ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE VENTURE X: OHIO STATE VS UTAH

December 28, 2021

Cam Brown

Ohio State Buckeyes

Press Conference

Q. Just general thoughts as far as you getting ready for the Rose Bowl and what makes this game so special?

CAM BROWN: Just because the Rose Bowl is very traditional. I feel like this is a very important game, and we just need to win it and just go out there and have fun doing it.

Q. Last time you guys played you didn't feel like you had your best defensive effort. What has practice been like the last four or five weeks trying to write a different story?

CAM BROWN: Practice has been great, we've been getting after it on offense and defense. We've been getting stronger, it's physical out there, so it's a lot of fun.

Q. You're playing a team you really don't know anything about, Utah playing in their first Rose Bowl. What have you learned over the last month about them?

CAM BROWN: I learned that they're a really good team. Most people don't give them credit. They're a really good team, so we're just going to go out there and compete.

Q. On defense you're missing Haskell Garrett. What's it like as you try to plug in new guys and they're going to get some new experience?

CAM BROWN: I just feel like we have the next-man-up mentality. We always have to go out there no matter who you are, so you get put in a situation, it's the next man up.

Q. Do you feel like you guys have something to prove? Do you feel like you're an angrier team?

CAM BROWN: I feel like we always have something to prove. You never want to disappoint yourself most importantly, and especially your brothers on the team.

Q. Cam, this is our first time talking to you since you decided to come back for next year. Talk about what went into that decision in the end because last time we talked to you you were still making up your mind.

CAM BROWN: Really what really made my mind was it didn't sit right with me. I feel like I had a lot more to prove here and I feel like I can really help out the team.

Q. How much is the chance to be healthy for a full year kind of play into that and get a full season's worth of tape on film, as well?

CAM BROWN: I mean, I don't really think about that. I just go out there and just try to compete every day, and if I'm healthy, I'm healthy. I just take it one day at a time.

Q. What were the conversations with your coaches and teammates when you were trying to make that decision?

CAM BROWN: I didn't really speak much on it because I didn't really -- I wanted it to come straight from me, so they gave me time to think on my own, and I made a decision.

Q. What was the reaction from your teammates when you told them?

CAM BROWN: They were happy I was coming back. The young guys, I feel like I can go out there and help them learn more, and hopefully just go out on the field and just go out there.

Q. How does it feel to be in the spotlight of the Rose Bowl here in LA?

CAM BROWN: LA is beautiful. I love LA. It was a little rainy yesterday, did you today was a good day out there.

Q. How do you put aside the distractions?

CAM BROWN: I usually just tone it out. I don't really get too much like social media and stuff. I just be on my own.

Q. What's the most impressive thing about Utah's offense, what you've seen in a film setting?

CAM BROWN: They really know how to control numbers on the team. I feel like they have a really good setup on offense.

Q. Have you gotten a chance to talk to Coach Knowles any more since we talked to you a few weeks ago?

CAM BROWN: No, I talked to him one time. I was trying to just focus on this game. I wasn't really trying to focus on next year or anything.

Q. What did he think about the fact that you're going to be on this defense obviously next year?

CAM BROWN: I think he likes that I'm coming back. I haven't really gotten into depth about it, but me and him talked about it, talked it up.

Q. How much have they talked to you about Jim Knowles and what he's going to bring -- have you talked to him yet?

CAM BROWN: Yeah, I talked to him one time. I haven't really got into his defense because I was trying to focus on the Rose Bowl, but I'm excited to see what he's bringing.

Q. Have you kind of snuck a peak at any Oklahoma State? Did you sort of get a sense --

CAM BROWN: I actually haven't. I didn't really look into it yet because I was just trying to see what he's bringing, if he switched something up I wanted to try to look at film and understand it.

Q. When you talked to him, did he have anything that he talked to you about just in terms of things he may be doing a little differently next year or was that just more kind of a get to know you conversation?

CAM BROWN: It was just get to know you. I was talking about his life, just trying to understand who he is and where he comes from, stuff like that. Didn't really get into football much.

Q. In the end what did it come down to for you?

CAM BROWN: I feel like I had unfinished business here. I feel like I could especially develop as a player and really win some more games. That's really what it came down to.

Q. When you told Coach Coombs or the staff or anybody in the cornerback room, what kind of reaction did you get?

CAM BROWN: It was excitement. They was happy I was coming back. Either way they was happy if I left or I came back. It wasn't really a big deal.

Q. What do you want to accomplish on Saturday?

CAM BROWN: I want to win the game. I want to win the Rose Bowl. That's really a big thing for me. My freshman year I didn't get a chance to play in it, so this time is the first time I get to play, so I'm excited.

Q. Have you felt that motivation to come out -- seemed like right after the season was over, everyone was really disappointed, Rose Bowl felt like a consolation prize. Has that mentality shifted now that you guys are here and have a game to play?

CAM BROWN: Yeah, most definitely. We all came here, we're having fun because we're out there competing. We're just excited to go out there and play. Instead of hitting each other, hit somebody else.

Q. About Jim Knowles coming in, have you watched much of what Oklahoma State did?

CAM BROWN: No, I haven't watched any Oklahoma State film yet.

Q. What kind of challenge does Utah pose for you?

CAM BROWN: Utah, they do -- they do what they do really well. What they show on film is what they're going to do, and it's up to us to stop it.

