Texas and Ohio State are treating Saturday like any other game. It really won't be
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AUSTIN - The stage is set.
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Call the matchup between Texas and Ohio State a game of equals. OK, almost equals.
Hey, it has been a minute since the Longhorns have won it all. Well, more than a minute. Been 21 years, in fact. The Buckeyes were crowned champs more recently, like 20 months ago.
The Longhorns are fully acquainted with the Scarlet and Gray because Ohio State has beaten Texas twice in the last two seasons.
The first loss came in the College Football Playoff semifinals in the Cotton Bowl in January of 2025 and cost Texas a spot in the title game. Blame it on a toss sweep. The second loss last August kept the Longhorns out of the playoffs entirely although a 4-8 Florida team had something to do with it, too.
You would think the Longhorns would be foaming at the mouth to have another crack at the Big Ten's best (sorry, Mr. Cignetti). They probably are in the privacy of the locker room but were on their absolute best behavior Monday.
"I'm excited to get to play Ohio State," quarterback Arch Manning said. "This is why you come to a school like Texas, to play in these big-time games. We're excited."
So Arch is excited. I lost count at 10 of how many times the quarterback said he was excited.
Lance Jackson is excited, too, up to a point.
"I definitely feel like it's just like another game," the sophomore edge rusher said.
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Uh, right, Lance. That's why Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said 20 million viewers will probably be tuned in to the 6:30 game Saturday night at Royal-Memorial Stadium to see just another game. Sure, just another non-conference game.
"We're going to prepare just like we did last week for Texas State," Jackson continued. "You kind of just treat it like last week. We're going to treat this week like next week and the next week after that. You don't really look at an (opposing) team and be like, I may practice harder this week."
That's the way it went Monday.
There wasn't one disparaging word said about Ohio State. Well, former Buckeye Hero Kanu did acknowledge, "I'm not going to make it personal. Can't make it bigger than it is. Obviously, it's still a big game, but you can't let it get to your head. I went to Ohio State and have a lot of friends on that team. And not friends this week."
Of course, he means Texas isn't going to change the way it goes about its business to prepare for arguably the most consistent and successful football team in the country. The Longhorns haven't been far from becoming that with two close losses to the Buckeyes, but they do need to do something different to get over the hump.
It's time for Sark.
"We believe in our process," Sarkisian said. "We've been very efficient in that. We've won a lot of big games since 2022. We won more Top 25 games than anyone. So we've been used to playing big games. We haven't won them all, but for the most part, we've performed pretty well."
He's right. Three straight seasons with 10 wins or more, but that's now how the Buckeyes define success.
It is safe to say this may be the biggest measuring stick for each this season, even if it is just Week 2 in September.
Texas left tackle Trevor Goosby put it best when he said, "It's Goliath against Goliath."
Texas versus Ohio State could well be the Game of the Year. Unless it was already the Ole Miss-Louisville thriller on Sunday night when defense was optional.
Nothing says college football quite like the Buckeyes and the Longhorns. Ohio State has 991 wins in history, second only to Michigan's 1,022, give or take depending on who the clock operator is. Texas has 972 and ranks fourth.
Ohio State dots its i. The Longhorns have their eyes of Texas.
Both have war chests bigger than a third world country.
This war of wills at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday night is so highly anticipated and promises to be so entertaining that 60 minutes may not be enough. It may need an extra second or two just to draw out the fun even longer like some other Big Ten games.
Just look at how evenly matched these teams are, even though Ohio State is No. 1 and Texas nearby at No. 5.
Texas has a great quarterback. Ohio State has a great quarterback. OK, a greater quarterback since Julian Sayin has been more accurate than Manning.
This should be a classic battle of exceptional receivers. If Jeremiah Smith isn't the best wideout in the the nation, Cam Coleman might be. With apologies to Malachi Toney.
When I asked Coleman if this game is for bragging rights as to who is the best receiver in college football, the transfer from Auburn paused and finally said, "I just want to go out and play my game."
The programs boast two of the best and most scrutinized head coaches in the game with a couple of exceptions. Sarkisian still has to win the big one. Ryan Day was probably days away from getting fired after yet another loss to Michigan and had to win a national championship to save his job in the 2024 season. And he did.
These two are alike in so many ways but also different. Before winning a title, Day could beat everybody but his biggest rival, Michigan, with a 2-4 record. Sarkisian owns his biggest rivals - he's 7-1 against Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Arkansas the last four years - but can't win the shiniest trophy of them all.
They're two of the biggest brands in all of college football with some shared colorful history. Before this recent renewal of rivalries, the pair met in 2005 and 2006. Texas won on the road in Columbus the first year. Ohio State won on the road in Austin the following season. Texas won the national title in 2005. Ohio State almost won it in 2006 until it met up with the Florida Gators.
"This will be the most-watched regular season game, arguably of all time," Sarkisian said.
That's a mouthful. But there's a reason that College GameDay is coming to town for the fourth time in the past five years instead of coming last week for Texas State. Texas is expecting to break its attendance record of 105,215 that showed up for a loss to Georgia in 2024.
On the face, this one will be a game between two equals in terms of talent level. There's no telling how many NFL scouts and Lane Kiffin will be here to, uh, evaluate these players.
Heck, these two teams appear to be so even on paper that the betting line is just as close. Texas is a 1½-point favorite.
And the Longhorns are ready. How ready?
They are coached up so well.
If they play on Saturday half as well as they talked on Monday, they cannot be beat.
It wasn't so much coach speak as much as it was no-speak. The Longhorns gave the Buckeyes their flowers and didn't utter a discouraging word.
Sarkisian and the seven players made available were so effusive in their loving compliments about Ohio State, you would have thought they were on the Buckeyes payroll. You might have come away from Monday's two-plus hours of conversations with the idea Texas was playing Rice this weekend.
But just know this. Arch Manning and the boys are excited.
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