CFP SEMIFINAL CHICK-FIL-A PEACH BOWL: GEORGIA VS OHIO STATE

December 27, 2022

Marvin Harrison, Jr.

Paris Johnson, Jr.

Chip Trayanum

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Ohio State Buckeyes

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We're going to continue now. We're joined by wide receiver, Marvin Harrison, Junior. Offensive tackle, Paris Johnson, Junior, and Chip Trayanum.

Gentlemen, just a quick opening comment from you guys. Just talk about how your bowl week experience is going so far and the whole experience of being here in Atlanta.

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: It's been going go. Safe travels in here. First of all coming out of Columbus, weather was kind of pretty bad the past couple of days, but got here safely and thankful for this opportunity to be in a national championship and go out there and play on a stage such as this.

PARIS JOHNSON, JR.: Yeah. This is really cool to be down here in Atlanta. My family had moved down here recently, so it's really cool to see them too, and just be able to go out on a big stage here and compete for a national championship.

CHIP TRAYANUM: I would say it's definitely been great since we've been here. It was good to go home for a little bit to see the family, but it is even better to be back with my teammates. Good to hit the reset button and go be with the whole team.

Q. Kevin Wilson and C.J. Stroud and Emeka Egbuka were all talking about how Ohio State and your offense will have to play its best football and compete against Georgia. And I asked Emeka the same thing, when you think back on your first season as a starter all the way through, what do you think of, what comes to mind and what do you still have to show as a wide receiver against Georgia on Saturday?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: Yeah. I think we had a lot of fun this year. Just going out there and playing with each these guys. We've had a lot of fun. Obviously we didn't complete any of our goals this year yet so far. Just a lot of work to be done, just go out there and have fun and compete.

Q. Paris, what stands out to you about Georgia's defense line and just the challenge going up against those guys on Saturday?

PARIS JOHNSON, JR.: Yeah. They have a strong defensive line, and I believe that's probably one of the strongest units on the defense, of course. And I think it's like a match up game upfront. I think, of course, they have the Stackhouse and Carter. They have 13, 33 and 90 on the outside that rotate a lot, along with 32. And I think that's a solid group, and they rotate a lot, and I would say their twos are almost as good as their ones. So I think it's a respectable match up. There's definitely not anybody on their line that you overlook in terms of doing your preparations for.

Q. Marvin, you carry the name Marvin Harrison. Your dad played in a lot of big football games, but this is your first opportunity to show not just the college football world, but the entire world who you are. What do you want the world to know about Marvin Harrison, Junior, not just Marvin Harrison?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: I'm my own player first and foremost. My dad did great things, but now I'm trying to be myself and go out there and make a name for myself and be the best receiver I can be.

Q. You rattled off all those defensive linemen. How do you go about studying six, seven, eight different guys? Are you taking the best move and see where the weaknesses are? How do you go about evaluating each individual opponent?

PARIS JOHNSON, JR.: Yeah. Usually during the regular season, I only have about four days to do so like a lot of guys will look at. So for me, I like to look at maybe the last five games or what I would think their best five opponents or if there's a tackle that I respect or another school they've played, then those will be the big games that I study a lot.

But in terms of bowl time, with all the days off that we had, I feel like I was able to take a look at all their games a lot while still having the focus on the tackles that I thought were probably the best matchups. I think that gave me the best looks at how they played.

Q. Marvin, when you look at this Georgia defense, what are the biggest things that stand out to you, particularly what stood out to you on film about the Georgia's secondary?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: Yeah. They play very fast, play physical. They have a lot of confidence in themselves to make plays. That's what great players have, confidence in themselves, and can trust their instincts, trust their abilities. They make plays and they've made plays all year. We just have to match their energy. Run game, pass game. Receiver go out there and play with some heat.

Q. Marvin, just your feeling about playing indoors. The weather is not going to be a factor. It's going to be a fast track. Does that give you guys a little bit of an advantage with the weaponry you have on offense?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: I wouldn't say it's an advantage because they can play indoors, too. If anything, they've played in this stadium more than we have. So I think the advantage is to them, but it's definitely nice to play indoors and the weather is not going to be a factor. And in the pass game, you can kind of do what you want to do.

Q. Anybody can answer, but Georgia, their last half that they played was against LSU where LSU put up a lot of yards and a lot of points. Is there anything in that that can be a blueprint for you guys as you get ready for Saturday?

CHIP TRAYANUM: I think the whole game was just a good game overall. Georgia is here for a reason. We're here for a reason, too, but their defense is very stout.

