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TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL: OHIO STATE v NOTRE DAME

January 1, 2006

Jim Tressel

TEMPE, ARIZONA

THE MODERATOR: I'd like to turn it over to Ohio State head coach, Jim Tressel for opening comments.
COACH TRESSEL: Thanks, Sean. What a wonderful week our players and coaches and families have had. The folks here at the Fiesta Bowl do a great job, making it a tremendous experience and creating memories. Our kids, I think, have done a nice job of combining a lot of hard work and focus on a great matchup, along with having a lot of fun and enjoying the company and the hospitality here. What can you say, the Fiesta Bowl does it right.
Q. Talk about Nick Mangold and AJ Hawk?
COACH TRESSEL: Our seniors did a wonderful job. We knew we were going to have a tough schedule. It turned out to be one of the toughest couple of schedules in the country.
There were moments when things went just as we hoped and moments when they didn't, and these two guys -- and really all those guys in that senior class, and fourth year juniors also, they just would not allow us to do anything other than move toward the next day, no matter what the score was during the course of a game, or the record was at that moment in time. They want to excel.
Q. Jim, Coach Weis talked about without a win, really it's not a very satisfying season for him. How much do you share those same thoughts?
COACH TRESSEL: Well, every season that I have been a part of has been satisfying in its own way. Maybe we didn't win as many games as we hoped, and some maybe we won more games than we deserved.
I guess this ball game, to me, the part that's going to be the hardest part of it is win, lose or draw, we won't get to line up with all the seniors. To me, that's the hard part. As far as how it ends up and so forth, we'll find out about 7:00 on Monday, but it's always satisfying working with our kids.
Q. You have had to play against a lot of good offenses this year. Where does Notre Dame stack up or excel over anybody else you might have faced?
COACH TRESSEL: They have tremendous players. Their folks up-front, they're veterans, they've seen it all, played so many games over their careers. You can't show them anything that's going to frustrate them. They throw the ball, run the ball well, screen well. They apply pressure in so many different ways that their ball is extraordinary and their fundamentals are outstanding.
Q. What is the status of Bobby Carpenter right now, and if he's only able to come in and out, will you be mixing up formations to get great pressure? What is your take on that?
COACH TRESSEL: Well, I would say this, Bobby worked a little bit more in yesterday's practice than I thought he might, but it wasn't with a helmet and shoulder pads, and it wasn't out there in the scheme of our team defense.
I wouldn't expect him to have a big role in this football game. A lot of it has to do with who's in the game for the opponent. This day and age, everything is specific towards grouping. You named two freshmen that both are going to play significant roles in the game.
Q. Seniors are talking about what a great time they're having, not that they weren't sincerely in years past. Anything you've noticed that's special in the last couple days with guys realizing this is it, after tomorrow night they're gone?
COACH TRESSEL: They really do enjoy one another. That's one of the great parts about being in a team environment and a group effort, and you can see they enjoy it. They don't just hang around with the same guy every moment. They have fun with one another. Everyone does.
I think there's no question these guys do enjoy one another, and they're excited about one more chance to play together, and I'm sure that at the end of the day, they're going to be a little bit sad that they'll never have that chance again, but I think they're trying to savor every moment.
Q. You're going to end up having a team playing three of the last four Fiesta Bowls. Can you talk about the environment and your experience in the last ones that you remember?
COACH TRESSEL: The environment at the Fiesta Bowl, from the time you land until you play the game is extraordinary. Your plane rolls up, and you see all those yellow coats, and see and feel the energy that everyone in Sun Valley has about this game and about college football, and about getting ready to host you and so forth, and what goes on all week long.
There's always great teams playing in the Bowl, so, here we get to line up against Notre Dame after having lined up against two other great teams in past years. There are wonderful memories when you walk into that stadium and some realities. I think our guys are going to relish that feeling and enjoy every moment of that.
Q. Baltimore is not really known as the hotbed of players. Talk a little bit about what you saw with the Gilmans when you were out there recruiting Stan White?
COACH TRESSEL: We were out there recruiting all three. Gilman has a great tradition. His book has been ready by so many of our coaches, and it's making an impact nationally. I think they coach the game as it's supposed to be coached. They're very competitively academically there. We tried to get all three of those guys to come to Ohio State.
