PASADENA, Calif. – Before Washington and Ohio State kickoff the 105th Rose Bowl at 2.m. on Tuesday both programs held their respective media day Sunday morning.

UW head coach Chris Petersen spoke at length about how Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer has transformed his program into an elite national power, and much more.

Below is the complete transcription from Petersen's media session:

On what Petersen has seen on film, both on offense and defense, of Ohio State... One of the elite programs in the country, without question. They throw for a bunch of yards, but I think the thing that makes them so special on offense is how balanced they really are.

And so with really good players, excellent scheme. Coached well. And on defense, I think they – I think they're physical. They're athletic. Do enough stuff to keep you off balance blitz-wise. And we knew from the start even without putting the tape on what we probably were getting ourselves into.

And Urban does a great job with that whole program."

On losing to Oregon and Cal, if that made the Huskies stronger down the stretch... "The season's always – there's always struggles during the season. I've been a part of undefeated seasons – there's hard things that go through any season. And certainly any good season.

We try to prepare our guys for that. And so this one's really been no different. We did have a couple of tough losses, frustrating losses. And I say this all the time: If you don't play your best in this league, you're going to get beat. You're going to get exposed in a hurry.

And the kids played hard in those games. We probably didn't play our very best. And if you don't, that's what happens.

So I'm proud of the guys in terms of – they never flinched. We just went back to work, one week, one day at a time mentality. And that's really what they did. And here we are."

On his relationship with OSU head coach Urban Meyer... " I think, first and foremost, his record speaks for itself wherever he's been. He just knows how to win. He knows how to run a program his way, his style, does a great job with it.

And then I have had a chance to kind of interact with him over the years. And I think he's really on top of it. Just in terms of like what he tries to do with his program culturally and with some of his coaches and those type of things. And the different speakers that he's had, real Life Wednesdays all those different types of things. That's what college is all about. I mean, that is – you're talking our language all the way.

He's done some really nice things along the way and at Ohio State with those things that I've got bits and pieces from.

That's kind of how you do it as a coach. I mean, we're not making this stuff up. There's been a lot of smarter people than me going before and doing these things. And so what makes sense to me in our program I try to take bits and pieces from. Certainly learned that from Urban."

On any team UW has faced in 2018 that compares to the Buckeyes... "Yeah, I mean, I think when you go through the course of the season, you'll see some teams that line up similar to – there's only so many ways you can line up. There haven't been too many teams where we say we've never seen this before.

But everybody has wrinkles to keep you off balance, the different blitzes and stems and those type of things. Everybody has a little uniqueness to them, and certainly Ohio State does.

I think you couple that with the players that they have, you know, certainly makes this a unique defense and a unique team that we haven't seen before."

On OSU quarterback Dwayne Haskins... "Yeah, I think he's just obviously one of the top QBs in the country. And he's mobile enough to keep you off balance, to bide time.

I think he sees the field really well and the ball comes out quickly. I think he as a real good cast around him. Starts on the lines and he has an experienced group of receivers sprinkled around, and those guys are playmakers."

On if Petersen or the staff have had to calm down the UW players due to the mystique of the Rose Bowl... "We don't ever worry about the opponent. This is always about us. We just – we take care of what we can control and making sure that our energy is right and not too high, not too low, that we prepared right, that we go out and try to put our best foot forward.

To us it's never about the other guys, it's always about us doing what we can do."

On what it means for him to coach in the Rose Bowl... "I've had an opportunity to go to a lot of different bowl games. And I've never been to this one. But this is the one I did watch as a kid growing up. This is the one. And we've been close a couple times in my career, really close. And we have not got here.

So, again, kind of alluding to one of the questions: It means a lot. Because how hard it is to get here, some of the hard things that we went through this season to get here, my hat's really off to these kids for making this happen."

On what makes UW-Ohio State a game fans should watch... "Well, I think it's – I know Ohio State's one of those elite programs, and I think when we are playing like we're capable of playing, we can play some pretty good football, too.

I just think this game and the teams that are in it might be an intriguing matchup."

On both teams being good making this years' Rose Bowl great... "I think that. I always think the Rose Bowl is intriguing. You're not going to have bad teams in the Rose Bowl. And just everything that surrounds it. The pageantry of college football, that's kind of what I really think about this bowl game. And it's always going to be two good teams that are here and kids playing really hard.

On the CFP rotation and (again) what it means to play in the Rose Bowl... "Well, I mean, from where I come from, there's nothing bigger, nothing better. And I mean that from where I grew up. And I mean that in Seattle as well. Because so many of the long-time Huskies, this is how they grew up. This is what they want in Washington at all times, and now there's the playoffs.

But this is what everybody talks about. It's awesome to be here."

On Petersen's reaction to the news of Mark Richt retiring at Miami... "I think there's always surprise and twists and turns in this job and football. I think he does a heck of a job throughout his career. And I don't know him personally, but I followed him and seems like a wonderful person and tries to do right by the kids and all those type of things.

I think anytime you see a really good guy getting out of it, you're a little bit bummed about it. But who knows, sometimes the guys just need a break and catch their breath, and you never know what the future holds."

On OSU's defense being prone to allowing big-play runs... "I don't know. I think it's kids making plays. I always say this. Like everybody -­everybody we play has good coaches and players too. They're going to make plays.

And so at the end of the day it's about winning the game. Ohio State's won a heck of a lot of games in convincing fashion.

I've always said, it's hard to just lose one game. And you see very few that have lost no games. But those guys I've talked about, they can be in that playoff system. And so it's never going to be perfect. I mean, that's what I think. But I think they've got a heck of a defense."

