to improve. At Ohio State, there's no such thing as being inexperienced. But we never -- where we struggled, we never really got our safety opposite Jordan Fuller. We ran into the year that as a question mark. It wasn't until late in the year that Brendon White started to do some good things.

But I say that, that would be one area. And, overall, we did -- in big games, you look at the beginning of the season, you look back and say TCU and Penn State on the road, the team up north, three big games, defense did a lot of big things in those games, whether it's scoring on defense in TCU twice, blocking a punt. Penn State, keeping our team in the game so we can win the game in the end. And then obviously the team up north with takeaways and blocked punts and those kinds of things.

And you look at it, I looked at it and evaluated it. It's not what we set out to do, but I think there's -- this bowl preparation we've had growth and this group we'll have plenty of room for growth because the predominance of them will be back and a chance to be a good defense. But you're not allowed to take skip-its. You're not allowed to take years where you don't play great defense at Ohio State. That's not the way it works.

But, overall, I was disappointed, but there was a lot of positive things in those big games that gave us a chance to win those games. So opportunistic, probably. But not our expectation level.

Q. A few things in flux here because of the change. How do you look at your future at Ohio State?
GREG SCHIANO: I don't worry about that. I've always went by God's got a plan for me, for my family, as well as for Ohio State and the whole institution.

I'm excited about the future of Ohio State. We're going to see where that all -- after the game is when we're going to deal with all that stuff. So I'm not overly concerned with any of it.

I think Ohio State is in great position. Coach Meyer has developed a tremendous culture, and Coach Day I know will put his stamp on it.

But the makings of a long-term success are in place.

Q. You want to remain? Would you like to remain?
GREG SCHIANO: Yeah, I love being here. My family loves being here. But, again, anytime there's a coaching change, whether it's internal or not, coaches have to -- a head coach has to select the staff that he feels gives the team the best chance to win, and whatever Coach Day decides to do, certainly his prerogative. And right now I'm worried about one thing, and that's winning the Rose Bowl.

Q. Could you talk about working with him early in the year, that relationship?
GREG SCHIANO: Yeah, really enjoyed it. I thought Ryan did a tremendous job, as I said at the time. He was thrust into a position a day before training camp. A lot of times -- I remember when I got my first head coaching job, I had eight months to get ready for that first day of training camp. I think Ryan maybe had 18 hours. He did an incredible job. It was fun working alongside of him, trying to help in any way I could.

And I think winning those three first games kind of got our momentum going and then when Coach Meyer came back, gave us a platform to get the season going.

Q. Have you even discussed the future with Ryan yet?
GREG SCHIANO: We have. I'm going to keep that all private. Ryan and I have discussed a little bit. But I really didn't want -- he's got so much on his plate right now. I want him to get our offense ready, number one, he's done an unbelievable job doing that this year.

And then he's going to have a whole mess of things. He's already had them on his plate. But January 2nd comes, his life's going to change quite a bit. And he needs time to work through all that.

Q. You have coached in the NFL, obviously. And considering what happened at Tennessee, the chance of getting a head job, I don't know what you think about them but that's probably (indiscernible). Do you think that your future, if you want to become a head coach again or (indiscernible), it might be the NFL?
GREG SCHIANO: I'm not going to get into all that today. This is about the Rose Bowl Game. And that's our goal, to win the Rose Bowl. So I'm going to stick to that.

As I said, there will be a time to discuss that. Unfortunately it hasn't been yet. But when it happens I'll let you know.

Q. There's no secret that you and Urban are close friends. Regardless of what happens, what's it going to be like moving forward without working with him anymore, is that going to be harder than maybe some of the other people on the staff just given your relationship with him?
GREG SCHIANO: Well, you're right. I have a longstanding relationship with Urban. I just want what's best for him. He comes before Ohio State and before everything. He's a very dear friend. And I think Coach did a really good job of assessing where he was in life, in his career, and he decided it was time to step down.

And as long as that's what he wants, I'm happy for him and for Shelley and the family. But he's not going anywhere. He'll be around. Our relationship, I really enjoy our relationship.

