Ohio State junior wide receiver Austin Mack (11) catches a pass from Dwayne Haskins in the third quarter of the Ohio State-Oregon State game on Sept. 1. Ohio State won 77-31. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Photo Editor
On Tuesday’s Big Ten Teleconference, in the first time head coach Urban Meyer has talked since Ohio State’s 49-20 loss to Purdue, he was asked various questions on the state of his team, what needs to be changed and how the team is going to do it.
Meyer mostly moved past those questions without answering, saying these issues are the team’s “focus for the next two weeks” and that the bye week is “an opportunity to evaluate some schemes” for the Buckeyes moving forward.
“That’s glaringly obvious what the issues are,” Meyer said. “To pinpoint the issue in a 20-second … you can’t do that it’s more complicated than that.”
Meyer also said fixing the running game will be a major focus in the next two weeks.
Ohio State finished with fewer than 100 yards for the second straight game in the loss to the Boilermakers.
“We spent at least 12 hours on that yesterday … that’s a focus for the next two weeks,” Meyer said. “Our backs gonna have to run through some tackles more aggressively … that’s something that has to happen.”
Injury update on Austin Mack
Junior wide receiver Austin Mack left the Purdue game on a cart with a foot injury, and it was announced on Tuesday that he will be out indefinitely after having surgery on Monday.
Mack has 26 catches for 331 yards and a touchdown this season. Meyer said there is a chance Mack returns to the Buckeyes later this year.
“That’s a big loss, he had surgery yesterday, we dont know, theres a chance he’ll be back for the bowl game,” Meyer said.
No time for scheme change
Following the defeat to Purdue, many have looked to the members of Meyer’s coaching staff to blame for the issues on both sides of the ball.
Meyer said there is no time to make major changes in the playbook eight weeks into the year.
“You can’t really have any scheme conversation during the year, during the season,” Meyer said. “This gives us a chance to evaluate.”
Meyer also said that there’s no tension between members of the coaching staff after the loss, more that this was a wake-up call.
“There’s zero tension there,” Meyer said. “I mean there’s things that need to be fixed I wouldn’t call that tension … no theres no tension, there’s urgency.”