On the College Football Playoff and its future... " I don't know. I think most want it expanded. I mean, I think that would be really cool for college football. There's a lot of logistics to work out and politics to plow through without question. And that's all hard.

But I think in the big, grand scheme of things, I think a lot of people would like to see some more teams. Now, whether it's the conference champions, I don't know about all that. Those are details that could be worked out.

But I think it's intriguing, how this thing would shake down with more teams."

On Petersen coaching eight teams in his career, the CFP being just three extra games with two teams... "Right. It is for only two teams. And so you can expand it. We're the only division who doesn't play a big expanded tournament. Now, one thing we probably have to do if you put a bunch of teams in there, this is probably the sticking point, you probably have to cut down a regular season game.

But everything comes down to money. Who are we -­what are we kidding ourselves? Right? It's what it comes down to. You play a big tournament like that, there's going to be enough money for everybody to cut the pie the same way, now maybe you get some of the matchup's you want to see. I don't know."

On whether or not college football players should receive a part of the revenue generated... "That's always an interesting topic. I think that's what pro football is for. I think we try to treat these guys as well as we can. I think we pay for their education. We make sure these kids aren't going to college and living in poverty.

I know it's changed in the last handful of years, we can feed them how we need to feed them. That's a huge thing. That's all these guys do is eat. Couldn't feed them like we needed to do. And the cost of living and those kinds of things.

Some of that stuff, I think, is still to be debated and talked about."

On why can't players get an extra $20,000 or somewhere in that ballpark... "I think there's certain programs that could maybe afford to do some of that stuff. And I think there's certain programs that you might just change the playing field."

On the equity balance in college football... "I think that's probably – I've spent about as much time thinking about this as your question coming to me, because that's for somebody with a higher pay grade than me. So I'm just kind of talking out loud here.

On players sitting out bowl games, and confirming if all UW players will suit up or play... "Yeah."

On the risk / reward balance for players choosing to sit out bowl games... "'I'd like to see them – it's football, and, yeah, anything can happen, but you're going to play a lot of football in the future. And I think the risk/reward thing is so small that you go out with your team, but that's just my opinion."

On if Petersen had discussions with any UW players sitting out the Rose Bowl... "No."

On Petersen's keys to success for young people, trying to stay away from drugs and gangs, etc... "Yeah, there's no question about that. We see the drug culture changing lives even where we are on college campuses.

We spend a ton of time talking about that. I mean, it's in everybody's face. It doesn't matter where you are, on the streets, in colleges, in work. And, I mean, all you have to do is pay attention to the research and it ruins lives in the snap of the fingers. It all starts small and all of a sudden you end up – how did I end up in this place?

So I think that's probably a good place to start. But I think you've got to – a lot of these kids just need to have a vision and some hope and some mentors around them that encourage them.

And I think one of the main things is guys trying to figure out what they really want to do in life, which is one of the hardest things our guys have to figure out. I think it's one of the hardest things that anybody has to figure out.

Very passionate about football and those type of things, but what about life after football, which is going to be for most of these guys, in the snap of a finger.

And so those are some of the things we try to talk about all the time in our program."

On his friendship with Meyer... "Yeah, just way back, like he had just got to Utah and I think I bumped into him at a high school. And didn't know him from anybody. And kind of enjoyed our conversation, and then watched him at Utah. We've always kind of crossed paths.

Then I got a chance to go back there, spend a couple days when I first actually came to Washington. And I think there's some really interesting things he does with his program, culturally. And he's trying to help these kids besides the football part of things that I thought was really intriguing and really appreciated his mindset on it."

On what Petersen thinks Meyer's legacy is / will be... "Yeah, I mean, I think his record speaks for itself. I mean, the guy knows how to win. He's got his way of doing things. I always say this: There's a bunch of ways to skin the cat, but you've got to have your way and know the strengths and weaknesses and incorporate it into your style, your personality. And he's done that.

And it has worked at an elite level."

On if Browning isn't getting his due and his thoughts on people focusing on UW's transfer QB (Jacob Eason) more... "You know, I think unfortunately it's the world we live in. It's always what's the next thing. That is social media. That is the media world – it's like what's the next best thing. Everything's blown out of proportion. For the most part. Expectations are out of whack. We live in the 'too much, too soon' syndrome. And it messes kids up, these expectations and so much success so early, and guys haven't had to persevere and work through hard things; it can always be better.

To me that's almost fantasy land. That's not the world we live in. So I don't know about that. I just know that we appreciate Jake as much as anybody. The kid does everything right. There's no harder worker on our team, there's nobody been through more and persevered and stayed steady. He's done it the way it's supposed to do.

And life is hard like football is hard. He hasn't flinched. He's won a bunch of games. His teammates really love him. We love him. And I don't know what there is else to say about him.

But we talk to our guys all the time, paying attention to that outside noise, that's just noise to us. And we make our own opinions. We talk to one another, and if it's good enough, awesome; if it's not, we try to make corrections and go forward.

But everybody – a lot easier from the outside having a lot of answers when you're not in the fight every day."

On how the UW offense has evolved over the past few years post John Ross / Dante Pettis... "Yeah, so, you know, if you're not scoring the points that you want, there's always a few -­your guns are going to be pointed in certain directions, the head coach. The coordinators. The quarterback always is going to – you know, a lot of times when it's all good, you're going to get too much credit. When it's not really good, you're going to get too much blame. There's a lot of guys around him that have to do the right things.

We've done some really good things this year on offense. We probably just – the most important thing that's been frustrating, I think, to all of us is haven't scored the points that we think we're capable of scoring."

On if Petersen want's a game similar to Boise State-Oklahoma on Tuesday... "Heck, it doesn't matter. However you can play your best football, that's how we want it."