Q. Describe this business trip you guys are on. What's the main objective?
CODY SIMON: We're going to go get a win. And obviously it's the Rose Bowl, so you want to get out of here with the win and go back home and get ready for the next one.
Q. Everybody thinks you all have vengeance on your mind about what happened back in October. But you played an incredible opponent, too. Explain the opponent in a nutshell.
CODY SIMON: They're a good team. They played in big games too, so we know they're going to be ready for us. We have a good game plan, though. We want to play our best game, and we want to be able to have that rise that's going on right now. So, excited to go out and play a good game.
Q. This bowl week doesn't have the whole week-long experience. Does it feel different coming here for a shorter length of time and not the Disneyland stuff and all?
CODY SIMON: I like it. It's more like a normal game week for us, so we can just play our game and go home and get ready for the next one.
Q. What's it mean to get to take part in the Rose Bowl this time around?
CODY SIMON: It's truly an honor. I didn't get to play in the last one. For me, I want to take it in the moment and be ready to do my job and do everything we need to do to get a win.
But obviously I understand the importance of this game and the history around it. It's great to be out here.
Q. How much does that first result stick in your guys' craw?
CODY SIMON: We've talked about it a lot over the last couple weeks and months. But obviously we've had a season we had to focus on. We knew we would see this team again. And we're happy to get out here in a great environment and a pretty historic place. This will be good, a good environment.
Q. Laying down some laws with the younger guys about what's expected out here on this trip, or do you feel everybody understands what's up?
CODY SIMON: I think everyone understands the moment, but we also understand this is different from a normal bowl season, and getting guys focused. This is really a business trip. It's not the time for just hanging out, doing whatever.
We have the right attitude coming into this, we're going to be prepared.
Q. Does it feel any different landing here in California and now you know this thing maybe is a little more real in that sense?
CODY SIMON: Yeah, I mean, getting to go to the Rose Bowl, it's always kind of surreal, the history around the game. But once you're here, it's kind of like you feel, LA, you see the big lights in the city. It will be a good environment, and we're excited to be out here.
Q. You know a little bit about college football so I'll ask you this question. You feel like the best game in the quarterfinals is this one, you understand what I'm saying? What's your sense of that?
CODY SIMON: I think the best game of any playoff rounds is the one we're in. Everyone will be watching. We have to perform at our best, and we have to be -- the whole country is going to be watching us. We have to be able to perform and do our job.
Q. What do you know about Dillon Gabriel, studying now the full video presentation for the season that you didn't know going into that first one?
CODY SIMON: I mean, we know he's a smart player. He's been around football for a while. So we know he can take over a game if you let him. We have to be able to take away certain things from him and make sure we can dictate the game on defense. He's going to be a big threat for us. So we have a good game plan for him and do our job.
Q. You're on the other side of it. What's been your impression of Donovan and the job he's been able to do moving around with the offensive line filled with injuries?
CODY SIMON: It's the ultimate move of selflessness. He could have stayed at guard and said I want to show all the scouts I can play guard. But he did what was best for the team was really selfless. As another leader on this team, I give all the thanks to him, because we are not here right now without him.
Q. Is 10 days off between games at this point in the season kind of like the sweet spot, the right number, you feel good?
CODY SIMON: Yeah, definitely gave us time to get more film in, more rest in, recovery in, but also to get more practice days in. I think we're prepared and we're going to come out here and do our best.
Q. How far has this team come from Michigan?
CODY SIMON: We've come a long ways. I mean, obviously that's in the past, but we're looking forward right now. We've addressed all those issues that we went through a couple of weeks ago. Now we're moving on.
Q. What changed in your preparation defensively between the October game and now and how do you think that we'll see that translate on Wednesday?
CODY SIMON: They definitely exposed a lot of issues on defense, and we've addressed those. And one of the biggest things is tempo. And I think, especially last week playing against Tennessee, it kind of helped us get prepared for that. So we're going to try to be able to be ready for all the little tricks, all the details that they get other teams on. And obviously they're a good team. They'll have some new stuff too. They've been waiting a while. So just be poised and be ready for anything that happens.
Q. And I know you must be tired of being asked about this, but the mentality, as a leader on this team, how do you make sure that just trying to get that revenge, if you will, doesn't dominate the narrative this week?
CODY SIMON: Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest part is not making it bigger than it has to be. We have to go out here and execute and play our game. It's not some big narrative when -- obviously we want to get revenge, but for us it's about executing, doing a job, and it's winning at the end. That's all that matters. That's going to be our goal out here, get a win, go back home, get ready for the next one.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports