Texas Longhorns star "put in his place" by some in-game trash talk vs. Ohio State

Rodney Knuppel

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Texas Longhorns star "put in his place" by some in-game trash talk vs. Ohio State image

The biggest game in college football during Week 1 saw the top-ranked Texas Longhorns head to Columbus to face No. 3 Ohio State. In a defensive battle, the Buckeyes pulled out a 14-7 win despite being outgained by more than 130 yards.

The kid was "put in his place"

For Texas, the story wasn’t just the loss, but how their star freshman linebacker Colin Simmons was "put in his place". Simmons, who entered the season with a $1.5 million NIL valuation and plenty of hype, failed to record a single quarterback hurry. His biggest highlight came for the wrong reasons.

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Minnesota transfer Phillip Daniels, Ohio State’s right tackle, revealed after the game that Simmons had some words for him before one snap. “Before the play, he smacked my helmet off and said, ‘You trash,’” Daniels explained. “I was like, ‘Me? I know you’re not talking to me.’ I hemmed him up.”

Big time penalty in the game

Instead of backing up the talk, Simmons ended up flagged for ripping Daniels’ helmet off. The penalty helped push Ohio State deep into Texas territory, leading to one of the Buckeyes’ two touchdowns.

Texas’ defense still held firm overall, keeping Ohio State’s offense to just 14 points while forcing the Buckeyes into 3-for-12 on third down. But head coach Steve Sarkisian noted after the game that failing to create turnovers was a difference-maker.

For Simmons, the lesson was clear: confidence is one thing, but backing it up against elite offensive lines is another. His next chance comes when Texas looks to win its first game of the season at home against San Jose State. The prized linebacker may have learned his first hard lesson in big-time college football, and did so on the biggest stage.

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Rodney Knuppel

Rodney Knuppel is a freelance writer for The Sporting News. When not watching, listening or writing about sports, Rodney enjoys following the travels of his three kids, who are all active in their own sports and activities. A huge St. Louis Cardinals fan, Rodney also enjoys St. Louis Blues hockey and is a big Kansas Jayhawks basketball fan.