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TOSTITOS BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: OHIO STATE v FLORIDAJanuary 3, 2007Doug DatishAntonio PittmanTroy SmithPHOENIX, ARIZONA Q. Guys, can you talk about you have been here in Arizona a few times now this time of year, can you talk about the familiarity with Arizona and if you think that gives you any advantage at all? We will start with Troy? TROY SMITH: The first thing that I am most familiar with is In-and-Out Burger, which is around the corner from our hotel. Probably the height of my day every day getting a chance to go to In-and-Out burger. I love those cheeseburgers. Doug? DOUG DATISH: In-and-Out Burger is very good. But also I have to say that the Princess is a pretty great place. I think having that sense of familiarity is definitely something that I appreciate. We are not seeing many new things, although this media day is pretty new for me. But other than that, it will pretty much the same thing. I don't know if it gives us any sort of advantage. We both have to play the games. Who knows. ANTONIO PITTMAN: This being only my second time out here compared to these guys, I have been out here a couple times by now. I am really just getting to see everything and just take everything in. I am enjoying it. Q. Another thing with the long lay off, there are a few theories whether it is good, bad or indifferent. What do you guys of think of that? Does it help or make any difference? TROY SMITH: For everybody who thinks this is a lay off, I wish they could come and practice with us for the days we were supposedly off. It is never -- it wasn't off the whole time. We have been practicing. What people don't understand is sometimes practices are more brutal than the games, simply because the preparation for the games is everything. When you prepare well, you play well. And being in the situation that we have been in that many practice days thus far is really helped us to become a better team. Q. For all you guys, the Big 10, two Bowl games on New Year's day, how closely do you follow that and root for other teams in the conference and how important is it for yourselves to represent the conference in this game? DOUG DATISH: I think that -- I do follow it personally. I think that -- I try to root for the Big 10 teams. Those are the guys we play. Those are the guys we know about. We know different guys from different squads from going to All-Star games and things like that. I think it is a tremendous honor to play for a conference like the Big 10. Any time we go out to representing them, too. ANTONIO PITTMAN: I feel the Big 10, I root for those guys also. I'm a big fan of Wisconsin. You know, I like the way they go out there and they play. But I was happy that they won. Q. Troy, the way you have been using your speed obviously is another thing for defenses. Have you seen the kind of speed the linebackers have had this season? Do you approach the game a little different, maybe gone back a little more? How do you approach that? TROY SMITH: I think a lot of times and thus far during the coverage of their defense, we don't give the line backers in the Big 10 enough credit. Because we face guys all the time that are very, very fast, extremely talented and just as strong as the guys that the Gators are going to bring. But, I am a firm believer in giving respect when respect is due. And any time you play a defense like this whom their front four is just as fast as their line backers, their line backers are just as fast as their safeties and so on and so forth, you have to give respect. They do have great linebackers. Q. When Clarett was here a bunch of years ago, there was talk about guys behaving badly in the program and arrests. Can you talk about the transformation for you guys and it seems now that the program is very clean? TROY SMITH: I don't want to say when he was here the situation was totally opposite than what it is now. Don't get me wrong, there are guys in situations that you want don't approve of. I guess now there is a better sense of decision-making. I mean, it is not like one guy just made the situation the way it was because everybody, you know, at the end of the night -- you look at yourself in the mirror and you make your own decisions. We just have guys who are, you know, very, very in tune with what's going on and obviously the situations in the past have helped them in their decision-making now. Q. Troy, can you just describe the last month or so winning the Heisman, whirlwind, doing the late-night talk shows and all that and if at all it has affected your preparation for this game? TROY SMITH: It hasn't affected my preparation for the game because any time I am in a situation to where I can give back, I give back to my teammates. I think bringing them and putting them into the situation where they can get just as much notoriety as I am getting, that levels everything out. I don't take it as if it is just me in a situation. I try to bring it and incorporate them into everything that they have done and obviously it has paid off because I haven't pulled my hair out yet. So the guys have helped me thus far. They helped me on the field and they helped me off the field also. Q. Troy, at times in your life when maybe things weren't going exactly the way you wanted in high school and early in your college career, whom did you turn to to keep you straight, to give you guidance and to -- who do you credit to making you, I guess, the man that you are? TROY SMITH: First off, God. You know, praying day in and day out really settles me and helps me come to ease and get a better sense of what's going on in the day. And, obviously, any time you want to be in a situation where you want positive things to happen to you, you look for somebody who has been through those kind of situations and that are positive people. In that case, I look to my mother. I look to Ted Ginn, Sr. I look to Coach Jim Tressel. I look to my closest friends back home in Cleveland, and I also look to my teammates. Any time you can have that kind of support system around you, you can't fail. Q. I have two questions. Troy, I would like you to compare the 2002 Buckeyes with the 2007 Gators. If you see similarities there, especially in the underdog role. But for starters, Antonio, do you and Chris talk about the fact nobody has run on Florida this year? Do you like that challenge? And what are some of the strengths and weaknesses you see in Florida's defense? ANTONIO PITTMAN: On film, they haven't shown to many weaknesses. They go out there and a lot of teams haven't put any good yardage up against them except Auburn. They ran the