Ohio State was kept out of the College Football Playoff for the second straight year, however the Buckeyes earned a bid to play in the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, Calif.
The Buckeyes are set to take on Washington, the Pac-12 champions, which defeated Utah 10-3 to win their second conference title in three seasons. Head coaches Urban Meyer and Chris Petersen joined the Rose Bowl Game teleconference Sunday and took questions from the media. What follows are their brief comments.
Meyer Notes:
- Called the Rose Bowl a “bucket list dream” to coach in.
- Said he hasn’t seen much of Washington yet. Added he watched part of the Pac-12 championship game, and will start doing film work on the Huskies on Monday morning.
- “I have always wanted to be in the Rose Bowl,” Meyer said. Added his players are embracing the opportunity to play in the “historic” game.
Petersen Notes:
- Said he first met Urban Meyer while Meyer was the Utah head coach and he was the offensive coordinator at Boise State. Added he knew right away Meyer was going to have plenty of success. “I have always been a huge fan,” he said.
- “It has been rocky. It has been tough and it has been hard,” Peterson said of Washington’s 10-3 season. The Huskies won the Pac-12 title game 10-3 over Utah.
- Praised his players for battling through a tough season that has included multiple injuries.
- “It has been a long time since this program got an opportunity to go there,” Peterson said of Washington’s excitement level of playing in the Rose Bowl.
- Said he believes the Rose Bowl carries enough weight to where both teams should be excited to play, despite not playing in the playoff.
