What They're Saying: Ohio State week
Offense prepares for speedy and aggressive Ohio State defense
"Obviously Ohio State is who they are. They're an extremely talented football team in all three phases. defensively. When we were playing against Michigan, their front seven is probably one of, if not the, best in the country so they have a lot of talent and a lot of experience, so going up against (the Buckeyes) is going to be a great challenge for us. Then in the secondary they have some athletes who can make big plays for them. They play with tremendous speed in that secondary, which is going to be a challenge for us as well, and we're excited for that." -- senior TE Mike Gesicki
"I feel like they're going to be aggressive. Every defense we have played this year, we have gotten a whole lot of blitzes, and they try to disrupt our option, our RPOs. I feel like every game we played so far we have gotten a lot of pressure. and that's what I'm expecting from them." -- sophomore OT Ryan Bates
QB J.T. Barrett a familiar foe for PSU secondary
"I think that he's a great leader. He's obviously one their top quarterbacks and leaders on the team and he's a very mature guy. He's going to give everything he has every single play and we understand that he's a running quarterback, we have to keep him contained and he's feeling confident right now in his passing game and running game. I think he's only thrown one interception. So we need to be able to cause turnovers and kind of get him on his heels a little bit." -- senior CB Grant Haley
"He’s a really great player that I’ve played against. He’s very experienced. He knows what he’s doing back there. He’s a leader, so I’d say that I’m pretty sure he is playing definitely to the best of his best of his ability this season. That’s good for him." -- senior safety Marcus Allen
Previous experiences, including victory at Iowa, give PSU confidence
"It gives us confidence. It shows us that we can just come out and put plays together and get the win, when we just put our minds to it honestly. We can make big things happen. We just have to come together and make it happen. We can do it. We just have to keep proving it to ourselves." -- sophomore WR Juwan Johnson
"Every practice we have these giant speakers outside on the practice fields and we blast music with them to help us prepare for away games. I think that us playing Iowa this year at Iowa they had the 'stripe out' and it was a night game and it was loud. I couldn't hear myself think let alone hear Trace make some calls. Honestly, I think that if we could play the way we played versus Iowa in that environment, I think we can play anywhere." -- Bates
PSU's team chemistry a major difference between now and 4 years ago
"There has been great recruiting and we've been getting a lot of great guys and great personalities in the locker room. It's definitely the locker room. When I first got here I mean it wasn't (toxic); it just want as close as it is now. I know back in the day it wasn't like you could go talk to the older guys as much as they do now. Everybody is just at the same level, so it's great to see that type of bond, that type of chemistry that we have on the team." -- senior DT Curtis Cothran
"From my freshman there were a bunch of guys who had played for different coaches and different staffs. Now we've all been here with Coach Franklin for several years, for four years, so especially for the young guys this is all they know. All they know is Coach Franklin and what he's preaching to us each and every single day, so that's a consistent message for those guys. Now we have a full 120 guys bought in to what Coach Franklin is preaching to us everyday and we all trust him and what he's coaching us and what the other coaches are coaching us. When you have that many guys who are committed and bought in to the overall message that the head coach is giving to us each and every day, there is no divide. There is no me before we. It's all team. I think that's a huge reason why we have great team chemistry. I think that's a reason why we've had the success that we've had over the past two seasons." -- Gesicki
"I think that we're definitely having more fun. Obviously winning is fun, so when we go out there we're just happy to be around each other. I think that this group, this team and this group of guys they really do love each other on and off the field. I think that's special. It starts in the locker room and we have a great time on and off the field. So I think that the locker room translates to the field as well." -- Haley
Ohio State WR Parris Campbell a focal point for Haley
"He's a fast guy with the ball in his hands. I was looking at him, and he ran track in high school, ran a 10.7 in the hundred. He's playing with confidence and they're going to get the ball to him any way possible. A lot of bubble screens, a lot of crossing routes, any way to get the ball in his hands so he can make plays. He's athletic and he has a lot of confidence right now, and confidence is one of those things that, as you keep making more plays, you just keep rising and rising. So it's going to be a good challenge for me and for our defense. I think one the best things about our defense is we're up for any challenge and up for this opponent this week." -- Haley
Gesicki relives leaping TD celebration over McSorley, forecasts another
"Obviously I was pretty excited. I just made a third-down catch right before that and then Trace took it in for the touchdown. It was a big touchdown for us before the half, so I was initially running over to give him a good ol' chest bump, with Trace. He didn't look at me so I had to improvise a little bit, jump over top. Obviously everybody is talking about it and all that kind of stuff but it was just funny and exciting. But now that me and Trace are on the same page you might see it again so keep on the lookout." -- Gesicki