Q. Has your experience at Ohio State been what you had hoped it would be?
GREG SCHIANO: It's been outstanding. Ohio State is a unique, rare place. Every week, incredible fan support. All the things you need to be successful as far as resources. Gene Smith, an incredible athletic director, who has a great staff that provides you with all the things you need to win. And more than anything, we have great players, great kids, young men that are not only talented and fun to coach in that way, but really good people. Coach Meyer and staff have done a great job of recruiting the right kind of people to Ohio State.

Q. What have the past few weeks been like for you guys, coaching staff, with Ryan leading the recruiting effort, preparing to take over that head coaching position?
GREG SCHIANO: Very similar with what it is that time of year. It's craziness in December. You're getting ready for the bowl game. You're recruiting. Now with the advent of the early signing date, which really should be the signing date and the other one called the late signing date, because that's where everybody signs, at the early signing date, it's been as it is every year a whirlwind.

A little different in that Urban wasn't on the road with us. Now Ryan was. But that was all good. And I'm really excited about the class that we signed.

Q. When you came to Ohio State, I don't know if this is like the wrong way of looking back at it, but I think a lot of people thought that when you came to Ohio State, it was going to be like a short transitional period in your career; that you were going to be the defensive coordinator, go on to be a head coach somewhere. How did you view your goal when you got to Ohio State, what did you think this place was going to be, and where are you now in terms of that initial (indiscernible)?
GREG SCHIANO: I came to Ohio State to coach for Urban Meyer, and I didn't know a ton about Ohio State, but I knew a ton about Urban Meyer. I didn't put any preconditions on it. I didn't have any expectations I was out of coaching for two years. I was really going to stay out of coaching for another two years. I was coaching my sons. I was coaching high school football and doing TV.

And my plan was to do it until my sons graduated and then get back to college or pro coaching, whatever it was. Then Urban called, and, as persuasive as he is, I ended up at Ohio State. And, again, I didn't have an expectation of this as a one-year, two-year, five-year. I've never done that.

When I go take a job, I go take it to be there. And as long as the Lord wants me there and I work as hard as I can at it until it's time to work to the next thing. A lot of people have these great plans. I don't really have that. I just work as hard as I can.

Q. What's the conversation been with Urban (indiscernible)?
GREG SCHIANO: That's a private one. It was -- again, as I said earlier, as long as that's what he wanted, what makes him happy and Shelley happy, that's most important to him.

Q. How about since then some of the players have been saying (indiscernible) smiling a little bit more, and didn't want to say he was relieved, but there wasn't as much stress in practice (indiscernible)?
GREG SCHIANO: There probably isn't because he doesn't have quite as much on his plate. But I think he's been pretty much the same. I mean, we've gone about game planning and preparing the team the same.

But this has been a challenging year from the very beginning, everything that happened. So we need to go out and win this game, send him out the right way.

Q. Yesterday some of your players were saying he's been more relaxed; we're seeing him smiling. How would you describe what you're seeing from him going into this game compared to how he usually is, any difference?
GREG SCHIANO: I mean, there may be a little bit of -- I can see him like this is my last go-around. But as far as the way he's been with the staff and handling all our preparation, very detailed, very on point, the way that he always is. And I know he really wants to win this game, like we all do.

Q. You didn't have a position -- how do you think that affected the way you coached this year or anything?
GREG SCHIANO: Well, it is different when you're what they call a walk-around coordinator where you don't have an actual group. I really enjoyed the first two years coaching the safeties, because you have those seven or eight kids in your room that you really get close to. You know everything about them -- academically, socially, family-wise.

I tried to do that with all positions. But it is different. I've done it before so I knew what to expect. There's pluses and minuses to everything. But whatever -- again, when you're an assistant coach, you serve at the pleasure of the head coach. Whatever he thinks is best is what you do.

Q. When you think about the job you did this year, how did you assess it?
GREG SCHIANO: Well, I'm a very -- I look at it and I think process is critical. But at the end of the day, in the profession we are, we're in a performance-based business, and our performance wasn't what it needed to be.

Like I said earlier, there are some things we did that allowed us to have this season that are critical in big games, but overall our body of work wasn't what my expectation was or what our defense's expectation was.

So I'm not "stick your head in the sand" type of guy. I look at it, evaluate it: How do we get better? I don't dwell on it either. When you dwell on those things, it becomes the impetus for everything, and that's not what we need to do.

We're a better defense now than we were. And I think this group will continue to grow, like I said, most of the guys will be back.