Q. Coach Weis mentioned earlier how Troy Smith has evolved. Can you talk about that and how much those two drives against Michigan helped him in terms of leading that offense?
COACH TRESSEL: I think he's an excellent leader naturally. He's got something about him that people enjoy following him. I don't think you can be followed if you don't produce, and he produces. He's got a certain confidence and aura about himself that, hey, if you guys will follow me, we have a chance, and I think he's grown a lot, and like all of us, you grow sometimes through your successes and sometimes through your setbacks, and I think he's taken both situations throughout his career, and he's worked hard to get where he is, and I think he's worked hard to prepare for this football game, and he knows it's going to be a challenge, but we have a lot of confidence.
Q. Can we get your reaction to Clarett being charged late last night with aggravated robbery?
COACH TRESSEL: As I was riding over I heard that, and this morning was the first I've heard of that. Obviously, my reaction to that is it's sad because, as I said the last few times people have brought up the subject, my hope would be that he would have an opportunity to go over to NFL Europe and make a comeback. I hope it's not true, but beyond that, I don't know much, but my reaction, I was sad.
Q. In your coaching experience, do most staffs work roughly equally as hard as Notre Dame?
COACH TRESSEL: I only know about the ones I have been on. Our guys work extremely hard. One of the things you try to do as a head coach for both your staff and your team is have the right balance. Our guys work extremely hard, and I guess when the game is over, you look back and you decide that did you work hard enough, or did you leave something unworked on, or that you feel horrible about, or whatever. I haven't been on any staffs that I have ever seen left much more question.
Q. Talk a little bit about you and Charlie, now sharing Eddie Robinson awards as Coach of the Year, and it's Buckeye nation, just the talk about the makeup of the fan base.
COACH TRESSEL: I think anytime any coach is named with the name of Eddie Robinson, that's an honor and something you're humbled by, and you remember your entire life.
As far as our Buckeye nation, they're incredible. They love their football team. They love to be there. You can feel them home and away. If they can get tickets to a game, they're there, and they just love it. It's a part of what their Ohio State experience is all about.
It's not just the people who had the good fortune to attend Ohio State. Some people enjoy Ohio State football, and I'm sure it will be exciting seeing a lot of scarlet and gray out there on Monday afternoon.
Q. You basically had a home game crowd against Miami. Do you think that's possible with Notre Dame?
COACH TRESSEL: I don't think so. The second year we played here when it was ourselves and Kansas State, it was a fairly even crowd, and you could feel the energy from both sides. I'm sure it will be the case on Monday.
The Fighting Irish are going to be well represented for sure, and so will the Ohio State Buckeyes, and both will feel that energy. I always just pretend they're all cheering for me.
Q. Can you talk about both Tony's importance in this game managing the clock, and also his improvement as the season's got on?
COACH TRESSEL: Tony has been one of the keys to us being here. We felt we needed to develop a more balanced attack, and Tony has just under 1,200 yards and has gotten better and better. That will be crucial on Monday. There's no question about it. I can't go against a team as good as Notre Dame and be one-dimensional. Tony will be a key part of our game plan.
Q. To follow up on Bobby Carpenter, do you expect he'll dress for the game?
COACH TRESSEL: I don't know that I have the answer for that right now. I would question whether he'll play. You know, I've seen miracles before, so I'm not going to say for sure he won't. He was running around there last night, I thought, interestingly well, but not in the scheme of things. I don't know if he'll dress or not. I don't think that he or we or anyone has made that decision. He can certainly dress if he would like.
Q. Do you have any other injury issues going into this game? When was the last time you spoke with Maurice Clarett and what was he like?
COACH TRESSEL: I think Tony might have headed to the restroom or something during practice, I'm not sure, but I think he's fine, and as far as Maurice, I've talked with Maurice three or four times in the last six or eight weeks, and as I mentioned, it's been along the lines of hoping he would have the chance to get things together and make a run at things with NFL Europe.
I think that's what it's for is to give folks some opportunities. I would say two or three times in the last six weeks or so.
Q. Coach, even though Notre Dame and Ohio State are so close to one another geographically, do you feel it adds something to the game or does it take something away that you don't play all the time?
