Ohio State Buckeyes College Football Pregame Quote, 12/27/2023

Q. Brian [Hartline] mentioned everything that you’ve gone through, your journey, especially the injury, shapes your future. How has that last year shaped the bowl game?

QB DEVIN BROWN: Those two injuries set me back. The one in the spring, I was worried about that but always felt prety posi.ve about that. Like Coach Hart (Brian Hartline) said, it shaped me now and who I’m going to be this week.

Q. In what ways does that help you as you play this game and go through the next offseason?

QB DEVIN BROWN: I think it builds con.dence knowing I’ve been through a lot and there’s a lot of ups and downs.

Q. You haven’t wasted a day in this process, even when you weren’t starting quarterback. What does that look like day-to-day?

QB DEVIN BROWN: Every day since week one, Indiana, it’s been the same. Whether it’s with Coach [Todd] Fitch, Coach [Corey] Dennis, Tristan [Gebbia] ge.ng in there, watching as much tape as I can, it’s a litle di.erent not being the starter being around those guys and preparing like that. This month has changed where I’m the guy and guys are star.ng to be around me more and I’m trying to bring them in with me.

Q. You could have never predicted that, you know, from August to today. What are your thoughts about all this experience in the last few months?

QB DEVIN BROWN: College football is wild. You cannot predict anything, that’s for sure. But I’m just super excited, and I can’t wait.

Q. You’ve just played in the five games. Is there a rhythm now that you have that maybe you couldn’t establish because you hadn’t played enough?

QB DEVIN BROWN: Yeah, de.nitely. Not being the starter, you don’t get all the reps you would like to. Especially with the ones, the connec.on with the guys you would like to. Having this whole month has been good for me.

Q. Were you beginning to feel like that at Purdue?

QB DEVIN BROWN: Like a rhythm of building a rapport with those guys? Yeah.

Q. And just confident in your own ability to run the show?

QB DEVIN BROWN: Yeah. I mean, really a.er that Purdue game, going into it, I didn’t know I would have been used that much. But it was great. I felt con.dent the whole .me in there. Once I got hit a litle bit and banged around, all right, I’m here, I can do this. This is why I’m here.

Q. What do you think you’ll be feeling Friday night? You’ve been waiting a long time for this big stage. Will it be more nerves, excitement? What do you think it will be?

QB DEVIN BROWN: I’m just so pumped to get out there and play. Even my family has asked me, “Why are you not nervous?” I had my family, back when I was in Arizona for the three days we had, I really don’t feel anything. I’ve been playing tackle football since I was seven years old. It’s just a bigger stage. Same game.

Q. What have you seen from Carnell Tate?

QB DEVIN BROWN: He’s an incredible player. He stepped up as a freshman and has done incredible things. He’s super talented and been able to learn from Marv [Harrison Jr.] and Emeka [Egbuka] and X (Xavier Johnson) and he’s ready to go.

Q. Will you miss Marv [Harrison Jr.]? Coach said he doesn’t need to have practice. Who says he’s not playing?

QB DEVIN BROWN: We’ll see.

(Laughter.)

Q. Devin, when we talked to you in Columbus, you wanted to find a level of consistency that maybe held you back in August. When you say that, is that accuracy, consistency throwing the ball? What does consistency mean for you, and have you found it?

QB DEVIN BROWN: I think it’s everything and .nding a rhythm. Some.mes when you’re not ge.ng all the reps and trying to go in there and impress because you only have a certain amount of plays and you’re stressing about that, having a month of no stress, knowing I can go out and play free and try to build with all these guys individually and I think I’ve just stepped up my game and it’s goten a lot beter.

Q. In the past C.J. [Hicks] said, practice is to make some mistakes, figure out what you can and can’t get away with. Is that mindset different now that you know you can make those mistakes and not get pulled out of the game?

QB DEVIN BROWN: There’s de.nitely those kind of thoughts. It’s never like I would try to force that because maybe I should try it out. I feel like I’ve just been playing smart football.

Q. In terms of turnovers have been a bit of an issue, I guess, in the past. How much better do you think you are with that aspect of the game?

QB DEVIN BROWN: A lot beter. I think this whole month has been really good for me. And like I said, it’s been a great month. I really have felt like I’ve improved and my game has changed.

Q. Devin, Kyle [McCord], when he got named the starter, he said there was a different feeling to being QB1. What’s that different feel for you?

QB DEVIN BROWN: I think there’s a relaxing feeling, knowing you’re not worried about the guy behind you. You can play football. If I do something wrong, this guy is going to go and play ahead of me. But now I’m just out there playing free, playing the game how I want to.

Q. Like you said, your family is asking why you aren’t nervous. Does that take the nerves out of this?

QB DEVIN BROWN: De.nitely.

Q. Number 33 because of Sammy Baugh, right?

QB DEVIN BROWN: Yes, sir.

Q. He played in this area quite a bit. What do you make of this? This is where you’re going to make your first start.

QB DEVIN BROWN: He actually played in the .rst Coton Bowl [Goodyear Coton Bowl Classic] and was M.V.P. of the .rst Coton Bowl. What an experience for me and prety cool story to go along with that.

Q. Devin, what have you liked about Texas so far?

QB DEVIN BROWN: It’s been good. We haven’t been able to do much. Yesterday we got cowboy hats and stu.. Trying to get the Texas southern feel a litle bit.

Q. When you first found out, or I guess realized, you were going to be the starter, did you get in front of the team, send out a text message? Anything you said to your teammates, kind of rally them around you and were you confident you had that trust?

QB DEVIN BROWN: I knew I had the trust from those guys. I feel like they trusted me from the beginning. They trust who the coaches are going to believe and that’s something I came to the guys on the .eld, during prac.ce, or even workouts before we started prac.ce up again and trying to vocalize myself in front of them so they know who is going to lead them.

Q. From those of us from Texas, how do you know Sammy Baugh?

QB DEVIN BROWN: Started with my dad. I started playing quarterback when I was eight years old, was the .rst year I started playing. I had started wearing 33 and my dad kind of told me the story about that. That whole thing just kept building and building through high school.

Q. You have a lot of respect for Mizzou, even outside and watching them on field, what have you seen?

QB DEVIN BROWN: A lot of great players. They’re well-coached, a lot of skill, a lot of talent all over the .eld. They’ll be a top ten defense.

Q. I know you have charisma, top leader, but it has to be hard to be in a quarterback battle and to get the team to rally. How different is it now that you are the guy and that natural charisma, leadership is able to naturally, organically develop? Have you seen that and is the team rallying around you?

QB DEVIN BROWN: It’s been completely different from a couple weeks ago to now. I feel like everybody trusted me, everybody believes in me. And I feel like guys have felt my energy at practice and felt my leadership around them and they’re very confident in me.