Ever since Ohio State beat Texas 14-7 in the 2025 season opener, Texas defensive end Colin Simmons has had the Longhorns’ rematch with the Buckeyes circled on his calendar.
In an interview with On3’s Pete Nakos this week, Simmons said his primary motivation this season is helping Texas win a national championship, but he also has other goals, including beating Ohio State when the teams meet again on Sept. 12.
“Very excited. Second game of the season, all that nervousness, all that jittery is out the door,” Simmons told Nakos. “We’re coming. There’s business to be taken care of.”
“Very excited. Second game of the season, all that nervousness, all that jittery is out the door. We’re coming. There’s business to be taken care of.”– Colin Simmons on texas’ rematch with ohio state
Simmons, who told Texas beat reporters before last season’s Week 1 matchup with the Buckeyes that he was “glad that they have a quarterback that I’m ready to sack,” was limited to just two tackles in his team’s seven-point loss.
According to Ohio State offensive lineman Phillip Daniels, Simmons talked better than he played in the top-two showdown.
The week after the Buckeyes’ win, Daniels recalled a moment when Simmons called him “trash” between snaps. On the next play, Simmons drew a 15-yard penalty for knocking Daniels’ helmet off — a flag that not only gave Ohio State a first down on what would have been a third-down incompletion, but also helped set up its first of two touchdowns in the game.
“I don’t talk trash, I’m really, I’m an offensive lineman, I’m tired,” Daniels said on Sept. 3, 2025. “But if you try me, I’m not just gonna stand there and let you say something to me, you know what I’m saying? I’m gonna respond, either on the football side or both.”
While Ohio State’s offensive line is still taking shape this offseason, Simmons — who has 29.5 tackles for loss and 21 sacks in 29 games for the Longhorns — will likely face some combination of Daniels, Austin Siereveld and/or Ian Moore when the Buckeyes come to Memorial Stadium in Week 2.
Under the lights in Austin, those Buckeyes will hope to make the star junior rack up more of a word count than a sack count.
