Brandon Presser is back!

Well, as we head into our contest with the #6 ranked Boston College Eagles, Coach Brandon met with the media. Frankly, you don't get the same pleasure inserting wiseass commentary when the team is winning, but if I think of anything it will be in orange.

Note: Coming up later, I am guest blogging with a BC Blog. I answered some of his questions, and I sent him some of my own.

BGSU HEAD COACH Gregg Brandon
How do you prepare for a quarterback like Matt Ryan that's considered a Heisman candidate?
"I think our defense is in great shape because we have a quarterback (Tyler Sheehan) that is pretty good. We throw the ball effectively and we practice against it all the time. We need to take some things from previous games and mix things up on him, get some pressure on him [Matt Ryan], get some guys in his face and try to get him out of rhythm - all those things you try to do to great quarterbacks. The thing about him is he can make all the throws, and he is very accurate."

Yeah, he's a good QB. This is clearly the best team we have played this season, and probably the best team we will play. Furthermore, Ryan is by far the best QB we are likely to face. Coach is right. If we sit in coverage BC could rip us up. If we get some pressure, we can stay with them. Massachusetts did.

Do they run the spread offense also?
"No, they are primarily a two-back team and they get in some one back. They use their tight end very well; they play with a fullback and they run their tailback very effectively. They have a good mix on offense to keep people off balance."

Sounds like a Big 10 team. They may also be the last team in the NCAA not running the spread.

How do you feel playing the number-six team in the nation?
"It's a great opportunity and the kids will be excited. If we're fortunate enough to go in and get a win it will be the first time in school history that we've beaten a top-10 opponent."

"You have to feel that if UMass could play with Boston College that you guys can also do the same, especially the way you're playing right now, right?

"I think college football is such a level field now -- anybody can beat anybody. Just last Saturday, we saw a bunch of teams that won that weren't supposed to win."

"Their defense is pretty salty. Their nose tackle is a rock in there and he's hard to knock off the ball. He's just a strong, physical kid. Their defensive ends are rangy guys with long arms that get their hands up. Their linebackers run well and are physical. They remind me of Wisconsin on film a little bit. They can just overpower you."

Salty? Well, OK. We'll have to figure out what that means. They will end up hypertensive, but that's not our problem. Our line will be challenged, and they have not played as consistently well as they are capable. This is a good time to start.

If BC rotates defensive players, is that a salt substitute?

Looking back at last year, did you know all along that Freddie Barnes wasn't best suited for quarterback?
"When we recruited Freddie from high school we wanted to take him as an athlete and it was just a matter of where he was going to end up playing. ... Our defensive players want him at safety. They all think he can play there. He's a strong 210-pound kid that can run. He's picking up on the little subtleties of the wide receiver position. He knows that his strength and size are something he can use to his advantage."

Who asked that question? Did they expect him to answer?

Since moving Loren Hargove to linebacker, do you like what you are seeing from him?
Definitely. He's a guy that has had ups and downs in his career and he's fought through them. He's just fought through some tough times for a college kid. He's had more heartache and grief than most of the guys. To see him elected as team captain speaks volumes of him. He's playing well and that's the bottom line -- you have to produce. He's been performing, and it's great not only for him, but also for our team and defense.

Did you expect that from him, to be able to persevere through all the hard times?
"He has a resolve about him, a determination about him, that helped him mature and didn't shake his character. I think that's why the kids voted him captain, to be honest with you."

Nothing to say. Good job, Loren.

Will P.J. Mahone play more this week after last week's game?"Yes. He's playing a lot now so it's nice to have three guys that you can play - Jahmal [Brown], P.J. and Jerett [Sanderson]. I don't know if it's a starting thing, but he will definitely play a lot. We're going to need him throughout the season. It's still a long haul."

Boy, he looked good to me. Gotta believe with all the nickel you run today, he can get on the field. He was a great player in HS, and we were lucky to get him.