Penn State – Ohio: Notes from the Bill O’Brien post-game press conference

Not a whole lot was said by Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien following yesterday’s loss to Ohio. Here are the few notables:

“We gotta coach a lot better…get back to practice on Monday… gotta review film tomorrow…”

“Gotta do better offensively, get our defense off the field. Defense has to make stops. We all have to coach better and it starts with me- I gotta coach better.”

When asked if Ohio did something that caught him of guard: “Nothing surprised me. We have to do a lot better. We have to coach better.”

About the attendance: “I thought it was a good atmosphere and a good crowd. We want em to keep coming and we appreciate their support.”

Referring to running out on the field: “I was excited to be with these kids. I have a really special bond with these players and I was excited to lead them out on the field…I just wish I had done a better job during the game.”

Then a gentleman stoop up without a microphone and said/asked this…

“Bill, this may be a difficult question but…you knew Joe and Joe’s not here anymore… How do you think Joe would have felt about the way that the kids performed and gutted it out, going out on the field today?”
Seriously.
O’Brien’s response: “I have no idea.”

About Hodges returning kicks: “He had a lot of time back there and he’s an excellent player and we gave him a lot of work back there. We have 4-5 guys who have had a lot of work back there and we chose to go with 2-3 guys today…that’s what we chose to do.”

“We can’t turn the ball over-we stressed that. We gotta coach it better and make sure the kids have a great understanding that they can’t turn the ball over.”

“I just told em in the locker room that it’s a long season and that’s one game. We gotta learn from our mistakes and we can still be a good football team. I told them the number one priority is that I’m gonna come to work tomorrow and do a better job for them.”

Did OB sense a lack of manpower today and will that be a deterrent going forward? “No.”

On Matt McGloin: “I think he made some plays. He’s made a lot of strides and I’m going to do a better job for him.”

Have expectations changed for the season and the team after the loss? “No.”

“Ohio is a very, very good football team; a veteran team, coached by an excellent head coach and they beat us. We lost to the better team today.”

Asked if he had any trepidation about where this team could go if improvements aren’t made before the conference schedule: “I don’t have any trepidation.”

With the 14 point lead, was there a dropoff on the sidelines? “No.”

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