[Bryan Fuller]

MGoQuestion: This is one of the faster teams you’ll play this year. How do you counter that tempo defensively?

“Do you mean tempo meaning speed between plays or do you mean the team speed?”

MGoClarification: Speed between plays.

“Um, again, we’ve been seeing it on a week-to-week basis. Several teams we play run the spread or some kind of form of the spread. Ohio State does a little bit more with the power game, but, you know, you just gotta go ahead and get your calls in, get your guys lined up, and make sure you’re ready to go.

“To be quite honest, I think Indiana’s really fast. I mean, I felt that the other night, and I thought for the most part, expect for three snaps, we got our feet in the ground, all 11 ready to go. Feel good about to this point our preparation against spread offenses. We minimized our last spread outfit to 64 yards rushing, which is an important stat, especially when they’re in the 200s coming in. Felt like—feel like we’re in a good spot getting ready to go for this week.”

How tough is it specifically to deal with JT Barrett?

“He’s a good player. Does a good job. You’re gonna have to challenge your entire unit to stop him because when you’ve got an athlete at quarterback, you’ve got to chase an athlete with a bunch of athletes, so that becomes an important piece of this thing. You can’t just rely on the front four. You have to involve everybody in the process, whether it’s run fits or finding ways to be creative in rushing the passer on throw scenarios.”

[After THE JUMP: never, ever tease Don Brown about playing press man]

Jabrill said yesterday that after some of the tape on his own he felt like one of the ways to stop Ohio State’s offense was to be very physical with them. Is that something that you’ve seen as well?

“You know, obviously that’s our mantra, so one of the things we’re constantly trying to do is stop the run, be physical about it, and knock the line of scrimmage back. Doesn’t surprise me that he takes great pride in our ability to be physical with people, for sure.”

Don’t expect you to give away the plan, but Curtis—

“Right. If I did give away the plan—”

You’d have to kill us.

“I got to take you all out! You’re not leaving the building!”

When you watch Curtis Samuel and all the things they do with him, multiple challenges I would assume he presents. How do you absorb all that?

“Well, he’s an athlete, so you got to chase athletes with athletes. That’s an important piece, so you got to make sure in your system that you have that opportunity to do so. That’s really what it comes down to.”

Do you promise to take out Nick?

“Nah, he’s a good guy. We’ll let him hang.”

How soon after you agreed to come here did you start taking a look at Ohio State film?

“Pretty soon. Yeah, it was pretty early in the process. It’s one of those scenarios where you know that it’s an important game on the calendar, so you know you gotta have a feel of things you want to do.

“I also think we’re really working on developing our own identity during the process. It seems like yesterday we were standing here after the Colorado game and we were still trying to piece things together. There’s been a lot of water over the bridge since then in the development of all the intentions, all the emphasis placed on getting us straight. But at the same time, as a coach you’re always conscious of all 12 opponents that you’re playing during the course of a year.”

You said before I think it was Michigan State week that you could tell it was Michigan State week, that you could tell there was something different. Can you feel that this week, too?

“Oh yeah. Oh yeah, I can feel it. A sense of anticipation. I know our guys are getting excited in getting ready. Focus is razor sharp, so there’s a lot of things there that you need to pay attention to.”

The emphasis on what your secondary can do and do they have to be more mindful of a quarterback that can break out of there?

“Obviously those guys got a tough job; they got to cover those guys. Some people have jobs in that scenario where they’re responsible to cover areas of the field at certain times and obviously the quarterback is part of that job description. So, I mean, yeah, in that respect, if they have that kind of a job they got to pay attention to the guy. Especially when they spread you out and try to get everybody out of the box, there’s those scenarios where we’re kind of counting on that guy being a run fitter in certain deals. That’s kind of a calming threat and sometimes easier said than done, but I’m really happy with the way our secondary’s played during the course of the year.

“Somebody teased me about it, but the reality is we play [takes two stomps forward, crouches, and is suddenly about three inches away in press man on me] right here a lot of the time! And sometimes we’re in a zone coverage where if they give you the right look you can go ahead and play that kind of technique.

“The nice thing on that, then the emphasis becomes teaching techniques and fundamentals and you’re not dealing with the ‘Oh, they’re running the switch routes and they’re running the jet out.’ I mean, they’re way out, these offensive coordinators, with all the different pass routes. It’s nice when you can just cover the guys. That’s a big piece of what we do. We’re going to challenge the throw, we’re going to make it difficult. I’m sure they’ve been watching 11 weeks of film, and that’s what we do.”