Q. Sometimes it pops up this year about simplifying the defense, sometimes a player will say in the second half we got more simple and that seemed to help. Whenever reporters are trying to have that discussion with football guys like you, what does that really mean to you, and have there been things that have happened where you guys did simplify at times and that helped things, or are we misunderstanding that conversation sometimes as we talk about it?
GREG SCHIANO: I think a lot of times it's through the lens of the person you're talking to. Our defenses for the majority stayed exactly the same the three years I've been here. We'll change a little bit on third down here and there, but that's every year. Our base defense has been our base defense.

But again, when you ask a individual, it may apply to his day where he is in his development, but the defense hasn't changed. It's essentially the same.

Q. How maddening was it being a safeties coach and having that position struggle?
GREG SCHIANO: Coach Grinch is an excellent coach, but when you're a walk-around coordinator, you're in the meetings, watch video with all the coaches; your job, as much as anything, is to coach the coaches and then individually grab a player here, grab a player there.

Is it a little less hands on. It's somewhere between being a head coach and being a position coach, and I've done all three. So you learn to adapt to whatever position you're in.

Q. When you think about it -- talking about this, this has been a successful season for Ohio State, if you guys come back next year and have a similar defensive season, would that be a success? Or, again, you're in the Rose Bowl, you only have one loss, it's been a great year? Or would you say, oh, no, there are -- we absolutely must get better at this or get better at that?
GREG SCHIANO: It's obvious that the expectation level -- my expectation and overall our program's expectation level for our defense is not where we are now. So, yes, it would have to get better.

But my focus right now is one game. And we need to play our best game of the year in this game, and it's going to be needed because this is one of the best offenses we've played all season.

So I'm looking forward to that, and I think our players will play really well.

Q. When you're facing a quarterback who is a veteran quarterback like this, been through it all, been in a playoff game, as a defensive coordinator, obviously you're going up against their offensive coaches, but a quarterback like that, right, he's so in control on the field, is there anything you do as a coach that's different when a quarterback has that much experience and you're trying to deal with him as opposed to maybe a younger guy?
GREG SCHIANO: Well, there's the old axiom that you blitz the young guys and you cover the experienced guys. I've never really bought into that.

I think you have a game plan. We have disguise built into our defense. But you're not going to fool a guy with that much experience. He understands their offense more than anything. They've run a similar offense his whole career, but Coach Petersen has run it at Boise and all through. So they know that offense inside out, and his players have run it for four years. There's not much you're going to slip by them.

It's about execution. It's about one-on-one matchups. You're going to have to win one-on-one battles. And the you're going to be competitive in one-on-one battles. There's the reason they're in this game, just as there's a reason we're in this game.

Q. Just Chris Petersen, what you know of, getting ready for Washington, just in the coaching business, why has he been as successful as he is? Obviously Urban is a guy who has had so much success, but Coach Petersen is one of those coaches in college football?
GREG SCHIANO: Chris is. I've known Chris for some time now and are friends. He's not only an excellent coach but he's a really great person and has done an incredible job wherever he's coached.

His programs, he's one of the guys if you had a son, you'd like him to play for Chris. He's that kind of guy and that kind of coach. It's going to be a huge challenge.

Q. You know better than we do about what's going to happen next year, but let's say for sake of argument that (indiscernible) defensive coordinator, what kind of job he will do in that --
GREG SCHIANO: I'm not going to deal on hypothesis. I'm not going to do that. He's an excellent coach, but let's stick to the here and now.

Q. You've been a part of some of the biggest games across all levels of football. Getting back to your time at Penn State, you know what this game is all about. What does it mean for you to be part of the Rose Bowl Game?
GREG SCHIANO: Well, there's a reason why they call it "The Granddaddy of Them All." And I think it's especially in my generation, you grew up watching this game. And it's so special.

I think our players appreciate that. I think Coach Meyer has done an excellent job of conveying to them the history and tradition that goes with this game. But you're right, I was out here in the '90s, and it was an incredible game, incredible event, incredible week. And we've been here for a few days now, and it's very, very similar. It's really an awesome thing to be a part of.

