Ohio State starter revealed what Texas pass-rusher Colin Simmons said to him in the midst of another forgettable showing
The Ohio State Buckeyes took care of business against the Texas Longhorns, winning 14-7, largely thanks to their trench play. In an offensive struggle between two elite defenses, the Buckeyes converted more clutch plays, made more drives, and made stops when needed. Some known stars showed out, but others were much quieter than expected.One of […]
The Ohio State Buckeyes took care of business against the Texas Longhorns, winning 14-7, largely thanks to their trench play. In an offensive struggle between two elite defenses, the Buckeyes converted more clutch plays, made more drives, and made stops when needed. Some known stars showed out, but others were much quieter than expected.
One of the keys for Ohio State to win was to shut out the 2024 Freshman of the Year Award winner, Colin Simmons. At the end of the stunning awards race outcome, where Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith should’ve won in the midst of a historic debut season, Simmons was left with a forgettable performance in the College Football Playoff Semifinal. Few thought the Buckeyes could shut him down again, but that’s exactly what happened.
Ohio State right tackle Phillip Daniels actually did better than Josh Fryar, limiting Simmons to two tackles all game, and drawing a huge penalty against the sophomore edge defender.
Phillip Daniels reveals what Colin Simmons said during Ohio State vs. Texas
Moments before that hands-to-the-face penalty that gave the Buckeyes a first down, Daniels said Simmons called him “trash”. It made little sense to the former Minnesota Gophers starter who came back home to play for the Buckeyes this offseason. He explained:
“I was like, huh? Me? I know you not talking to me. Hemmed him up, he took my helmet off, still going — I had a few choice words,” Daniels said.
Daniels was the team’s top-ranked blocker from the week, keeping pass-rushers out of Julian Sayin‘s lap all afternoon. He was flawless in 20 pass blocking snaps, per PFF. While his overall grade was mediocre, there were more than a handful of snaps where Daniels was taking care of business in spectacular fashion.
Few thought Daniels would be the team’s brightest spot in Week 1. It looked possible he might not even have started or finished the game, as fellow transfer Ethan Onianwa was in competition to play both tackle spots. Instead, Onianwa might be in line to supplant Tegra Tshabola as the starting right guard.
What we know, though, is that Simmons is not a threat against Ohio State. With only six tackles and three loosely attributed quarterback hits across 67 snaps over two games, the Buckeyes have an elite player’s number, and it’s clear Daniels got into Simmons’ head with relative ease.
