OHIO STATE BALANCING “BUSINESS AND PLAY” IN ROSE BOWL PREPARATION
Urban Meyer hasn’t ever coached in the Rose Bowl, but a bunch of his players hadn’t even been to California before Ohio State headed across the country to begin bowl preparation this week.
At first thought, the Rose Bowl didn’t elicit memories of the USC-Texas thriller in 2006 or any other matchups throughout the year, but Chase Young began to imagine life on the west coast.
“I’m thinking Cali,” Young said a couple weeks ago. “I’ve never been to Cali before. Experience how the weather is and how everything is different there compared to here.”
Los Angeles is simply different from many cities in which Ohio State plays that are typically college towns.
State College, Pennsylvania. East Lansing, Michigan. Madison, Wisconsin. Ann Arbor, Michigan. College Park, Maryland. Lincoln, Nebraska. Many Big Ten cities have ample local charm, but they’re of a different ilk. Most of those cities revolve around college football. In Los Angeles, college football is merely a footnote, despite the presence of multiple Pac-12 teams.
Many players from across the country, including at Ohio State, grow up imagining themselves among the stars in Los Angeles, one of the largest, widest stretching cities in the world. Just off in the distance the ever-present Hollywood sign is visible. Most Buckeye players haven’t experienced the densely populated west coast city.
“It's fun, man,” Campbell said. “We practice at the Stubhub Center where the Los Angeles Chargers practice. It's good. You just get a different vibe. The weather's super nice. It's just fun, man. You're able to just relax. You separate business and play. It's just a fun time.”
The fun began Wednesday afternoon when both Ohio State and Washington were invited to Disneyland in Anaheim, which is a tradition that has been around for nearly 70 years.
Players spent as long as up to four hours wandering around the amusement park. Even Urban Meyer rode his first roller coaster in more than a decade, sitting two rows in front of Jordan Fuller, who is not particularly a fan of the ride.
Next comes the Lawry’s Beef Bowl, an annual tradition that pits Rose Bowl opponents in a competition to see who can eat more. The Buckeyes will be served their meat on Thursday, giving Washington a target to hit when the Huskies eat on Friday.
Entire article:
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...ng-business-and-play-in-rose-bowl-preparation