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CHICK-FIL-A PEACH BOWL: LSU VS OKLAHOMA

December 26, 2019

Joe Burrow

Atlanta, Georgia

Q. What's your opinion of Baby Yoda?
JOE BURROW: I haven't watched the show yet. I haven't seen it. I was going to wait until it all came out before I started watching it.

Q. You look a little tired.
JOE BURROW: Yeah, a little tired.

Q. Are you a little sick?
JOE BURROW: A little bit. Nothing serious. A little cold. I'm going to go to the bathroom real quick. I'll be right back.

Q. This is a bowl game but it's not like (indiscernible) how has the focus been?
JOE BURROW: It's been just fine. You don't got to worry about that.

Q. Is it because the stakes are so high?
JOE BURROW: Yeah, I think we have a really mature team that understands the situation and understands that we still have things ahead of us.

Q. What about the practices, how have they been?
JOE BURROW: We've had really good practices. Been really happy with them. Guys have been flying around, we look rested, healthy. It's been great.

Q. (Indiscernible).
JOE BURROW: I felt good out there. I know a couple of the guys were slipping around a little bit, but it's been good to have a week of practice on it, and they're getting used to it.

Q. How have the rest of the guys been?
JOE BURROW: Been really happy with it. They've been coming along. (Indiscernible) is having a great week of practice. He's been getting better. Ty and John are obviously getting a lot better, as well. Whether Clyde plays or not, we'll have guys that are ready to play. I still think Clyde will be able to play, and he's working to get healthy.

Q. Kind of strange being back in this room?
JOE BURROW: I wouldn't say strange. I wouldn't say strange.

Q. Good memories?
JOE BURROW: Yeah, clean sweep at the awards. I think there were a lot of deserving players across the country, but I was happy that our guys got them.

Q. Has it been overall -- what's your experience been like in Atlanta?
JOE BURROW: Yeah, it's been a lot of fun, but we know it's a business trip, so we're trying to treat it just like any other weekend as much as we can. It's tough when you're here for a week and you have a lot of free time. But we're just trying to treat it like any other game.

Q. Is there any other advantage to having played a game in that building already?
JOE BURROW: Not really. I mean, maybe the site for the receivers a little bit, but other than that, it's the same stadium for everybody.

Q. What specific issues of Oklahoma's defense do you have to focus on?
JOE BURROW: They're really fast, and I think Coach Grinch is a really good coach that's going to have a good plan for us, so we're going to have to see what they're going to do and make in-game adjustments really well.

Q. There's a couple local guys on your team that are here, especially your team captain. Talk a little bit about him. I know he must be excited to play here in front of the home crowd.
JOE BURROW: Yeah, he's super excited. He went home and had Christmas dinner yesterday and invited a bunch of guys through. He's a great person as well as a great player. He's a guy that's really big into philanthropy and that's great to see. He's a really good leader for us.

Q. Just your overall thoughts on the game, how preparations have been? Where do you think the team's mindset is at?
JOE BURROW: Yeah, I know everyone is just ready to play. Everyone said being here a week is nice, but we're ready to go out and play the game and go back to Baton Rouge.

Q. Can you go out with the family and eat dinner and stuff like that?
JOE BURROW: No, absolutely not. We just order in usually.

Q. How has that changed for you? You've been famous as the year has gone on but what happened in New York City really changed things.
JOE BURROW: Yeah, I didn't really experience anything during the season because I didn't really do anything. I was just in the facility and made food or ordered groceries, but I started to experience things a little bit, and it's been wild.

Q. Have you had to change your cell phone number?
JOE BURROW: Not yet. Thinking about it, though.

Q. How has it been wild? Was there a moment where you were like, this is too much?
JOE BURROW: I mean, you don't like not accepting pictures, but when you go out in public and 50 people want a picture with you, you've got to eventually say no. That's been my least favorite part, just telling people no when I wish I could be there all day.

Q. There's a five-year-old kid and a guy wants to put something on eBay --
JOE BURROW: Yeah, getting easier and easier to tell which ones want to put that on eBay. They just have duffel bags of mini helmets, like, can I get a couple signatures? No, dude, sorry.

Q. Are you learning you had a lot more relatives than you had?
JOE BURROW: Yeah, a lot of relatives that I'm related to that I've never heard of in my life.

Q. (Indiscernible). Is it going to make the circuit?
JOE BURROW: I guess I'll have to find out. That one is pretty comfy. I have like eight Fiesta Bowl sweatshirts, so we'll see.

Q. So you're not wearing the same one over and over again?
JOE BURROW: No.

Q. You had a bunch of opinions last year on a bunch of topics --
JOE BURROW: I've got nothing for you. Hopefully someone else does so I can get a little break, though. I think we're here for 45 minutes.

Q. How does the press work, you have the meeting room and -- what do you do?
JOE BURROW: Yeah, we have a floor dedicated to all the meeting rooms and just meeting there like it's our facility.

Q. What do you think about the narrative surrounding Oklahoma, saying that they don't necessarily have a chance in this game?
JOE BURROW: I mean, they're in the playoff. It's not -- I don't think they're sneaking up on anybody. They've been in the playoff three of the last five years. They're a great program, an elite program. They're not sneaking up on anybody. They're just as good as anybody in the country.

Q. (Indiscernible) what have you seen from them that makes you feel comfortable?
JOE BURROW: Yeah, they're getting a lot better, and it comes with reps, and I think Chris Curry, like I said earlier, is having a great week of practice. I'm super comfortable with all those guys in there, but Chris has really jumped out this week, and he and Ty I think will do a great job if they happen to be in there.

Q. (Indiscernible).
JOE BURROW: We'll have to find out. I don't go in thinking like that. I just go in and take what the defense gives me. I don't try to force anybody, and that's why you see people with -- Harris, two touchdowns in the SEC Championship and Ja'Marr with not as many. I just go in thinking they've got to take a couple guys away. We've got to figure out who they're taking away and go with the other guys.

Q. A lot of questions on their defense. Are they comparable to anyone you've seen this year?
JOE BURROW: You know, their scheme is a little similar to Texas's, a little bit. On the back end. Up front it's a lot different. But they play quarters, the occasional cover three. But like I say, we've faced something different like the last six weeks than what we've seen on film, so I have to go in and make those in-game adjustments.

Q. How quickly do you try to (indiscernible)?
JOE BURROW: The first play we'll know. Like against Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M, you go out and like, wow, I haven't seen this on film. I don't know why I watched film this week. So we'll go out and figure it out, like we always do. But it gets a little frustrating when you watch film all this time and it doesn't matter because they don't play that defense. So we'll see.

Q. You get a feel for their talent, though?
JOE BURROW: Yeah, I mean, they pop on film. They're really fast. No. 9, the linebacker, one of the top two or three linebackers in the country, is really, really good, really fast on the D-line. No. 90 is quick twitch, strong. So they've got some guys for sure.

Q. Going back to the (indiscernible).
JOE BURROW: Looked pretty good, huh? Nobody thought I could play ball, but we came back and won, so that was pretty good.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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