Cody Simon tabbed as 'sneaky' key for national championship, per ESPN's Greg McElroy
Cody Simon is a veteran leader for Ohio State. Entering the national championship game, he’s also an under-the-radar key to the entire matchup vs. Notre Dame.
That’s the case ESPN’s Greg McElroy laid out in his latest episode of the “Always College Football” show. McElroy added a specific segment to his national championship preview about the non-quarterback or star players who are bound to be difference-makers on Monday night, and Simon was among the top pieces he named.
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McElroy pointed to Jim Knowles’ usage of the linebackers throughout the College Football Playoff, especially against Tennessee when facing a mobile threat in Nico Iamaleava. The ESPN host expects a similar game plan against Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard, putting Simon front-and-center as a key for the matchup.
“I’m not sure I can totally put into words how impactful these linebackers have been for Ohio State all season long. And in this game in particular, there will not be a play more than likely called by Jim Knowles on defense where the linebackers do not have some responsibility for Riley Leonard… I think Cody Simon is massive in this game.”
McElroy’s analysis is not surprising, especially considering Simon is Ohio State’s leading tackler and the man in the middle helping set the defense. Cody Simon is up to 104 total tackles on the year and has been a tone-setter throughout the Playoff run.
Simon opened the postseason with a game-high 12 tackles and a pass breakup against Tennessee. He took things to another level against Oregon with 11 total tackles, 2 sacks and 3 tackles for loss as the Buckeyes thoroughly stifled the Ducks.
After 7 more tackles against Texas, Simon will try to keep Leonard in check while helping stop Notre Dame’s run game in Atlanta. If the Buckeyes are successful in those regards, they’ll likely be bringing their first national championship since 2014 back to Columbus.