Three of Ohio State’s most important players and leaders joined the Big Ten Championship Game teleconference Monday afternoon to preview the upcoming matchup against Northwestern.
Dwayne Haskins, Terry McLaurin and Dre’Mont Jones all made 10-minute appearances on the teleconference and what follows are the main takeaways from their time on the call.
Dwayne Haskins
- Said he sees a lot of zone coverage from Northwestern’s defense on film and added they are very disciplined.
- Said he has improved his leadership skills throughout every game and has earned the trust of his players and coaches each week.
- Praised Ryan Day, Urban Meyer and Kevin Wilson for adapting the offense to his pass-first skill set.
- As a leader, Haskins said watching film is as important as anything this week to make sure he is the most prepared player on offense.
- Said he is more excited to prepare for the Big Ten title game and isn’t focused on the fact that he is a finalist for many postseason awards. “I probably won’t think about records and awards until after the season.”
Terry McLaurin
- Said he feels as though Ohio State is coming off its best game of the season heading into the Big Ten title game.
- Said he is thrilled to see Haskins’ development as a leader. Added he always knew the physical talent was there, but the leadership skills have developed throughout the year.
- Said Ryan Day was preaching aggressiveness on offense all week leading into the Michigan game.
- “We have to focus on our next mission. As soon as we walked through the door, it was on to next week,” McLaurin said about moving on from the Michigan win.
- Said his job as a fifth-year senior is to make sure there isn’t a letdown. “Motivation won’t be a problem because there is a Big Ten championship on the line.”
- Said his family will be in attendance for the game in Indianapolis. McLaurin grew up 15 minutes from downtown Indianapolis.
- “We have heard it all, but we just try to focus on getting better each week,” McLaurin said of the way Ohio State is viewed through the eyes of the College Football Playoff selection committee.
- “We love Lucas Oil Stadium. It’s a fast field and we hope to use our speed to our advantage,” he said about playing indoors.
Dre’Mont Jones
- “I am ready to take on that challenge,” Jones said of being a leader in a big game.
- After the win, Jones said Ohio State feels as though it proved something on a national level. Added getting another win is important to build on that. “We have to be very stout in what we do.”
- Said his main focus this season after coming back to Ohio State was to win a Big Ten championship and get back to the playoff.
- “We have to prove to everyone that we can dominate, and we did a good job of that Saturday.”
