[No MGoQuestions because of Thanksgiving and ennui. Audio for the following transcription is courtesy of Chantel Jennings.]

Opening remarks:

“As far as last game, I was disappointed that we gave up that lead. That’s not what our defense tries to do. No matter what happens, we have to hold onto it. But moving forward, we’ve got to get this one.”

What kind of challenges does Braxton Miller give you?

“Braxton Miller is a great football player. I am very very impressed with his development. He’s becoming a complete quarterback. He’s not only a tremendous athlete but he’s got a very good arm and he’s making a lot of great decisions. I mean, he’s going to be a great challenge. That’s why they are who they are. He’s really done a great job.”

Is he the most complete quarterback you’ve played?

“Yeah. No question. He’s by far the most complete quarterback that we’ll face this year.”

How much does it help him and tougher for you that they have a good running back like Carlos Hyde?

“Well he, the back – I believe the running back is the best running back in the league. He’s a downhill, hardnosed running back that can catch the ball and do it all. They’ve got the quarterback and they’ve got a running back, and that’s a pretty good start. They’re both playing at a very high level.”

Have people still been trying to make Miller beat them with his arm?

“Well the thing is he’s such a great athlete that when you try to pressure him, you’ve got to make sure you have every base covered. When he does break, or when he does beat a guy with his athleticism, a lot of times with the pressures, you’re running with wide receivers and there’s a pretty big field open, and you see that when you’re watching film. The breakdowns time and time again where you think he’s sacked and all of a sudden he’s running for 30, 40 yards.”

How did Ben Gedeon play last game?

“I was really really impressed with Ben Gedeon. We played most of that second half with Joe [Bolden] and Ben, and that’s Ben’s first real okay-you’re-in-there-every-play. He showed up in that game like the guy we know we have here. I think you’re going to see some really good things from him. And Joe Bolden, it’s like we’ve talked before here in this group. Joe Bolden was forced to play every snap, and that’s hard for a young linebacker like that to go every snap, but he got us lined up and he did the things a linebacker has to do as far as making sure – when you lose the two guys that have really carried the bulk of our linebacking crew and those two went in there and did a pretty good job, that spoke a lot about that.

“Ben Gedeon’s a tough kid, now. The stage isn’t too big for him. One thing he is, he’s a very tough young man that also is tremendously intelligent. And that’s what we saw when we recruited him. He comes from an incredible family. A doctor, one’s a captain at Harvard, one’s at the Naval Academy. That’s a great line there. I was impressed with Ben.”

What is it like when the fanbase turns against the coaching staff?

“I don’t hear it. I don’t hear it. I got here at 5:30 this morning. I left last night at 11:30. I’ve been coaching a long, long time. If I worried about what people thought, there’s only one person that matters, and that’s the head football coach. And that’s why I’m here. You do this long enough, somebody’s always going to wonder and somebody’s always going to talk about hey, this guy. I don’t hear it -- I wish I had time to hear it, to be honest with you. Every ounce of our time and effort is to see if we can play our best football game on Saturday.”

Are you seeing the best from Jake Ryan so far this season?

“Jake Ryan? No. Jake Ryan knows that his best may never come because I think he’s so talented. I’m kidding when I say that. Jake Ryan is starting to feel a lot more comfortable. You can see that. Jake Ryan looks more and more like Jake Ryan. I’m so proud of him and so happy with how hard he’s playing and how hard he’s preparing. He’s been a great leader for us. And Cam [Gordon] is doing a good job, also. Those two guys are complementing each other and I’ve been very very pleased with him.”

When you know the offense is struggling, what is it like in the meeting room? Do you tell your guys they have to do more?

“No. I’m telling them that they have to be a Michigan defense, and a Michigan defense does whatever it has to do to win. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if we start on the one-yard line coming out or you start on the 40-yard line coming in. If you’re a Michigan defense, you relish that. You go out and you want to play to that. No. All we’re trying to do is become as good as we can be and try to get 60 minutes. Try to go every play, not just three quarters and so many minutes. That’s where we haven’t – it doesn’t matter the circumstance. That’s what we haven’t done is to be able to go a complete ball game. To go all the way. It doesn’t matter if you have 75 snaps or 50 snaps. You know, you’ve got to step up and do what you’re supposed to do, and that’s be a defensive player that keeps them out of the end zone.”

Do you ignore the talk from people predicting an easy Ohio State win, or do allow that to feed into your guys this week?

“I don’t usually talk to the guys about what people say. They are here at Michigan. They know about this rivalry. I’ve had the great fortune of being here. I think one year we were maybe 6-5 or 7-5 and they were undefeated and we beat them here. The next year we were 8-3 and they were undefeated, and we beat them there. That game, it’s just about executing and playing Michigan football.”

That was ‘95 and ‘96?

“I think ‘93, ‘95? That year they came with all the award winners. The Biletnikoff, the Outland, and they had a Heisman. I think they had roses in their mouths when they got here. I’m not sure.”

Do you remember the feelings from those weeks? Does that translate to these guys?

“No, and it didn’t translate to that group before the game either back then. It’s just that what Michigan football is about, and that’s the Michigan-Ohio game. That’s what it is. That’s what makes this such a great conference and makes this such a great rivalry.”

The Ohio State offensive line is also one of the better groups you’ve seen?

“They’ve a good offensive line. You don’t score all the points and do the things they do – Hyde is tremendous, Braxton is tremendous, and they’ve got great wide receivers. They have an outstanding football team.”