Ohio State Buckeyes College Football Pregame Quote, 01/08/2025

Q. Can you talk about the challenges Texas’ defense presents?

OG DONOVAN JACKSON: They get a lot of looks. They’re very dynamic. They rotate a lot of guys, so they’re always fresh.

It’s a very competitive operation, so we are just looking forward to getting after it.

Q. From your time here, and you’ve been on many teams here, where do you think one ranks in terms of how close knit you guys are, and why do you think that is?

OG DONOVAN JACKSON: This might be the closest knit team I have been on.

Through faith and our beliefs, and also just through all the hard work. Through the ups and downs. We have had the highest of highs and we’ve been through the lowest of lows. We have been praised and spat on at the same time.

So, just being able to endure that and being able to still come out in one piece and being able to just compete every week just with your brothers is what brought this team close together.

Q. What is that like? Hearing that outside noise, but also knowing you need to stay focused, what is it like hearing that while also going to work every day and trying to get better?

OG DONOVAN JACKSON: You try to filter it out. At the end of the day, we all have problems. We are all on social media. Probably more than we should.

You have to filter out all the noise, good and bad. The bad stuff is the bad. The good stuff is like rat poison, trying to build you up to bring you back down. You just have faith in each other and our ability to be able to execute on the field.

Q. Do you think the noise has helped you get closer?

OG DONOVAN JACKSON: I can’t speak for everybody, but I know on the offensive line, yeah.

We knew that we could play better than what we presented. So having people tell us we’re trash, terrible, garbage, half of us should transfer, half of us should leave the state of Ohio. No, we know how good we are.

So, being able to have that chip on your shoulder, being able to metaphorically say “forget you” and get after is that is what we’re going for.

Q. Do you guys hang any of that stuff up in the locker room? Do you have something you do for that? Just keep it in the back of your head?

OG DONOVAN JACKSON: Just keep it back in your head.

Q. I know you don’t play against Ohio State’s defense in games, but obviously, in practice you have gone against those guys. What makes them effective with some of the stunts and twists that they run? What makes them so good at some of that stuff?

OG DONOVAN JACKSON: I would say they don’t show it. Oftentimes, speaking from someone that goes against other defenses, you can sometimes tell when they’re twisting. Guys rush differently. Guys might not look at you. When they’re not looking at you, they’re not rushing you. Our guys, they don’t show it.

Coach [Larry] Johnson and the whole defensive staff does a great job in trying to get the guys freed up in the space and put the guys in the best position to succeed.

And so, yeah, it’s very cool going against our defense. I’m glad we don’t have to go play against them because that would be awful.

Q. How fresh do you feel? Chip Kelly was talking about you played a slower pace at time and when you got to this point in the season. Do you feel fresher? Even though you have played 14 games, relatively speaking.

OG DONOVAN JACKSON: Did we play 14 games? Yeah, I mean, it’s contact football. It’s a violent sport. You are never going to feel 100%.

With our strength staff, nutrition staff, and training staff, I feel as good as I can coming into this game. So, just trying to have that mentality and just going into the game to execute at a high level.

Q. Talk about last year at the Cotton Bowl. Is it more of a business trip this time now that you have already played in the Cotton Bowl one year? You get to come in here and not have to worry about playing at the Cotton Bowl.

OG DONOVAN JACKSON: Every game is a business trip. Especially with this whole new playoff format. You can’t go out and sightsee. We are here to play football at the highest level and execute the way we know we can. I was born in the Dallas area. Texas is Texas. You got to drive 30 minutes to go somewhere.

Yeah, we’re all business right now.