Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer isn’t ready to allow his players to talk about the possibility of an undefeated 2012 season – when he hears of it, he squelches it. Still, his affection for the current group of Buckeyes became even more evident during Tuesday’s Big Ten teleconference.
Meyer on perfect season
OSU has suffered plenty of injuries this season and, at times, has ailed from poor defensive play as well. With 75 percent of the season completed, the Buckeyes have not suffered a loss, though.
“It’s an incredible group of players that find ways to step up,” Meyer said.
He said, however, that there have been no discussions about a perfect season within the walls of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
“If I hear the players say that, I try to interrupt it,” Meyer said. “We are trying to get to this bye weekend and beat Illinois. There’s no conversation.”
Miller’s Heisman candidacy
While Meyer said that sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller was a Heisman candidate during his weekly press conference on Monday, he made clear that the sophomore quarterback still has a long way to go to become an elite quarterback.
“Fundamentally, he gets so tied up in a knot,” Meyer said. “We have to settle him down and work harder at developing his fundamentals.”
Miller struggled early in the Buckeyes’ victory against Penn State and completed less than half of his passes. And although he is among the nation’s best as a runner, Meyer said that Miller has so much room to grow as a passer that there is no ceiling to how good he can be.
“You’re not seeing anything close to what the final product better be, because he can be a fine passer,” Meyer said.
The Buckeyes will continue Big Ten Conference play Saturday at Ohio Stadium against Illinois. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