ball very well but they also sacked the quarterback five times. As far as me and Benny go, we make it a challenge upon ourselves to go out there and get the job done. His success is my success and vice versa. TROY SMITH: I really can't make that comparison simply because I am not in the state of Florida. I don't know any of the guys on their team. I can only talk about the people that I have had an encounter with and that I know. It is incredible to me how people make assumptions along the lines of trying to get some kind of hoopla started. The 2002 team to me is totally different from the 2007, 2016 from Florida. Literally, they are in two different states. Literally they are two different teams. We have different coaches. So to me they're not the same at all. Q. The one thing for all you guys is the fact that Ohio State throughout the last four, five years has played in so many big games. I mean, the Michigan game this year was obviously massive and for many of you guys who are fifth-year you have already played a national title game and seen it in person. Where does this register in importance to you guys in terms of what it means to the program, what it means to you personally, and the fact that you have played in so many big games? Does that ease you into getting ready for a game like this? ANTONIO PITTMAN: I think playing in a game like this doesn't ease anything. I think it make it is more stressful. Like Troy was saying earlier, he is anxious about getting this game started. And I think this is probably the biggest game in all of our career. You know, a lot of us will go on and play in Super Bowls and probably for some of us this will be our last game. This is something you remember forever. Q. Troy, can you talk about the Cleveland connection with the players on your team? I talked to Teddy and Gonzo about it. You guys playing together, coming together and playing in this big game together. Is there a special bond there because you guys all came from the same roots? TROY SMITH: I try not to do that, try to say that there is something special here and not there because I think you take away from other players on the team who you have a bond with. I think as a quarterback and as a leader, you have to be able to talk and be friends before everybody. You are not going to be able to do that sometimes but the majority of the time when you can, you should take advantage of it. You know, for those out there who don't know, we have adopted a couple guys from Akron, too, Antonio Pittman and Benny Wells are now from Cleveland also. So I would like to get that out there (smiling). Q. Troy, can you talk a little bit about the challenges you had growing up and how it has molded you as a man? I recently read where you said you want to go back to the Cleveland mean streets to help the work to help out some of the kids. What's your vision for that? TROY SMITH: Growing up, I never liked to try to put a crutch on my situation because kids everywhere go through things, you know. It is going to be tough. It is going to be hard. That's life. Some of the things that you might go through might be different from mine but who is to say my struggles are deeper than yours, you know. I love my city. I love where I am from. They are not mean streets either. They are the main streets. I just want to change my city. I want to make it better for the kids coming up now because a better city, a better situation, better chances and opportunities for kids growing up. But then at the same time, if I go back into the community and I take some of the things away that made me who I am, how will they find their identity? It is a catch-22. Q. I would like to start off with Troy but like his teammates to answer this, too. Big-time college football is generating more money than it ever has. With given your pressures and time demands as students and athletes, do you think it is time that the NCAA allow players to be paid some sort of stipend beyond scholarships? TROY SMITH: I think that's a whole different world and we start a whole different kind of uproar. I think we should just talk about Florida and Ohio State. And I am going to pass that question. Doug? DOUG DATISH: You know, I am not an expert on what type of economic issues that deals with. I know what we get is sufficient enough for us to live and eat. And other than that, all we do is play football and go to class. We don't have much time to get money for anything else. But that's definitely something for the presidents and various members of the NCAA administration to decide. ANTONIO PITTMAN: I'd rather not preach on that topic (smiling). Q. I was going to ask Doug and Antonio about winning the battle in the trenches because both teams have huge offensive lines and big backs. Do you expect to be kind of a power game that way? DOUG DATISH: I don't know if it is going to be a power game. I think any time we go into a football game we preach several things and one of those things is to win the rushing battle. Any time we can do that generally we will be successful. That's a huge emphasis for us going into any game, especially this one. ANTONIO PITTMAN: I take it as a challenge. You know, my job is to go out there and work as a team. Me and Benny both take that personal. We go out there and get the job done. It makes Troy's job a lot easier, just like when he was out there passing the ball, it makes my job easier. Both ways, we try to get it done. Q. A lot of people have made the assumption that Florida has more speed than Ohio State. Are you tired of hearing that assumption? And secondly, do they actually have more speed? TROY SMITH: I guess it -- you know, it depends on what you define as speed. Don't get me wrong, they definitely have guys that can run, but the way that it has been portrayed is like, I guess, we have been winning our games by walking and jogging. It is like our guys haven't been running. Again, I think if you buy into that and feed into that hoopla, that's another added thing -- that's another pitfall, that's another trap. I think that's one of their team's upsides is their speed. In any situation, that can be countered. So with a great emphasis on game planning and our coaches and our staff doing an extremely -- you know, they are the best to me at getting us ready for the games. There is no doubt in my mind we will be ready. DOUG DATISH: Like what Troy said, I think we got some guys that can move a little bit. I haven't heard anybody not talk about Ted Ginn and how fast he is and I personally know how fast he is. He is one of the fastest people I have ever seen. I think we have tons of guys that can move and make plays. I think as