Meyer gives Ohio State a 'state of the union' address after unveiling of BCS standings

10/21/2013

COLUMBUS — Ohio State coach Urban Meyer gave his team what he called a "state of the union" address after the Buckeyes were ranked fourth in the first Bowl Championship Series standings.

"My comment was that we are, indeed, in the mix," Meyer said this afternoon. "Embrace it. In the mix for what? Don't worry about it. We are in the mix, though. People think very highly of you. Maybe some people don't."

As for the state of his team heading into Saturday night’s primetime home game against Penn State, Meyer’s thoughts were mixed. He said the offense is playing at an elite level while the defense remains an Achilles’ heel.

"Very disappointed," he said after watching film of the Buckeyes’ 34-24 win over Iowa. "Can it be fixed? Absolutely. We're still a good rush defense. We've got to continue to work because we've dealt with some injuries and depth issues and we've got to play better. I’m very, very concerned."

In other news, Ohio State’s game at Purdue on Nov. 2 will kick off at noon and be televised by the Big Ten Network, the conference announced today.