COACH TRESSEL: I think it adds a lot to this game. We've only played four times before in our history and the two great programs, and here we are in one of the great settings in college football. I think it adds a little something to the intrigue. I think you'll see in the response to the crowd, and they said there was more people at the block party than ever. I think all indicators are that it's interesting to a lot of people.
Q. I think some people might be surprised that you talked to Maurice recently. What was done to repair any damage in your relationship, and what was his intentions?
COACH TRESSEL: I think, like any young person who's made mistakes, they're always anxious to make their mistakes right. That's what I felt. As far as is that what he wanted was to go to NFL Europe, absolutely.
Q. A lot of preparation by both teams coming into this game. Is this where you get a little bit creative? Do you think in a game like this against Notre Dame, do you get creative here? Do you have a couple plays you have been doing during the season that you haven't done here?
COACH TRESSEL: That's a possibility. With the new recruiting rules, you're only allowed to send 7 of the 9 people out. We got to practice them and so forth. I think what's important is you have the right blend of what you feel is the right way to attack what your opponent does and what you are capable of doing, and if creativity becomes a part of that, I'm all for it.
Q. Do you have any sense of up holding the big 10's prestige?
COACH TRESSEL: I think that's always another added thing in the bowl season is when you're in a great conference, you want to have a chance to win that award with the conference with the best record in the bowl games. When you write that long list of things in your mind why we would like to do a great job and be successful in the bowl, that's certainly one of them.
Q. Coach, Charlie, in that USC game, went for it on fourth down. Is there some sort of concern when he gets across that 40 that he'll just go for it? I mean, does that seem like a possibility?
COACH TRESSEL: Yeah, I think you've always got to be ready for that. You face that all year long. I don't have our stats in front of me, but we have had a number of people with fourth down and whatever to go have lined up and tried to get it done against them. They have a lot of confidence in their ability to execute. So we would treat it like another third down.
Q. How troubling is it in Clarett's situation to see the kid go from the top of the mountain to where he is now?
COACH TRESSEL: It's real troubling. Not just with youngsters that it becomes newsworthy, but with any kids who don't go in the direction you know they're capable or you hope for them. It's one of the tough things when you compete. Sometimes things workout and you're successful and sometimes it doesn't. That doesn't have you back off from competing and teaching and trying to help people.
Q. Talk about your tightened position, how he's evolved this year.
COACH TRESSEL: I think he's done a good job. We brought him over from the defensive side. He came over and I think he's added a dimension for us. Ryan will be back into the mix from a tightened standpoint. We moved Brandon over from linebacker. We've got I think adequate depth there and they're all working hard to try to make a difference.
Q. Coach, the fans obviously with these two programs, they want to see a great game tomorrow night. As a coach, first you want to win. Is it better or easier or more fun to be a nail-biter or games when you're in control the entire way; do you have a choice?
COACH TRESSEL: No, I would just like to win. I haven't been in a game or season that was easy. You just have to assume when you go out to compete that you're going to do it for three and a half hours as hard and as well you can possibly do it and learn lessons along the way. I would think you should go into the game expecting it to be a nail-biter.
In this day and age, look at the bowl season thus far, I haven't had a whole bunch of time to watch the games, but I hear there's so many games where so-and-so is up by 14 and the other team comes back to win, but you've got to assume you're going to have to do it for three and a half hours.
Q. Notre Dame has a history of pulling surprises for big games. Do you expect any surprises from them at all?
COACH TRESSEL: Well, you know, they have had a month just like we have to study the film and look at some creative things to may be exploit some of our weaknesses, so absolutely, I think you have to go into the game, especially when you have had so long to prepare and say to yourself hey you haven't seen exactly what's going to happen in the ball game. You can get a little too honed in, and then all of a sudden, good coaches will kind of lead you the wrong direction and strike elsewhere, and they're good coaches.
THE MODERATOR: Final question here.
Q. Charlie said that his biggest worry was Troy Smith. What is your biggest worry about Notre Dame, what would that be?
COACH TRESSEL: I think how balanced they are. I don't know that you can say we need to shut down 83 or 21 or 88 or 3 or 10 or 39 on defense or 66 or 95. My biggest worry is they look awful good across the board.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you coach.

End of FastScripts...

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