Offense prepares for speedy and aggressive Ohio State defense
"Obviously Ohio State is who they are. They're an extremely talented football team in all three phases. defensively. When we were playing against Michigan, their front seven is probably one of, if not the, best in the country so they have a lot of talent and a lot of experience, so going up against (the Buckeyes) is going to be a great challenge for us. Then in the secondary they have some athletes who can make big plays for them. They play with tremendous speed in that secondary, which is going to be a challenge for us as well, and we're excited for that." -- senior TE Mike Gesicki
"I feel like they're going to be aggressive. Every defense we have played this year, we have gotten a whole lot of blitzes, and they try to disrupt our option, our RPOs. I feel like every game we played so far we have gotten a lot of pressure. and that's what I'm expecting from them." -- sophomore OT Ryan Bates
QB J.T. Barrett a familiar foe for PSU secondary
"I think that he's a great leader. He's obviously one their top quarterbacks and leaders on the team and he's a very mature guy. He's going to give everything he has every single play and we understand that he's a running quarterback, we have to keep him contained and he's feeling confident right now in his passing game and running game. I think he's only thrown one interception. So we need to be able to cause turnovers and kind of get him on his heels a little bit." -- senior CB Grant Haley
"He’s a really great player that I’ve played against. He’s very experienced. He knows what he’s doing back there. He’s a leader, so I’d say that I’m pretty sure he is playing definitely to the best of his best of his ability this season. That’s good for him." -- senior safety Marcus Allen
Previous experiences, including victory at Iowa, give PSU confidence
"It gives us confidence. It shows us that we can just come out and put plays together and get the win, when we just put our minds to it honestly. We can make big things happen. We just have to come together and make it happen. We can do it. We just have to keep proving it to ourselves." -- sophomore WR Juwan Johnson
"Every practice we have these giant speakers outside on the practice fields and we blast music with them to help us prepare for away games. I think that us playing Iowa this year at Iowa they had the 'stripe out' and it was a night game and it was loud. I couldn't hear myself think let alone hear Trace make some calls. Honestly, I think that if we could play the way we played versus Iowa in that environment, I think we can play anywhere." -- Bates
PSU's team chemistry a major difference between now and 4 years ago
"There has been great recruiting and we've been getting a lot of great guys and great personalities in the locker room. It's definitely the locker room. When I first got here I mean it wasn't (toxic); it just want as close as it is now. I know back in the day it wasn't like you could go talk to the older guys as much as they do now. Everybody is just at the same level, so it's great to see that type of bond, that type of chemistry that we have on the team." -- senior DT Curtis Cothran
"From my freshman there were a bunch of guys who had played for different coaches and different staffs. Now we've all been here with Coach Franklin for several years, for four years, so especially for the young guys this is all they know. All they know is Coach Franklin and what he's preaching to us each and every single day, so that's a consistent message for those guys. Now we have a full 120 guys bought in to what Coach Franklin is preaching to us everyday and we all trust him and what he's coaching us and what the other coaches are coaching us. When you have that many guys who are committed and bought in to the overall message that the head coach is giving to us each and every day, there is no divide. There is no me before we. It's all team. I think that's a huge reason why we have great team chemistry. I think that's a reason why we've had the success that we've had over the past two seasons." -- Gesicki
"I think that we're definitely having more fun. Obviously winning is fun, so when we go out there we're just happy to be around each other. I think that this group, this team and this group of guys they really do love each other on and off the field. I think that's special. It starts in the locker room and we have a great time on and off the field. So I think that the locker room translates to the field as well." -- Haley
Ohio State WR Parris Campbell a focal point for Haley
"He's a fast guy with the ball in his hands. I was looking at him, and he ran track in high school, ran a 10.7 in the hundred. He's playing with confidence and they're going to get the ball to him any way possible. A lot of bubble screens, a lot of crossing routes, any way to get the ball in his hands so he can make plays. He's athletic and he has a lot of confidence right now, and confidence is one of those things that, as you keep making more plays, you just keep rising and rising. So it's going to be a good challenge for me and for our defense. I think one the best things about our defense is we're up for any challenge and up for this opponent this week." -- Haley
Gesicki relives leaping TD celebration over McSorley, forecasts another
"Obviously I was pretty excited. I just made a third-down catch right before that and then Trace took it in for the touchdown. It was a big touchdown for us before the half, so I was initially running over to give him a good ol' chest bump, with Trace. He didn't look at me so I had to improvise a little bit, jump over top. Obviously everybody is talking about it and all that kind of stuff but it was just funny and exciting. But now that me and Trace are on the same page you might see it again so keep on the lookout." -- Gesicki
