COLUMBUS, Ohio >> On the night before one of the most anticipated games in the program’s history, the University of Hawaii football team was watching a video.
It was “Kingsman: The Secret Service” — not Ohio State, the defending national champion — showing in a darkened conference room in the Ohio hotel.
In the lobby, the families of running back Paul Harris and quarterbacks Max Wittek and Aaron Zwahlen talked story with several Rainbow Warrior players.
Cornerback Dejaun Butler, wearing headsets and holding his iPhone, laughed aloud during a FaceTime chat.
Defensive tackle Kennedy Tulimasealii invited coach Norm Chow to join a game of trumps.
Ice cream was the night’s dessert.
For nine days, the Warriors had meetings, practices and video sessions in preparation for Saturday’s game against top-ranked Ohio State. They had worked on schemes for either Buckeyes quarterback — Cardale Jones or J.T. Barrett. They had analyzed scouting reports on Joey Bosa, a likely 2016 top NFL Draft pick who was suspended for the Buckeyes’ first game. They even synchronized the police-escorted convoy to Ohio Stadium to fit their usual game-day schedule.
But for a few hours Friday night, it was time to watch a movie, play trumps, eat — relax.
“It’s exciting,” said Wittek, who will make his second UH start. “I like to take the approach they’re a great team coming off a national title. They’re a fantastic football team. They have athletes everywhere. They have about 16 guys on defense who make you say, ‘That’s a damn good football player.’ That being said, at the end of the day, it’s either going to be one win or one loss. It doesn’t mean anything more to our football season. We’re going to go out there and play football, and play as hard as we can.”
By moving their opener to Sept. 3, the Warriors had extra time to craft a game plan. Ohio State, meanwhile, played Monday on the road, leaving them with three full practices to work on UH’s schemes.
Still, the Warriors endured wet and humid conditions while training in Honolulu. “I thought Noah and his ark were coming,” offensive coordinator Don Bailey said of Monday’s practice.
The Warriors had activated a weather tracker that day, and were set to cut off practice if lightning struck within 6 miles of the grass field.
By departing on Wednesday, the Warriors did not practice on Thursday. They had a modified one-hour practice on Friday at Ohio Dominion College.
Defensive coordinator Tom Mason has worked on correcting lapses UH committed against Colorado.
“We have to play our game and do what we have to do,” Mason said. “Like I tell the kids: ‘Play hard. Don’t look at the scoreboard, and when the game’s over, we’ll see where we’re at. Don’t make mistakes. Don’t kill yourself. If they beat you because they out-athlete you, there’s nothing you can do about that. But don’t make mistakes.’”
It was during Tuesday’s practice when play was stopped following blown assignments.
“If there’s a small slip, the coaches have to get on it,” Tulimasealii said. “If they don’t, and they let it get by, it’s going to keep happening more and more. We have to eliminate our mistakes.”
When the Warriors toured Ohio Stadium on Thursday night, they saw the national championship banners and signs honoring former Buckeyes. Left tackle Ben Clarke noted his first UH game was against USC in the Coliseum in 2012.
“And the (seating capacity) was 10,000 less than what it will be (against Ohio State),” Clarke said.
This season’s mantra is view opponents as “faceless.”
“They’re guys just like us,” safety Marrell Jackson said of the Buckeyes. “They bleed just like us. They breathe just like us.”
Defensive end Luke Shawley acknowledged the Buckeyes are “stacked” and “they have an amazing coaching staff.”
But he added: “I don’t think there’s a single person on this team — and I’m saying this honestly — that’s fretting or scared or disappointed. I think everybody looks at it as an amazing opportunity for the program.”
Linebacker Julian Gener said: “At 3:30 Eastern time, that ball will be kicked off. … We might as well be ready for it.”