So we believe we have to have our best game on offense. And I think we're on pace to do that with the practices we've been having. Overall just from watching that game, LSU did some good things against them. So there's definitely a chance. Coach Day always preached there's always a chance -- no matter how hard you work, there's always going to be a chance when you show up on game day.

PARIS JOHNSON, JR.: I agree with Chip that watching the game there were a lot of things, like the blueprint that they used to gain yards, but, also, I feel like the main thing that I look at is to do exactly what some teams -- to do like the opposite of what the teams did. Right. There was a lot of clips I watched where there was a breakdown in the run game immediately that resulted in the negative runs and maybe there was a lack of protection from one of the guards really early on.

So I think looking at those, for me as a lineman, I like to look at the negatives as a lesson to learn before it happens. So I think those things that I saw from that game in particular were great lessons, not just for myself, but for the entire offensive linemen for this game.

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: I think we just have to go out there and play our own ball. Obviously LSU did what they did and they came in to battle and play their game. We just have to go out there and play our game. We have confidence in ourselves and how we're going to make things work and go out there and compete. We're not going to take too much from other teams. Obviously have to watch the film to see what other teams did, but just worry about ourselves and see what we can do.

Q. I'm not sure if you guys are aware, but you are underdogs in this game. It is a home game pretty much for Georgia. We are in Atlanta. Do you feel like it's you guys against the world in this game? How big of an advantage is that for Georgia?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: I always thought it was Ohio against the world, even before this game. So nothing really changes. Me personally I'm glad we can play them in Atlanta, in their kind of home arena. Kind of always like being the villain and underdog going into the game, really excited to be able to do that.

PARIS JOHNSON, JR.: Yeah, I agree with Marvin on that. This is how you want to play Georgia here, at their how much pretty much. So and, yeah, since I've been here, it's pretty much been Ohio against the world. So I think this game exemplifies that as well with the circumstances.

CHIP TRAYANUM: I think overall, the team likes it a lot. At this point we have nothing to lose. So we're just here for a reason. I think everybody counts us out, but at the same time, it's what you take on the Buckeye name for. So we're all here to put our best foot forward and go win the whole thing.

Q. Chip, do you feel like a different running back now that you have switched and played linebacker full time? And like what did you take away from that experience? Do you see defenses differently? How did that influence you?

CHIP TRAYANUM: I feel like it definitely helps. Everything happens for a reason. I didn't come here for that but there was an offer on the table for me at the time. But I definitely feel like it helps every play. Definitely grateful for Coach Knowles for the time I did spend in that room, but I'm also grateful to these guys I have on offense. Ever since I've been back on offense, just been getting nothing but praise and confidence from our teammates, and that ultimately helps me. And I've just been grateful to be back in this position and ultimately doing whatever I can for the team.

Q. Big Ten versus SEC, the word physicality gets brought up a lot in these types of matchups. Have you guys been doing anything to, quote, unquote, ramp up the physicality in the month leading up to this or is that something you can instill within a month or is that something you've worked on all year?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: I think it's how the game of football is played, gotta play in a physical way. I don't think we've done anything different than we've been doing all year. Kind of emphasized physicality throughout the whole season, starting in the weight room, and just kind of the practices and did overtime kind of prepared us for this moment. So I am going to say we didn't do anything different. Obviously gotta go out there and play physical, but gotta have a lot of technique and skill to win games as well.

PARIS JOHNSON, JR.: Yeah, physicality is the most important thing, is the biggest factor in this game by far. And I think as an offensive lineman, like that is the best thing to hear knowing that the only factor and the best way to compete for Chip and for Marvin to do their job is for me to just out the physical guy across from me.

You know what I mean? Like I feel like during this bowl prep we've put in a lot of time trying to work our skill and our technique and our discipline. So when it's time for us to be out there, it's second nature. And then all we have to do is to rely on just being able to go out after the guy in front of you. You know what I mean? Because that's what it's going to take to beat them.

CHIP TRAYANUM: I feel like when you're a Buckeye, this is all you ask for. Our schedule or our practice plans haven't differed. The main thing in our program is toughness and fight. So I feel like when it comes down to the nitty-gritty and you telling us that's all we gotta do, that's what we are confident in because that's when we go back to the basics and the building blocks. That's all the mat drills. That's all the workouts and everything we put forward to get here at this very moment. So I feel like giving us that advantage, we're definitely comfortable with that.

Q. Do you guys feel like bragging rights is on the line, SEC versus the Big Ten? And you know, you got two Big Ten teams in the playoff. Do you feel like there's something to be proven here?

