NFL
By Owen Taylor
This might be the biggest game of the college football season.
No. 1 Ohio State is traveling to Austin to take on No. 4 Texas
For the third straight season, these two teams will meet with massive expectations surrounding both programs.
But something about this game is something I don’t think enough people are talking about.
The pressure is almost entirely on Texas.
Ohio State is walking into Austin as the road team against what many consider to be the best roster in college football. The Buckeyes have already beaten Texas twice, and they aren’t the team that needs to prove they belong on this stage.
Texas is.
If the Longhorns lose again, the conversation around this program could change very quickly.
Suddenly, people will start asking whether Texas can actually get over the hump.
They’ll start asking if Arch Manning is really going to live up to the enormous expectations that have followed him his entire career.
And depending on how the season unfolds, people could even start asking whether a coaching change is necessary.
That might sound wild before the game is even played.
But that’s the reality of where Texas is right now.
This is a program with an elite roster, an elite recruiting operation, and some of the highest expectations in college football.
At some point, you have to win these games.
Ohio State doesn’t have that same pressure on Saturday.
The Buckeyes have nothing to lose, truly.
They’re walking into one of the toughest environments in college football, playing the team with arguably the best roster in the sport, and they’re still the team that has won the last two meetings.
If Ohio State loses a close game in Austin, nobody is going to suddenly question whether this program belongs among the best in the country.
If Texas loses?
The questions will get much louder.
And that’s why I like Ohio State’s chances.
Ohio State Has Already Been Here
For the third straight year, Ohio State and Texas are going to meet on one of the biggest stages college football has to offer.
The Buckeyes have won both of the last two meetings, including a 14-7 victory over the Longhorns last season.
Texas has spent the offseason thinking about that loss.
Ohio State gets to spend the week preparing for a team it has already figured out twice.
That doesn’t mean the third game will be easy. Texas is more experienced, it is playing at home, and Arch Manning is coming into this matchup looking like a completely different quarterback than the one Ohio State saw last season.
But Ohio State has something Texas doesn’t have right now.
Confidence against this specific opponent.
And in a game that could come down to a handful of plays, I think that matters.
Sayin Is Ready for This
If Ohio State is going to win in Austin, Julian Sayin is probably going to have to play his best game of the season.
And honestly, that is exactly what I expect.
Sayin opened the season by throwing for 320 yards and four total touchdowns against Ball State. Jeremiah Smith also made his presence known immediately, catching eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
Obviously, Ball State is not Texas.
This is different.
This is the kind of game Sayin came back for.
The Buckeyes have a Heisman Trophy finalist at quarterback, one of the best wide receivers in the country, and an offensive system that should be able to create problems for Texas.
Ohio State doesn’t need Sayin to throw for 400 yards.
It needs him to make the right throws, take care of the football, and make a few big plays when the game gets tight.
I think he does exactly that.
Texas Has Done a Great Job Against Jeremiah Smith
There is one thing I don’t want to overlook when talking about Ohio State’s offense.
Texas has actually done a really good job against Jeremiah Smith.
In the last two meetings, the Longhorns have found ways to limit one of the most talented receivers in college football. That’s something that deserves a lot of credit, especially considering how difficult Smith is to defend when he’s allowed to get comfortable.
But that’s also why I think this could be the game where Smith finally breaks through against Texas.
At some point, you have to wonder how long a player this talented can be held down.
Texas can double him. They can shade coverage toward him. They can make Ohio State’s other receivers beat them.
But doing that for four quarters creates opportunities somewhere else.
And if Texas decides it wants to give Smith more chances this time around, I don’t think Ohio State is going to waste them.
We’ve already seen what Smith can do when he gets rolling.
This could be his coming-out party against Texas.
And if it is, the Longhorns are going to have a very tough time keeping up.
The Defense Has a Bigger Test
This is the part of the game I am watching the closest.
Ohio State’s defense looked dominant against Ball State, but Texas is obviously going to provide a completely different challenge.
The Buckeyes lost a ton of defensive talent from last season, and Saturday will be the first real chance to see how this new group handles a team that can attack every level of the field.
Arch Manning is also coming into the game with something to prove.
Manning struggled badly against Ohio State last season, finishing with 170 passing yards and an interception in the 14-7 loss. He responded in Week 1 by throwing for 305 yards and four touchdowns against Texas State.
This is his chance to change the narrative.
Ohio State’s job is to make sure he doesn’t.
Matt Patricia has already shown that he can build a defense that plays disciplined football. Now his new group gets its first real test.
If Ohio State can pressure Manning without constantly bringing extra defenders, I really like the Buckeyes’ chances.
The Heat Could Matter
Another factor shouldn’t be ignored.
It is going to be hot in Austin.
Temperatures around kickoff are expected to be in the upper 90s, with the heat index potentially sitting above 100 degrees.
Ohio State players can’t ignore that.
The Buckeyes need to stay composed, rotate players on defense, and avoid giving Texas extra possessions.
The longer the game stays close, the more the heat could matter.
But if Ohio State can build an early lead, suddenly the pressure shifts completely to Texas.
And that’s when this game could get really interesting.
My Prediction
I don’t think Ohio State is losing this game.
Texas has more than enough talent to make this uncomfortable, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Longhorns lead at some point.
But when it comes down to the fourth quarter, I trust Ohio State more. I trust:
- Sayin.
- Jeremiah Smith.
- Ryan Day.
And I trust a program that has already proven it can beat Texas in games like this.
The Longhorns will make plays. Manning will have a much better game than he did last season. Texas will have stretches where it looks like the better team.
But Ohio State has too much firepower.
And more importantly, Ohio State is playing with a completely different kind of pressure.
The Buckeyes can play loose.
Texas can’t.
Every mistake will be magnified. Every missed opportunity will bring the questions back. If the Longhorns lose this game, the conversation around Manning, Steve Sarkisian, and whether Texas can actually take that next step is going to get very loud.
Ohio State doesn’t need to prove anything.
Texas does.
I think Sayin makes the biggest throws late, the defense gets a crucial stop, and the Buckeyes walk out of Austin with another statement win.
Ohio State 31-24
Three straight wins over Texas.
And another reminder that if you want to win a national championship, you have to be able to win games like this.
