For all the noise that followed Ohio State’s season-opening win over Texas last year, the best part of that game was the football itself.
That opener gave fans plenty to chew on: Julian Sayin’s winning debut as a starter, Arch Manning’s shaky showing, big nights from Ohio State linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, and Matt Patricia’s first game running the Buckeyes’ defense. For a while, that was the story.
Then the conversation drifted somewhere else entirely, and the game became a referendum on scheduling. Was it smart to risk a heavyweight nonconference matchup if a softer opponent might have padded Texas’ record and helped the Longhorns reach the College Football Playoff? Texas finished 9-3 and missed out, where a 10-2 record could have changed everything.
That’s where the plot got lost.
Ohio State vs. Texas should be more than a scheduling argument.
It should be a celebration of what college football does best: put elite teams on the same field and let everybody enjoy it. The numbers backed that up last year, with 16.6 million people tuning in on Fox.
Inside the program, that’s still how it’s viewed. Ryan Day didn’t sound like a coach worried about risk when he talked about this Saturday’s matchup.
“This is why you come to Ohio State,” OSU coach Ryan Day said, “this is why you go to Texas - to play in games like this.”
No one should feel that more than Devin Sanchez.
The Ohio State cornerback, a Houston native and five-star 2025 signee, played 11 defensive snaps in last year’s game against the Longhorns. Now he gets another crack at Texas, this time much closer to home and with family and friends in the building. His mom has been handling the logistics, and Sanchez said his attention has been on Ball State, even though he’s known for a while where Week 2 would take him.
“It’s going to be great,” Sanchez said. “Great environment, playing close to home.”
He’s one of eight Texans on Ohio State’s roster, and Day expects that group to come in with extra energy at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The coach didn’t dance around it.
“You grow up in that state, it’ll mean something extra,” Day said.
That’s the piece that gets buried when the debate turns into a spreadsheet exercise. The players want the stage.
They want the chance to measure themselves against the best. Ross Bjork pointed to that same reality this summer when he discussed College Football Playoff expansion, arguing that a larger field could create more high-leverage games for athletes who want them.
Marquee nonconference games can offer that, too, no postseason bracket required.
Ohio State’s future schedules already reflect that thinking, with Alabama and Georgia waiting in the years ahead. Day sees those matchups as a feature, not a flaw - a chance to learn, a chance to compete, a chance to see where his team stands early.
“It’ll give us a great data point on where we are and early feedback on things,” Day said. “But more importantly, just the experience of playing in a game like this early in the season is, again, one of the reasons you recruit great players to come here.”
In Other News...
Ohio State Fans Will Want To See Yetis New Buckeyes Gear
Ohio State fans looking to add a little scarlet and gray to their everyday carry now have a new option from Yeti. The company has rolled out a limited-edition 26-ounce Rambler water bottle in Buckeyes branding as part of its Collegiate Fandom Collection, giving supporters a chance to rep the program with a familiar piece of gear built from stainless steel and double-wall vacuum insulation.
The bottle comes with Yetis TripleHaul Handle and Chug Cap, and it is dishwasher safe, with an optional straw cap sold separately. It is one of 12 college football designs in the collection, but the Buckeyes version is not a permanent run, since it will be discontinued once current inventory is gone. [Read more 🡒]
Urban Meyer Sees Ohio State Texas Coming Down To One Big Play
Urban Meyer isnt treating Ohio States trip to Texas like a heavyweight mismatch. The former Buckeyes coach called the Week 2 showdown a coin toss after both teams opened the season in impressive fashion, and he pointed to the quarterbacks as the center of it all, with Julian Sayin and Arch Manning expected to carry much of the spotlight when the game kicks off on ABC.
Austin adds another layer to a matchup that already feels like it could swing on a single mistake or a single burst of execution. Texas has been tough at home, and Meyer made clear that the environment will matter, which only raises the stakes for Ohio State as it heads into one of the biggest early-season games on the calendar with little separating the two teams. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Heads To Texas With One Early Concern Looming
Texas opened the season with a win over Texas State and now turns its attention to a Week 2 home game against Ohio State, a matchup that already carries plenty of early-season intrigue. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, are coming off their own opener against Ball State and will be trying to settle in on both sides of the ball after making changes along the offensive line and defense.
One of the first things Ohio State will have to monitor in Austin is Texas health on defense and in the backfield. Running back Derrek Cooper is expected to miss the game after an ankle injury, and safety Yaheim Riley also did not dress in the opener, leaving the Longhorns with some uncertainty to sort through before the Buckeyes arrive. [Read more 🡒]