Big Ten play has brought a different level of seriousness to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
With the non-conference slate out of the way, Ohio State is rolling into its first road game and first conference contest at Michigan State this Saturday. After a quick interview session with Ryan Day, six Buckeyes met with the team's media on Wednesday to discuss where things stand.
Left tackle Josh Simmons is eager to steal Michigan State's “food” by beating the Spartans at home, defensive end Caden Curry dove into his targeting ejection and linebacker Cody Simon stood behind Jim Knowles' decision not to name a Defensive Player of the Game, feeling the defense didn't play to its standard.
Left guard Donovan Jackson, running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith also spoke with the media on Wednesday. Below are videos of all six sessions with quotes and notes of the most noteworthy things each player said.
LT Josh Simmons
“Going into somebody else’s home and taking their food is probably the best feeling you can have as a football player.”– Josh Simmons on playing on the road
- Simmons thinks it makes “a big difference” for Ohio State to have Donovan Jackson back in the lineup. “A guy who’s played here so long, knows the offense in and out, who’s a really big culture piece for not only our unit, but here at Ohio State.”
- Simmons said he was “amazed” by how well Austin Siereveld stepped up next to him while Jackson was out. “It was almost like I didn’t skip a beat.”
- On Ohio State’s mentality this season: “We want to be the hardest-playing team in America. And that’s something that we strive for every day.”
- Simmons thinks the biggest area he’s improved in from last year is recognizing what defenses are doing.
- He said practicing “against the best D-line unit in the country every single day” has played a big role in building his confidence.
- Simmons said he loves playing in Chip Kelly’s offense. It’s more complicated than a typical offense, so “it took a minute” for him to lead the playbook, but “it was all worth it” with how it’s allowing Ohio State’s offensive linemen to utilize their athleticism this year.
- Simmons said Josh Fryar is “a lot more athletic” this year. “He looks very fluid in his sets, his backside cutoffs. He looks like an entirely different player.”
LG Donovan Jackson
“I know I only have a limited amount of opportunities left to play in the Horseshoe, so just running out of the tunnel, I never said I take the game for granted, but knowing the number of times I have to do that is dwindling down kind of weighed on me those first few games.”– Donovan Jackson on not taking any game for granted in his senior season
- Jackson confirmed the injury that sidelined him for Ohio State’s first two games was a hamstring injury. “You overstride a little bit one way and then your hamstring goes another way, and that’s kind of what happened to me.” He said he feels “great” now.
- Jackson said he tried to talk the coaches into letting him play in those first two games, but they protected him from himself. “I wasn’t the most happy camper in the world for a good minute there, but it is what it is. We’re playing football again.”
- Jackson thinks Austin Siereveld “did a fantastic job” filling in for him at left guard in the first two games. “We all knew he could do it, there was not a doubt in my mind that he was going to go out there and show his deal, but it was great seeing 67 run out on the field.”
- Jackson described Seth McLaughlin as “the tip of the spear of our offense.” He says McLaughlin is great at communicating to make sure everyone on the line is on the same page.
LB Cody Simon
“We have standards. We want to hold ourselves to the highest standard. I’ll stand behind anything Coach Knowles says. We didn’t feel like we had someone that separated themselves. … We know our standard is higher and that we can play better at all times.”– Cody Simon on Ohio State not naming a defensive player of the game vs. Marshall
- On what he likes about Big Ten football: “It’s the most competitive possible football we can play. It’s all about toughness. It’s all about running the ball. It’s about stopping the run. It’s really the best part about football.” When asked what he likes about stopping the run, Simon said, “I love when our defense can swarm to the ball. That’s probably the most fun thing – when you make a TFL or something like that and you have 11 hats to the ball.”
- On how facing Stone Earle, Marshall’s dual-threat quarterback, helped prepare Ohio State’s defense for Michigan State quarterback Aiden Chiles, another mobile signal caller: “We definitely learned a lot of things about how to go forward. It’s always a challenge playing a running quarterback. We’re just preparing and doing the best we can in practice to have that intensity and that good look in practice to be prepared for it.”
- On whether or not Ohio State’s practices have ramped up entering Big Ten play: “We’ve been preparing to play the best teams no matter what. Every week, it’s a grind for us. Nothing crazy is happening right now. Our goals are still the goals. Our work ethic is still the same work ethic. We’re just trying to get better and know our opponent.”
WR Jeremiah Smith
“He tells me a lot each and every day that if you're single-covered, one-on-one, I'm going to you. No matter who is on you, it don't matter. I'm just throwing it up.”– Jeremiah Smith on Will Howard’s trust in him
- On the most difficult part of adjusting to college football: “I’d say the playbook, just because you’ve got different formations, a lot of stuff that goes into it. Coming from high school, that was one of the biggest thing, just learning the playbook a little bit. But Coach (Brian) Hartline, Emeka (Egbuka), Carnell (Tate), really the whole receiver group just helped me a lot.”
- On the interception Howard threw that on a pass targeted to him: “That was on me. My split was too wide.”
- On accomplishing the things he’s accomplished as a freshman: “I still feel like I'm just a regular freshman. A lot of people say I'm not, but the role that I have coming in, it's been a blessing. I can't say it's on me, it's on God, and the coaches for trusting me to put a freshman out there and just to go out there and make plays and do what I do.”
- On the Michigan State game: “They're a way better team than the last three teams we played. They’re a better team, I heard, from the last couple of years that we played, Ohio State played them. That's what Coach Day said. It's going to be a good game. We just got to go there and be Ohio State.”
RB TreVeyon Henderson
“It's just been putting in the work, man. It's tough practices, hard camp and so far it's been tough practices. So, really just coming in each and every day and just trying to get better.”– TreVeyon Henderson on his increased physicality in 2024
- On his first impression of Carlos Locklyn: “When he first got here, he came in the room and he gave us this speech. He was just like, ‘Man, I'm a dog. I'm a dog.’ That right there, I knew, I was like, ‘Ah, we in this, man. We in this.’ But no, I love Coach Lock. The mentality he brings here, I thank God for bringing him here. He’s been amazing.”
- On his stiff arm: “It's just a tool you can use sometimes that comes out. One thing that Coach Lock helped us work on is just using different tools. And so, it definitely comes to show on Saturday sometimes.”
- Henderson says he can feel teams wearing down as he and Quinshon Judkins rotate “every now and then.” “It really depends on the team. There are some teams that play hard full four quarters.”
- On why sharing the load with Judkins has been beneficial: “It has helped me in so many ways. And it's a long season for real. So the biggest thing it’s helped with is wear and tear. And just building off each other’s momentum too.”
DL Caden Curry
“It’s whatever. You gotta move on. I wish I could go back and keep my hand up and keep my head out of it. But it’s a call the ref had to make and you move on.”– Caden Curry on his targeting penalty
- On what he learned from his targeting penalty and ejection: “It’s the little things, fundamentals. Keep your hand up. Keep your head out of it. The call has been changed in recent years so you have to keep going with it and evolve with it.”
- On what Ohio State looks for before sending out its Rushmen package: “I feel like sometimes we see the guards can sometimes be a better matchup for us with our hands and our speeds on the outside coming in. I feel like when I come in there, I’m trying to cause a raucous and get to the quarterback. I love that. I love rushing from anywhere, honestly.”
- On Tywone Malone: “You can definitely see he’s kind of gotten out of that baseball body. I was a baseball player, too. I had that baseball body when I first got here. He’s kind of getting into that violent hands, kind of bigger, thicker body. He’s kind of playing his role now. He’s making great plays and he’s breaking out.”
