Ohio State and Texas is the biggest opener in College Football history, so here’s the Buckeyes’ path to a statement Week 1 victory.

After officially naming Julian Sayin the starting quarterback, Ryan Day kept his message simple in his press conference: The Buckeyes just need to find a way to win.” That road, however, begins with one of the most difficult season openers in recent college football history.

On August 30th inside the Horseshoe, No. 1 Texas will square off against No. 3 Ohio State in a rematch of last January’s clash, this time with even higher stakes and playoff implications from Week 1.

For the Buckeyes to deliver the win that Day and Buckeye Nation are demanding, several key factors will determine the outcome. Here are the biggest keys to victory for Ohio State against the Longhorns.

1.) Run the Ball Efficiently

This may sound cliché, and everyone says it, but let’s take a deeper look at what it really means. In our last matchup with Texas, we found very favorable run numbers and light boxes, but we failed to capitalize because of the talent on their defensive line. That won’t change this time around either.

Expect edge rusher Simmons and linebacker Hill to be heavily involved in stopping the run. The offensive line has to create windows and produce more than 81 rushing yards if we want to beat this talented front seven. The run opens up the pass, and with a young quarterback, we’ll need that balance to succeed in this one.

2.) Get Jeremiah Smith Involved

Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian know exactly how explosive Jeremiah Smith is, and they proved it in the last matchup by holding him to just one catch for three yards. Expect them to blanket and bracket him again, often with two, sometimes even three, defenders keeping eyes on him. Even with that attention, Ohio State has to get creative in finding ways to get him the ball.

I’m not expecting a massive stat line or 100-plus yards, but he has to make enough plays to keep the defense honest, open up the run game, and create single-coverage opportunities for others. Last time, he was used primarily as a decoy, but relying on that approach isn’t sustainable. He’s the best player in the country, so feed him targets!

3.) Use New Coordinators to Advantage

With Brian Hartline now calling the offense and Matt Patricia leading the defense, Ohio State enters this opener with a real edge. Texas doesn’t have much film to study on how either will operate with this roster, which means the Longhorns have little idea of the tendencies, rhythms, and situational play-calling the Buckeyes will lean on. That lack of familiarity is a major advantage.

Hartline can mix up formations, tempos, and personnel groupings to keep Texas off balance, while Patricia’s NFL background allows him to craft creative, opponent-specific defensive looks that Texas hasn’t prepared for. The Longhorns know Ohio State’s talent and personnel, but what they don’t know is how these new coordinators will deploy it. If Hartline and Patricia can maximize that uncertainty and dictate the flow on both sides of the ball, Ohio State can keep Texas reactive instead of aggressive, and that could be one of the biggest deciding factors in Week 1.

4.) Mix Up Pre- and Post-Snap Looks on Defense

Only two teams were able to effectively mix up pre- and post-snap looks against Texas last year: Ohio State and Georgia. Georgia was particularly successful with it, and it showed how much discomfort it can cause for Sarkisian’s offense. Texas likes to constantly check at the line of scrimmage to be sure they like their look, and that’s where disguises become essential.

Rotating defensive backs after the snap and showing disguised blitzes are keys to keeping Arch Manning and this offense guessing. Jim Knowles leaned on this approach effectively last year, and the Buckeyes have to continue that blueprint. Keeping Texas out of rhythm is pivotal, and post-snap confusion is one of the most proven ways to do it.

5.) Defensive Line has to be Active

Texas leans heavily on misdirection, play-action, and wide-zone concepts to stress defenses, and those plays give defensive linemen a real opportunity to impact the game if they can play with discipline and aggression. The difference between holding Texas to no gain versus letting them pop off six-yard runs will be critical.

With the Longhorns losing four starters on their offensive line, Ohio State’s front has to capitalize. While the Buckeyes’ defensive line has some experience, this is the moment they need to put it all together. Schematically, these plays allow the defensive line to have more impact because they develop more slowly and require the quarterback to hold onto the ball longer.

If Ohio State fires off the line and disrupts those plays early, that advantage tilts in their favor. That’s why I believe Kenyatta Jackson is poised to have a breakout performance. His quick first step and explosiveness could be the difference in blowing up Texas’ rhythm before it starts.

6.) Let Caleb Downs Play Loose

He’s probably the first true defender outside of front-seven personnel that you have to identify before every single snap since Isaiah Simmons at Clemson. He’s just that good in space and in coverage. When he’s playing free and loose, Ohio State’s entire defense operates on another level. He’s an eraser on the back end who can just as easily crash the line of scrimmage and make plays in the box.

Expect him to move around constantly, forcing Arch Manning and Coach Sarkisian to account for where No. 2 is at all times. His presence alone changes the math for Texas, and that versatility could be the X-factor in tilting this matchup.

7.) True Home Field Advantage

If the Buckeyes can land an early punch and get momentum rolling, the Horseshoe has the power to turn this game into a nightmare for Texas. There are very few environments in college football that can truly rattle an opponent, and Ohio Stadium in a top-three showdown is one of them. One big play, whether it’s a long touchdown, a defensive turnover, or even a key third-down stop, has the potential to send the crowd into a frenzy that forces Texas to burn timeouts, commit false starts, and second-guess themselves at the line of scrimmage. That’s how impactful 100,000-plus screaming fans can be.

Buckeye Nation absolutely needs to lean into this moment. Texas is coming in as the No. 1 team in the country, and this cannot be treated like just another home game. It has to feel like a playoff atmosphere from the first whistle. Every snap, every drive, every defensive stand, the fans have to make their presence felt and tilt the emotional scale toward the Scarlet and Gray.

Momentum is fragile in games of this magnitude, and the energy pulsing through the Shoe can keep Ohio State locked in and hungry across all four quarters. On August 30th, it’s Columbus’s turn to show the South what real football fans sound like.

Top 3 Showdown

When you put all seven keys together, the blueprint for an Ohio State win over Texas becomes clear. The Buckeyes have to establish the run to stay balanced, get Jeremiah Smith involved even against extra coverage, and lean on the creativity of their new coordinators to keep the Longhorns off balance.

Defensively, mixing up pre- and post-snap looks will be crucial to disrupting Arch Manning’s rhythm, while the defensive line must capitalize on Texas’s rebuilt offensive front and blow up their slower-developing plays. Caleb Downs remains the eraser on the back end, a game-changer who can erase mistakes and force Sarkisian to account for him on every snap. And finally, the crowd inside the Horseshoe has to be part of the formula, turning this into one of the loudest, most hostile environments Texas will face all year.

Games of this magnitude come down to execution, discipline, and seizing momentum. If Ohio State can check enough of these boxes, they won’t just “find a way to win” like Ryan Day challenged. They’ll make a statement on opening night that the road to the College Football Playoff runs through Columbus.