Q. Talk about the way the defense has played this season. Can you talked about how you guys played?

CAM BROWN: We had a lot of up and downs. It comes with defense. It comes with us trying to understand a lot of different things in different situations that we've never been in, so overall it's been very bumpy, but I feel we've got a long way to go, so we're good.

Q. With Utah having a mobile quarterback, is that something you got used to playing against, going against?

CAM BROWN: Definitely it's different. Most teams that play against us have a quarterback who can't really run much, but we should be all right with it.

Q. Talk about the physicality of the Big Ten and how that prepares you to play against Utah.

CAM BROWN: The Big Ten is a very physical conference. It shows -- it prepared us because the way the offense is set up, so I feel like it helps us out a lot.

Q. I know this was kind of a crazy season for you. How do you evaluate the way things went from your perspective?

CAM BROWN: We had a lot of ups and downs. We had a lot of stuff we had to correct, and I feel like we had got those corrected during this little break bed. Break we had, and we have a long way to go.

Q. How about your own individual performance, how do you think you played this year?

CAM BROWN: I feel like I played really well. I don't like to talk about how good I played, but I think I played well.

Q. Give me an idea as you walk into a game that is supposed to be a celebration, this is the culmination of a season, you guys earned the chance to be here, but I know that you've got goals and aspirations that are a lot bigger and you want to play in the CFP, you want to win a National Championship. How do you balance trying to enjoy what you accomplished and being here this week with trying to use this as a stepping-stone for where you want to be next season?

CAM BROWN: Well, the Rose Bowl is a very traditional rich bowl. We didn't get the chance to play for a National Championship. That's one of our biggest goals, but the Rose Bowl is not no -- it's not a throwaway. It's a really big bowl, really important.

Q. Did you ever dream of playing in the Rose Bowl as a kid?

CAM BROWN: I actually watch college football as a kid really. I didn't really watch sports really.

Q. Do you have any memories from when you were younger of the Rose Bowl at all?

CAM BROWN: No, not at all.

Q. What does playing the Rose Bowl mean to you?

CAM BROWN: It means a lot because I didn't get a chance to play in 2018, so this is -- I always seen how good it was from the outside view, but now I get a chance to actually go out there and play, so I'm really excited for that.

Q. Are you going to have family here?

CAM BROWN: Yes, I've got my mom and dad and brother coming to the game, so I'm really excited for that one.

Q. How would you describe your defense, the style that you guys play?

CAM BROWN: That's a good question.

Q. Are you guys more aggressive, attack type of defense?

CAM BROWN: Well, I feel like we have a combination and a mix of a lot of different things. We go two high, one high, play a lot of different coverages. The D-line is very good, so they get after the quarterback.

Q. What ultimately made you want to come back for another year?

CAM BROWN: I just had a lot of stuff I needed to do more here. I felt like my chapter here wasn't done, wasn't complete, and there's a lot of stuff I need to develop on and a lot of games to win. So that's the ultimate goal.

Q. Is it development or things you wanted to do more? What are the goals and the steps you want to take?

CAM BROWN: I want to develop as a player, as a leader. I feel like the leader role has been slowly growing on me. I really don't consider myself a leader yet, but eventually over time I think I'll get there.

Q. What did you do better this year than you've done in years past? What did you feel like you improved the most in this season?

CAM BROWN: I feel like I understand the game more. Coming in freshman year from receiver, I didn't really know much of corner. I didn't really know anything really. I was just out there. This year I was starting to learn more how to break down film, how to study receivers, how to cover different ones. That's really about it.

Q. I don't know if you've been asked this, but in playing this year, coming off the achilles, how much closer to 100 percent did you get as the season went on and how much better can you be? I've heard with an injury like that it takes time even after you feel good to trust it and things like that. How much better can you be next year and how much better do you feel towards the end of the season?

CAM BROWN: My achilles hasn't really bothered me at all. I really came back early, had no pain, so I was fine with my achilles.

Q. Even mentally it wasn't something you were thinking about?

CAM BROWN: No, not at all.

Q. What would you want to say about Matt Barnes as a coach, playing for him, and him coming back?

CAM BROWN: He's a great coach. You know, he always keeps us motivated to go out there and compete. He always challenges us and puts us in different situations to make sure we come out on top.

Q. It's going to be a different look next year. How excited are you for that?

CAM BROWN: I'm excited. I haven't really looked at it yet, but I'm excited to see what I can bring.

Q. You obviously made your decision about coming back. Can you kind of run through again the motivation for making that decision?

CAM BROWN: Really unfinished business, a lot of development to be made. I have a long way to go in my college career, so I'm going to just figure it out.

Q. In a game like this one against a team like Utah who wants to run the ball a lot, how does the secondary play a part in stopping the drives but also being aware of play action and things like that? How do you avoid kind of lulling into a sleep if you're (indiscernible)?

CAM BROWN: We just have to have good eye control. We focus on our man, we see the ball, we get the ball. If it's a run we're going to play the run, too. If it's a pass we'll play the pass.

Q. Utah uses their tight ends a lot. Have you noticed on film how much they use their tight end in the lineup, two or three tight ends at times?

CAM BROWN: They run a lot of tight ends. Their tight ends are really good players, so we just have to go out there and cover them.

Q. How different is that for like a secondary?

CAM BROWN: I feel like for me personally it's not a difference. If you have to cover someone, you have to cover them. They just run a lot of tight ends. They're good at that.