“Here’s an interesting storyline from a TV perspective,” Urban Meyer told our crew during a Friday afternoon production meeting.
It showed his TV savvy.
It also showed the need for his quarterback to take that next step.
Braxton Miller told me after the game he probably audibled 20 times against UAB. Saturday was the first time the OSU coaching staff had given him the liberty to change the play at the line of scrimmage. Meyer said they didn’t ask him to do that in the first three weeks, so Miller could build a “foundation” with this new offense.
“A quarterback needs to get us into the right play,” Meyer emphasized to me in the pregame. “It’s week four. It’s time.”
The first time Miller worked on this new offensive freedom was last Tuesday’s practice. “He’s not at the Peyton Manning level,” joked Offensive Coordinator Tom Herman. In fact, Miller and Herman have a comical give and take with his sometimes casual demeanor, which seems to be gradually improving. “Before (on the headset) it was me talking,” Herman said, “And Braxton saying..’Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh.’ Now he’s trying to convince you of stuff, he’s taking more ownership.”
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They said it …
Urban Meyer Friday on emphasizing tackling: “It sounds silly for a football team. It’s like saying brushing your teeth in the morning is important.”
Meyer on Carlos Hyde being a better teammate, even when injured: “He’s a ‘real’ guy. What I mean by that, is he is becoming a real teammate.”
Tom Herman on Hyde: “He used to be an energy vampire.”
Corey Brown on Meyer’s reference to receiving corp as “clown show” back in spring: “We laugh about it now. We just went back and watched film from the first day of spring practice. It’s amazing our progress. We’re not satisfied now.”
Momma’s Boy:
Speaking of Corey Brown. The wide receiver said his mother, Delene Williams, makes the eight-hour drive to Columbus for every home game. He admits she has never flown in her life, and if OSU went to the Rose Bowl next season: “She will drive,” he says laughing.
The criminology major says he wants to be an FBI agent when he grows up, but he let out a secret Friday: “I watch DeSean Jackson highlight videos before games instead of music.” He says he likes Jackson’s speed. So Brown fires up the YouTube in pregame.
I didn’t argue. Jackson has won me some fantasy games.
