Everybody says they want to play a team after an emotional, physical game because they probably can't bounce back and do it again. But our players know who they're playing. It's the students in class and all you writers, writing about it, and people slapping them on the back, telling them how great they are. When you get to be my age, you know better. Dr. Glenn Ellis, a licensed psychologist in Columbus who consults with the team, said an emotional letdown is something that coaches guard against instinctively.
Teams prepare themselves internally.
The responsibility shifts from coaches to the players. Ask any player on the team if they expect to win everytime they play and they'll say yes. And there's a huge difference between thinking you can win and believing you can win. These guys believe it and that's an intrinsic motivation. Ellis used the Bulldogs' 1999 season as an example.