Q. I think there's a perception that (indiscernible) that he had a really good sophomore season, they made the playoff, and then maybe it's on the West Coast, but he's kind of drifted out of the national scene. When you look at him, where does he rank in terms of quarterback that you guys face and talent level and whatnot?
GREG SCHIANO: He's very talented. I think one thing his production has dipped from that playoff year. But you've got to look at surrounding cast back then. He had some incredibly fast wideouts. He has good people around him now. But I don't know if they're all at that experience level they were that year.

When you have a special year like they did back then, when you go to the playoff, a lot of things click. But when I look at him as a quarterback, he's an outstanding quarterback. He understands, as I said earlier, their scheme very, very well. And he appears to really understand what defenses are doing.

So you're not going to trick them. You're going to have to go out and outexecute them, and that's what we hope to do.

Q. There's a lot of preseason talk about Dallas being impressive, and what do you see from him in the future?
GREG SCHIANO: Dallas is going to be a really, really good football player here. He's a very bright guy. Physically gifted as well, but really, really sharp. Has done a good job in what we've asked him to do on special teams. Understands linebacker player. Is getting better and better his understanding of it.

I think an offseason -- another offseason program and he's going to fit right into the mix in next year.

Q. What does it mean to -- I don't know, just to the group of Dre'Mont announcing that he's leaving but still playing. Everybody expected Joey -- that came out of the hat before he got to announce it to Coach Meyer, but he played in that Fiesta Bowl. What does it mean to the group to have a guy like Dre'Mont stick around and still play? Around the nation (indiscernible) stepping out?
GREG SCHIANO: You're right on that. It's huge because he's such a good player. That's number one. And I think from the standpoint of the brotherhood, I think the players really appreciate -- his teammates appreciate him coming out and playing. And I think Dre'Mont will be a force.

Q. Do you understand the discussion of when guys do decide to sit out, the game has changed a little bit and the way things work, guys looking at their future, how does a coach view that when a guy makes that decision?
GREG SCHIANO: It's an individual choice. But the game hasn't changed. I don't buy that.

Q. Has the context changed, has the world around it changed?
GREG SCHIANO: I think that's what's changed. But I think you can say it for the whole society. I don't think it's isolated to football or anything else.

But I do think that that is an individual choice. And I don't get into trying to live someone else's life. I think they need to make the decision that they think best suits their life. Just as I have to make those decisions, you have to make them. We all do.

Q. It's as simple as money talks and other stuff walks, isn't it?
GREG SCHIANO: I don't know that. I don't know that to be sure. Like I said, you can't get into someone's mind and know what drives their decision-making. Sometimes it's other people's opinions. Sometimes it's their own. Most of the time it's a combination of those.

So I think everybody -- I don't draw judgment on them because that's their decision. That's not mine. I gotta be responsible for me.

Q. You've been around for a while. What is Urban Meyer's -- when people ask you what is his -- you've probably been asked this before I walked up: What's his legacy as a coach, as an actual coach? Obviously he's going to stick around in some other role, but what is it that he brought to football in your mind that makes him different or special?
GREG SCHIANO: Well, if you said football, you immediately go to the schematic stuff he's done. Spread offense. All the things he's done in the kicking game. He's a really, really fine special teams. But I think if you say what's his legacy, it's all the young men that he's coached over the years and what they're doing out in the world.

And as coaches that's really what -- at the end of all the wins and all the games and all the bowls and championships and all that, your legacy is the players.

And as a ex-head coach, I get a lot of texts from my players that I coached over the years that out of the blue, you may not have talked to them for five years, they hit you up and "Coach, thanks for this. It really had a huge part in my development and this just happened." That's what really -- that's the reward that people don't understand.

It's not this, hoisting the trophy, as much as it's that personal, you know what, you changed a young man's life and in turn his family, his kids, everything.

Q. You've dealt with this somebody taking a shot at you or shots at you basically unfounded. How do you ever step past that, do you think what Urban had to deal with this year off the field?
GREG SCHIANO: It's tough. I mean, it's the age kind of -- to your question again, it's the age we live in. So you don't really have a choice, right, unless you don't want to live. And I want to live. So just keep going. Keep going.

Q. A couple of guys sitting out bowl games might have a different unique (indiscernible) on the other end being NFL Draft evaluator in those rooms, do you think it matters, if you're in the NFL, you're evaluating guys, do you think that decision either way (indiscernible) when you're evaluating someone?
GREG SCHIANO: It all depends on who the player is. The NFL is purely a business. What gives us the best chance to win, if that player -- if there's other issues, then that becomes something to put weight on.

