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

December 29, 2022

Marvin Harrison, Jr.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Ohio State Buckeyes

Press Conference

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: You have the skill and technique to get open and make the contested catches, things like that. How athletic you are really doesn't matter. It really comes down to how skilled you are and things like that.

Q. Do you see a difference in the SEC secondary?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: I never played against an SEC secondary, so this will be my first time. I'm excited for that. I don't really know the difference. I can't compare the two right now.

Q. How is it being in Atlanta, your preparation and this whole process?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: It's been fun. This is a business trip for us. I'm not trying to do too many activities. I know I'm not doing too many activities outside of preparing for the game, watching film, watching practice, and seeing what I can do better for the game.

We did some team activities that were kind of fun, go-karting, bowling, things like that. But this is a business trip. We're here to win the game.

Q. What do you see out of Jake?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: He's made a big growth. I think his mindset approaching the game has gotten better over time since he first stepped onto campus. I think he's more realizing the development and kind of the little things about playing receiver that he might not have gotten the coaching from high school.

He definitely gets it from Coach Hartline, who's the best coach you ask for in a receiver. He's definitely making strides and improving. He could be a very special player for us.

Q. Just little fine technique kind of stuff?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: Yeah, just the route running. During high school, he was probably the fastest player on our team, but he was faster than anybody. He went deep, got behind defense all the time, scored touchdowns. But now he's running so many better curve routes and out routes and things like that. That's where he took the biggest step.

Q. What does he do that makes him unique?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: I think he probably is the fastest receiver. Me and him, I'll probably put myself in the same category. He's one of our fastest receivers. He definitely took the top off the defense. He can run by any of our corners. I think that's probably the best thing that he does for us.

Q. Marvin, this is your first time on the college football scene, but I think people expected this for you. When do you feel like you really hit your stride this season?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: I think probably the first ten games.

Q. Maybe the three touchdown game?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: Yeah, my three touchdown game.

Q. You guys had to wait your turn with so many good receivers at Ohio State. What did you learn last season that helped you beyond this year?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: I have learned a lot.

Q. A little off topic. I see your Vuitton bag. You're a very fashionable guy. Anything special you wear going into the game?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: Yeah. Nothing during the game. I kind of had an incident earlier in the year that I wish I could have back. I try to keep all the fashion things before the game. On game day, I like to wear black cleats, white laces, something very simple.

Q. Before the game, do you have everything set out, know what you're going to wear?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: Usually during the regular season, I get my suit ready. Me and my mom talk about it and give her the idea, and she helps me get the suit. This game we have to wear our normal suit with the team, so not too much fashionable things for me.

Q. From C.J., he says you're the best receiver in the country. He says you have the best hands in the country. So that led to, can you draw Brutus? You can pull up a picture of Brutus on your phone.

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: Let's see what I can do here. Drawing is not really my thing at all. We'll give it a shot. Start with the body, two lines here. Brutus has an oval head. We'll draw an oval head here. He always has a hat on, which you don't really realize.

Q. Did he ever help train you?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: Yeah, he did. We played a lot of catch when I was younger. He's a busy guy too. I did a lot of work myself, but he helped groom me as a player.

Q. What is it that you guys (inaudible)?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: I think we have confidence in one another. We know the talent we have on this team, offense, defense, and special teams. I think we're a balanced team. We can do many different things. We can run the football, throw the football, defense can stop the run, and we can play the pass too. I think we have the confidence in one another that we can go out there and do it.

Q. What is it like for you (inaudible)?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: For me personally, I don't really care too much about being underdogs. At the end of the day, whatever team is going to go out there and play the hardest and execute the best is going to win the game.

It's football, and there's only one game that counts, and that's the game that you're playing.

Q. (Inaudible).

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: He's very athletic. He's a great player. Trusts his instincts. Plays with confidence. It's definitely going to be a challenge for me who has better skill and technique. I'm very excited for the matchup.

Q. Anything you learned in high school that you can apply to this situation?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: No. High school football is different than college football. Like I said, I've been in big moments before, big stages. Obviously the stakes are higher now, playing on TV, national stage, things like that. Definitely blessed to have the three state high school championship wins, but it's different in college.

Q. (Inaudible).

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: No. We don't talk about five star, who was ranked where. I'm definitely proud of him. He definitely deserves the five star ranking he got.

Q. When you guys lost to Michigan and you thought your playoff hopes were gone, did you guys really focus on that USC game? Did you watch the game?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: Yeah, I watched the game. Being a fan of college football as well, I can learn from it. USC has some good receivers over there too. We did watch the game, but obviously when they lost, we thought we might have a chance to go into the National Championship. Just watching the game as a fan.

Q. Not going crazy for Utah, you just sort of watched the game?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: From our chances, I didn't want Utah to win, but like I said, watching as a fan of the game and hoping we did get an opportunity to win.

Q. This game might come down to a one score game. What do the coaches talk to you about maintaining your composure down the stretch, trying not to do too much?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: I think it's definitely going to be a four quarter game, whether we go up by 21 or down by 21, we've got to keep playing and keep fighting and wait until the clock hits zero, zero, zero to see who wins the game.

It's definitely going to come down to the fourth quarter. And whoever executes at the end of the game is going to win the game.

Q. The practices have been described as some conflict or friction over the last week or so. How would you describe it?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: I think it's competitive. That's how I would describe it. We have a bunch of competitors on the team. We have players on the team that want to win reps, want to win matchups, and that's how we practice. It's definitely going to help us come game time.

Q. Did it have a different feel, a different urgency than the middle of the season?

MARVIN HARRISON, JR.: I think everyone's a little bit more on edge obviously. I think we're cool, calm, and collected at the same time. Not going to get too high, not going to get too low. Just play the game and play as hard as we can.