you have seen over the year, we have played some pretty fast teams. Texas is pretty fast, I think. I don't think people consider them slow. I think Michigan they would also consider pretty fast. At least nationally. But we played against guys in the Big 10 that are just as fast as anybody I have seen. I think speed is relative. I think speed is as fast as you can play. And I think we have fast guys that should be able to run a little bit and do some things like we have done all year. ANTONIO PITTMAN: I think overall our team is real fast, you know. Just because we are in the Big 10 conference, and they don't expect teams to be as fast as we are. I think Florida, they're a fast team. You can't take nothing away from those guys. The SEC is a fast conference. I think that's why they get on and talk about their speed and everything. But we're all right. Q. Troy, a follow-up to your first comment. For the folks back in Ohio, describe an In-and-Out Burger, what you like about it and will it be a pregame meal? TROY SMITH: For the folks back in Ohio, they need to understand first and foremost, it is a fresh burger. The lettuce and tomatoes are extremely fresh. And they toast the buns. That's huge. That's key. They toast the buns. They use a special kind of sauce, too. It is an extremely -- the sandwich is incredible after a long night. Q. How can I follow that? Troy, in recent years, Heisman winners by the fact that the other team seems to want to prove a point have not had real good Bowl games. Does it put a target on your back in any way or are you guys too much of a team for that? TROY SMITH: I think we are too much of a team for that. I am not going into this game thinking I am the Heisman trophy winner so I have to do this. I am going into this game with the same kind of notion that I go into every game. Let's send our seniors out on a positive note. Anything and everything we can do to win this game, let's do it as a team. For everybody out there, I want them to know that I think the Heisman trophy is a team award. If my team is not undefeated, I am probably not in this kind of situation. If your team does not win the necessary games, you are definitely not in that kind of thought. And that says it all to me. But you are going to get people who are going to say, you know, he is a Heisman trophy winner so let's try to disrupt him and then we get to the Buckeyes. That's not the way you get to the Buckeyes. You have to do that teamwise. You have to do that as a team to get to us because we work as one cohesive unit. Q. For Doug and Troy, you talk about the seniors. 18 of you guys, this will be your last game. What's going through your heads as you prepare for your last game? What do you guys think you will miss the most? DOUG DATISH: I think just like Troy said, any year it is our final game, we go out there and try to send the seniors out right. Now that it is my final game, I am trying to make sure I can do everything I possibly can to make sure that happens, that we go out on a positive note and on a great note. For me personally, I am going to miss all the guys I came in here with, all the guys I have met that are still on the team. Everybody is has really done something for me or impacted me in some positive way, and I will never forget those guys. I will miss all them, all the personal relationships. TROY SMITH: It is going to be very emotional for me because this is the last time this group of guys will be together like this in a positive situation to where it is the biggest game of our careers thus far. And I think it is scary. I think it is scary for two reasons. One, because you are not promised tomorrow. Who is to say what's going to happen as soon as you leave here. And, two, I love every single one of my teammates and I won't be able to sit down in the locker room and sit next to Anthony Gonzalez again. I won't be able to go onto the field and crack jokes with Antonio Pittman. I won't be able to slap fives wearing the Ohio State colors with Doug Datish again. That's kind of scary. Q. You guys have talked about stress, anxiety, pressure because of the experience playing in this game. How do you turn all your experience into a positive on the field common? DOUG DATISH: With any big game, which we have been a part of a couple this year, any time there is stress or anything like that, you just kind of take it inside yourself and realize that's just -- it is a tremendous honor. At least that's what I do. I try to think of it as a huge honor to be able to play in one of these games. It is a privilege and an honor to make it thus far. And all the stress and everything, that's just a part of it. Whether or not how you deal with it, I think you can look to our teammates, you can looks to guys like Troy or Pitt, those guys deal with it more than anybody and they handle it better than anybody. If anybody is having trouble, they should talk to them and see how they deal with it and turn it into a positive. Q. For any of you guys over the 40-day break when you are talking to classmates or family and friend when you go home, the attitude might be it is a foregone conclusion you will win this game. What were some of the things you were wearing from classmates, family and friends that you had encountered? TROY SMITH: I stayed pretty secluded in my -- secluded in my approach to the game. I tried to steer away from people who had views or points to how we should win a game. It is incredible to me how you see some of your friends and they tell you what kind of plays you should run during the game. If you heard some of these play calls, you really would be laughing in their face. Obviously the main thing that they want is a win, and any which way they can get it, they just want to win. Q. Doug, I was wondering if you knew about the incredible number of fans that are supporting you guys on the Internet, particularly like the Facebook groups and stuff. What do you think of all the students and the student body rallying around you like that? DOUG DATISH: I can't believe the face book got mentioned on the press conference. I am personally not on the Facebook. I just want to get that out there (laughter). But I think that just shows how great our fans really are to be on the Internet and getting on various Web sites, starting Web sites, creating Web sites, doing everything they can to get the word out about the Bucks. It is a tremendous thing for us to be a part of. We feel honored and privileged to have those people around us and to have that type of support whether it is on the Web or wherever. It is a great thing. End of FastScripts |
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