“We’re all professionals, and he’s the ultimate professional,” Meyer said Tuesday. “I’m very proud of DJ, and I see what are the trademarks of our program. They play hard, and guys give it everything they can.”
Durkin was the defensive coordinator at Michigan before being hired by Maryland. He’s 5-4 in his first season and 2-4 in the Big Ten. Ohio State (8-1, 5-1) is a 29-point favorite.
Durkin played at Bowling Green and was still working toward his degree after his football career ended when he interviewed with Meyer and got his first coaching job. Looking back, he says he didn’t realize how fortunate he was.
“It was a very valuable experience,” Durkin said. “It was obviously my first experience as a coach. It was hard work. It was very enjoyable. I learned a lot from it. A lot of things I learned back then are still a major part of my philosophy today.”
Close to record: Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett has been responsible for 94 touchdowns (passing and rushing) in his career. He's one short of tying former Purdue quarterback Drew Brees for the Big Ten record.
Meyer sees similarities between Barrett and Brees. Barrett had 66 passing touchdowns and 28 rushing touchdowns. Brees threw 81 touchdown passes and rushed for 14 scores.
“I study Drew Brees,” Meyer said. “I think he’s fantastic. He’s competitive. I was at Notre Dame when we lost to Purdue and Drew Brees when Joe Tiller was the coach. He was a phenomenal player. They hurt us with the bubble screens.”
Friday night schedule: Ohio State will not be one of the Big Ten teams playing a Friday night game next season. The conference released the schedule Tuesday.
There are two games Sept. 1: Washington at Rutgers; and Utah State at Wisconsin. Ohio plays at Purdue on Sept. 8. Illinois hosts Nebraska on Sept. 29. Maryland hosts Northwestern on Oct. 13. Northwestern plays at Michigan State on Oct. 27.
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