Ohio State (No.1) and Texas (No.5) Collide In A Marquee Matchup
Ohio State and Texas will meet Saturday night in a marquee early-season matchup. The college football game will take place in Darrell K. Royal Stadium at the University of Texas. It marks the first time Ohio State is an underdog by 1.5 points since 2023. Texas has also taken the top spot in ESPN’s College Football Power Ranking, one spot ahead of the old No. 1, the Buckeyes.
This game might be the biggest college football game of the season. Ironically, a close loss will not hurt either team this early in the season. That said, Ohio State is putting its best foot forward, literally, by wearing all-white cleats. What do you think will be the final score of this game?
Ohio State Against Texas Preview: 5 Things
Five key factors stand out for the Buckeyes as they travel to Austin to play a big game. First, Texas is led by a Heisman candidate. Arch Manning faced Ohio State in Week 1 a year ago, going 17-for-30 for 170 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. That poor performance raised questions about the heir to a great quarterback legacy. However, he improved significantly over the course of the year. Of course, Ohio State is led by two Heisman candidates in Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith.
Second, Texas, like Ohio State, has a great mind as defensive coordinator. Will Muschamp will lead the Longhorn defense, returning to Austin after serving as Texas’ defensive coordinator from 2008-10. Interestingly, Muschamp was the Longhorns’ head coach-in-waiting under Mack Brown before ultimately taking the head coaching job at Florida. He took that job when Urban Meyer left Florida, yet another tie between the two teams.
What to Expect From the Matchup
Third, the two teams have faced each other many times, and there is some animosity. There is a lot of proverbial bulletin board material. Last year, Longhorn defensive end Colin Simmons, an All-American, started the fireworks before the game by reposting Ohio State’s announcement that Julian Sayin was named starting quarterback. This year, it is a familiar face who has started the chatter in the buildup to the matchup, as Pickerington native Rasheem Biles had some things to say about the Buckeyes. Pickerington is very near Columbus.
“I don’t have a relationship with them,” Biles told Texas reporters in mid-August. “They called and stuff, but I ain’t want to stay in Columbus for real if I’m being honest. … When I made my list and stuff, I told my mom, I ain’t really trying to be in Columbus; I ain’t trying to be a Buckeye. They ain’t want me out of high school, and I was right there; there’s no point in trying to get me now, you feel me?” Eight players from Texas are on the Ohio State roster. Biles is one of three players on the Texas roster.
Fourth, Ohio State may be known as Wide Receiver University, with the best player in college football at the position, Jeremiah Smith. The Buckeyes also might have the deepest wide receiving room in recent memory, but the starters for the Longhorns are great as well.
The Longhorns have a standout wideout duo in Cam Coleman, a transfer, and Ryan Wingo, a longtime starter. Coleman, who was a five-star recruit out of high school, transferred from Auburn. In two seasons with Auburn, he totaled 93 receptions for 1,306 yards and 13 touchdowns. Wingo, meanwhile, is entering his third season at Texas after accumulating 83 catches for 1,306 yards and nine touchdowns over his first two years with the Longhorns.
The two wide receivers did well in Texas’s first season. In the season opener, Coleman caught three passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns, while Wingo went for seven catches, 120 yards, and a score. The Ohio State defensive backs, heralded in their own right, have their work cut out for them.
Fifth, Texas has a good offensive line, with a star who seems to have recovered from an offseason injury. After suffering a bone bruise on his left knee during fall camp, Texas’ starting left tackle appears good to go. Trevor Goosby, who is a projected top-10 pick in the 2027 NFL draft, did not miss any time against Texas State. Texas ran behind him on the first play, and the result was a 45-yard run for Hollywood Smothers. He did not play in the Longhorn scrimmages. He is playing now and will be a big challenge for the Ohio State defensive line.
Conclusion
An under-reported story from the Ohio State 56-3 season-opening win is that the Buckeyes struggled to run the ball. In fact, they average just three yards per rush. The problems on the offensive line were papered over with two big runs early in the second half. However, if the Buckeye offensive line plays as poorly as it did in the first half against Ball State, they will lose.
