CHICAGO — The press conferences get all of the television coverage and attention and you can watch Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer's entire 15-minute segment at the podium at Big Ten Media Days here.
But a lot of the interesting information comes from a coach's breakout interview session. They're an hour long and, for the most part, a bit more subdued than the regular press conference.
A portion of Meyer's interview from Tuesday at Big Ten Media Days is posted in the video above, but here are five additional takeaways from the hour he answered questions.
- Ohio State redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Dylan Thompson is academically ineligible for the 2016 season, Meyer said. Thompson has missed the better part of his first two years due to knee injuries.
- Meyer again confirmed offensive coordinator Ed Warinner will remain in the press box alongside quarterbacks coach Tim Beck. Warinner and Meyer will be the primary play play-callers, while Beck will be "heavily involved," according to Meyer.
- Meyer wouldn't confirm any additional players solidified themselves as starters throughout the summer. He said Isaiah Prince is the favorite at right tackle and there are several players in the secondary — Damon Webb, Marshon Lattimore, Denzel Ward, Cam Burrows, Erick Smith, etc. — who are in a "dogfight" to earn a starting job.
- On the injury front, everybody seems to be full-go according to Meyer. Noah Brown, Nick Bosa, Tyquan Lewis, Erick Smith, Corey Smith, Nick Conner, Justin Hilliard and Marshon Lattimore were all players Meyer was specifically asked about and he said all are ready to go.
- Meyer essentially squashed the recruiting "beef" with Penn State head coach James Franklin. Meyer said it was a "non-story" and that he'd "like to meet the guy who wrote the story because there was no story."
