Rutgers coach Greg Schiano on Ohio State defense: 'We'll have our hands full'

COLUMBUS — Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano hit the rest button on his college coaching career when he joined Ohio State as associate head coach and defensive coordinator ahead of the 2016 season.

Urban Meyer brought Schiano aboard, and Schiano oversaw a Buckeyes defense that produced 11 draft picks in his three years on staff. That group included five first rounders, most notably a pair of top-five selections: defensive end Nick Bosa and cornerback Denzel Ward.

That was Schiano’s reunion with college football. Since, he’s made an even bigger return — he’s now in his fourth year back at Rutgers, a program he took to unexpected heights from 2001-11 before trying his hand at the NFL.

Once again, Schiano has carried out a Scarlet Knights rebuild. Rutgers is 6-2, including 3-2 in the Big Ten, and two weeks ago Schiano’s crew clinched the Scarlet Knights’ first traditional bowl since 2014.

He met with reporters Monday to preview this week’s test against undefeated Ohio State, which just clocked in at No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season.

Has Marvin Harrison Jr. taken his game up a notch in any particular areas since you last saw him?

SCHIANO: “Yeah, Marvin Harrison Jr. is arguably one of the best players in the country. He’s continued to improve. You can see he’s a real professional the way he’s prepared, and again when you’re going against players of that skill, they are very dangerous.”

Kyle McCord was already committed to Ohio State by the time you got here. But did you guys talk at all during the recruiting process?

SCHIANO: “No, we talked a little bit, and I talked to his dad. But you’re right, he was committed, and he was all set with Ohio State.”

What have you seen from McCord this season?

SCHIANO: “He’s a really good quarterback. You can see, I’ve been able to watch them on TV, so a little TV scouting. He’s a fiery leader, and you can see his teammates believe in him. He’s a young quarterback who’s getting better every week. So again, part of the challenge of playing a team that has so many skilled people.”

Was McCord’s dad a freshman when you were at Rutgers as a graduate assistant?

SCHIANO: “I think he might have been a sophomore [quarterback]. But yes, I knew his dad. You know, I was a GA and I was the box lunch coordinator, so I probably got his dad a sandwich here and there (Schiano then chuckled).”

Have you guys stayed in touch over the years?

SCHIANO: “I wouldn’t say stayed in touch, but I’ve run across him at times. He was always a good, fun guy to be around. Fun guy to coach. I didn’t really coach him very much. I ran the scout team, and he had already moved past that, but, yeah, he’s a good man.”

You’ve got an interesting scenario with brothers Davison Igbinosun (Ohio State) and Desmond Igbinosun (Rutgers) facing off. Have you coached brothers playing against each other? And what was recruiting Davison twice like?

SCHIANO: “Well, I don’t know if I’ve coached brothers that have played against each other. I may have. I’ve been coaching a long time. Doesn’t jump out at me, though. You know, it’s two teams playing each other. It’s not two brothers playing each other. Although, I asked Des, ‘Does your mom have one of those split jerseys, half-Rutgers, half-Ohio State?’

“We did recruit Davison coming out of high school, and that didn’t work out. He went to Ole Miss. The second time I talked to him, but he was looking to go to a national championship contender, and he didn’t feel we were that, so I understood that we weren’t what he was looking for. Yeah, that’s about it.”

Last year, when you faced Ohio State, there was a fake punt and things got a bit heated. Do you think your players come into this matchup with a chip on their shoulder?

SCHIANO: “No. I think that’s in the distant past. It had nothing to do with the fake punt, nothing at all. It was to do with protecting our player that was on their sideline that was surrounded and getting pushed around.

“That fake punt wasn’t called. It was our fault. We didn’t put an edge to the punt block, and the kid is taught to roll, and if it’s there, you take it. So there’s no blame there. It was truly protecting our player, that was it. But that’s — feels like years ago.”

How do you close the gap on national title-contending teams like Ohio State, and are you close to doing that at Rutgers?

SCHIANO: “Yeah, I do very little big picture when it comes to that stuff. We’re trying to be 1-0 at the end of the Ohio State season. We have to have a great week of preparation to do that, and then we have to go play our best game and see where that stacks up against theirs.

“And I can’t control anything about them, but I certainly can us. And that’s going to be my focus — that we have a great, consistent week of practice and then go play our best game of the season.”

Is there anything that stands out about Ohio State on the defensive side of the ball?

SCHIANO: “They’ve got a lot of good players. You’re looking at a front that is probably all NFL players. Their front seven will be all NFL players. But the good thing is, the back four or five are all NFL players as well. So you’re looking at a defense that is probably — I mean, I don’t want to be exaggerating. I think every single guy there will be an NFL player — including some depth players — which it is what it is. That’s why they are one of the top defenses in the country. We’ll have our hands full, for sure.”