If otherwise it's a really solid man and a really solid player, no. It all depends on when you look at -- as an NFL coach or a GM, you look at a player, you look at the total body of work, everything they've done, who they are, and then how do they fit into the club, do they fit into the club, will they make us better or not, and those decisions are truly business.

Q. A lot of people now think that if Dwayne Haskins Jr. was to step out, he'd be probably the highest evaluated quarterback for the 2019 draft. Just from what you've observed in practice and in games, is he special? Is he that -- is he that elite talent?
GREG SCHIANO: Well, I can't comment to what the NFL thinks or any of that. I think Dwayne is an elite player. I've known him since he was this high, he was a Jersey kid. And I'm just really happy for he and his family because he had quite a year. And he helped us have the success that we had and again those are all individual decisions.

Q. When a guy like you says "elite," what does that mean from a coach in the NFL? Define "elite."
GREG SCHIANO: He's an excellent quarterback. He's smart. He's accurate. He has touch. He can throw the deep ball, all those things. All the decisions he has to make and all these guys have to make -- again, I keep going back to it, it sounds clichÃ©, but it's an individual decision. And only the individual can know all the reasons behind it.

Q. Who are some of the young guys who have really flashed in bowl practice, I guess, either side of the ball, but especially defensively?
GREG SCHIANO: There's actually quite a few. I'm encouraged in the secondary. I think Sevyn Banks is doing excellent things. He got that club off midseason. He's really improved. He could be the next big-time corner here if he keeps developing.

We talked about Dallas Gant a little bit ago. He's going to be an excellent player.

Pope is going to be -- you look at those young guys, Teradja Mitchell, he's already playing on the punt team, but he's going to be a phenomenal player. And then all the young D linemen. I think we have a group of freshmen D linemen that are as good as I've been around as a group. And their progression, their development as they get more and more time.

I think there's -- at all three levels of the defense, there's optimism.

Q. What happened with Browning at the second half, he had injury issues?
GREG SCHIANO: I think the injury slowed him down. But Baron has gotten better as a player, considerably better. And I think his future is real bright here. Really bright. He's very, very talented. He happens to share a position with a guy who is one of the most relentless, tough players that I've ever coached. So when you have those two, and then you get injured, then that really slows you down a little bit. But hopefully Baron can do some really good things in the game on Tuesday.

Q. I'm sure you've been asked about this already, Greg, but how does the calculus change for you, when you came to Ohio State, you were working for one of your best friends in coaching, and now that's not going to be the case? How do you balance as a coach in your career the place you work versus the people you work with or work for, and how does that affect anything about your future?
GREG SCHIANO: Well, I think all that is part of the equation. I've been blessed in my life I had some great opportunities and kind of can work where I want to work now. Sometimes you have to work where you have to work.

But I think the world of Urban. I think he's not only a great friend but a tremendous head coach, tremendous administrator. I think the world of Ryan. I think Ryan is going to have an unbelievable career as a head coach.

And I think our players feel that way, too. They're excited. Although they're sad to see Coach step down, I think they're really excited about what Ryan is going to bring to the program as a head coach.

But as far as my situation, like I said earlier, I just go day to day and see where the Lord leads me.

Q. Have you spoken with Ryan, though, about the future?
GREG SCHIANO: Certainly, we've had discussions, but to me that's not the time for that. I think after the game when he assumes the position and he's got decisions he has to make and as a head coach, that's critical. You have to decide who you want your staff to be. And I think whether you take over for someone or you go to a new place, I think that's critical. And I think he'll do an excellent job doing that.

Q. When your decision to come here, how much of it was -- how much was your relationship a factor?
GREG SCHIANO: Mostly. I mean, again, I was going to coach my kids for two more years and then do TV and get back into coaching after they were done. But one of my best friends called me, and, as you guys know, he's a pretty persuasive guy. So here we are.

Q. Any tears, any emotions you're feeling just seeing him --
GREG SCHIANO: I'm sure it will be emotional on game day. It's his last game as the head coach at Ohio State. But he and I are both kind of stick to the business, you know.

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