CHIP TRAYANUM: Me personally, I don't think we're worried about bragging rights. At the end of the day, I think all the bragging rights just go into who holding up the national championship trophy at the end of all of this when it's all said and done. So I think the main goal is get to that final game.

PARIS JOHNSON, JR.: Yeah, I haven't thought about that once since we heard about this matchup at all. I think the only thing that's been on our minds is Georgia, and I think for anything else, Big Ten or SEC is not necessary.

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: Yeah. I'm just going to echo what they said really. This is like comparable football here. No matter who, Big Ten, SEC, ACC, PAC-12, Big 12, whoever is playing, it's just going to be Ohio State versus Georgia.

THE MODERATOR: If you guys win this game, you're going to be the first team to win all six New Year's Six bowl games. Is that a point of pride for the program? What thoughts go through your mind being the only team to have that opportunity?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: I didn't even know that stat, first of all, so thank you for letting me know that. That would be very nice. Credit to all the teams in the past, and hopefully we'll have another bowl game to try to do our part. I did know this is our first time in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. So like I said, thank you for the opportunity and go get a chance to make history.

PARIS JOHNSON, JR.: Yeah. Like what Marvin said about being in the what if, I think the first question we all ask -- I don't know about anybody, but for me. We don't have any years on a Peach Bowl sign in our facility. So I think just being able to have a chance to be the first team on the list, you know, for all the rest of the teams to come in the future will be like a really cool thing to have, especially the first one in the country to have all six. That would be special.

THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll make sure we get one of those to you.

CHIP TRAYANUM: I think it's definitely grateful for us to be down here at the Peach Bowl. I think Atlanta is a beautiful city. But at the end of the day, I just know the whole Buckeye fanbase and the whole Buckeye world, there is only one trophy that matters at the end of the day.

THE MODERATOR: Fair enough. We got a couple more minutes with these guys.

Q. Chip, following more up on that, to play for Ohio State in your first season since transferring since you're an Ohio native and whatnot, what has that meant to you and now to wear the Scarlet and Gray, what has that meant to you all season?

CHIP TRAYANUM: All season it's just been grateful. Me being back in the state of Ohio really just playing ball, so crazy, I really don't even get nervous anymore just because I'm so prideful to even be back here putting on the Scarlet and Gray and putting on a Buckeye helmet. But at the end of the day, it's definitely good just to be along with guys like Paris and other guys who are from Ohio. You definitely get that culture and you get that sense of pride on the team. And that's what we carry with us, and that's what you come here to Ohio State for.

Q. Marvin, what have you seen in Kyle McCord in bowl practice in the year, obviously he could be the guy next year, what have you seen from him late this year?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: Yeah. Getting better every day. He practices really hard. His game reps pretty much throughout the whole year in practice. Probably something you have in C.J., him or Devin go in there with confidence, both coaches and players. They can go in there and make plays.

We're not really worried about next year. We'll get to that when that time comes, but him and Kyle both go in there and make plays and practice really hard all week.

Q. Kevin Wilson talked a lot about having to balance preparing to be the next head coach at Tulsa while also being the offensive coordinator for your offense. Can you run from all three of your perspectives, what have you seen the last couple of weeks since he's taken the new job and what has he meant to you guys throughout this season and your career at Ohio State?

CHIP TRAYANUM: I've actually had a chance to know Coach Wilson ever since my sophomore year of high school. So I think Coach Wilson is a great guy. I think we're all definitely happy for him to get a head coaching job at Tulsa. That's every coach's dream to get a head coaching job. But every coach we have on staff is definitely putting their best foot forward for this game and putting everything into the bag.

PARIS JOHNSON, JR.: Yeah. Coach Wilson has been a friend of the family since before I was born. He coached my dad at Miami Ohio. So I think for him -- at least for me, you know, some people can say, how could you leave Ohio State. But for me, I have the perspective of also just wanting to see people win. And I want people to be happy and be able to continue to do what wakes them up in the morning.

And I think that's a great opportunity for him and excited for him with that. And I think definitely when he took the job down there and he came back to practice, you could just see the smile and the juice that he had to really just leave it all out there because this is his final run with Ohio State. So just to leave it all out there, and I think it's been great energy.

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: Yeah. Definitely proud of Coach Wilson to go out there in his coaching career and be a head coach. I kind of see him every day with his coffee cup, and he's always speaking to me and have great conversations. Very grateful for a coach like that that helped me in the running game and blocking and definitely really proud of him to go on and do great things at Tulsa.