Ohio State and Texas will meet in Austin on Saturday for a titanic college football showdown with playoff implications. 

This Saturday’s monumental showdown features first-round draft picks, blue bloods, elite coaching, and endless storylines. All of that points to a potential instant classic in Austin, TX. Let’s dive into the matchup that the whole country is waiting for.

Opponent Profile

Texas enters the matchup as the No. 4 team in the country and currently sits third in National Championship odds according to a majority of sportsbooks. Head coach Steve Sarkisian currently holds a 49-20 record at Texas, with 11 of those losses against teams inside the top 10. With the No. 1 team in the country coming to town, Sarkisian gets yet another shot at not just a top-10 opponent, but also the Buckeyes for the third straight year.

This year’s edition of the Longhorns will look fairly different from last year. On offense, Texas added the top wide receiver in the portal, according to 247Sports, with the addition of Cam Coleman (Auburn). To complement that, they also added the No. 3 and No. 6 running backs with Hollywood Smothers (NC State) and Raleek Brown (Arizona State), respectively.

Pairing these additions with returning starter Ryan Wingo at receiver has given Arch Manning and Steve Sarkisian a plethora of playmaking options. With Sarkisian still calling his own plays, the chess match between him and Matt Patricia should be a fun one to watch.

On defense, Texas bolstered a young but talented unit with a handful of acquisitions. In the front seven, the Longhorns added the No. 8 defensive lineman Ian Geffrarrd (Arkansas) and No. 6 linebacker Rasheed Biles (Pittsburgh). Biles, a native of Pickerington, Ohio, had his own comments on the Buckeyes: “When I made my list and stuff, I told my mom, ‘Columbus’, I ain’t trying to be in Columbus.”

Biles also alluded to the fact that OSU didn’t want him out of school, which is his main gripe for not wanting to be in Columbus. He certainly has this matchup circled on the schedule, but Ohio State has a dynamic Christian Alliegro at linebacker, and comments like this could put a chip on his shoulder as well.

Texas also has a new defensive player caller with the addition of former South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp. Muschamp had served as a defensive analyst for Kirby Smart and Georgia since 2020 until this year. As a result, this will be his first year calling plays since he was let go in 2020.

Ryan Day expounded on Muschamp, saying, “he’s a great coach, and we all respect him. But he hasn’t called a game in a while. So, there are unknowns about how it will play out and what they’ll do defensively.” A coaching staff like Ohio State’s should have plans for different looks. Still, the mystery element in Muschamp’s game plan could add another wrinkle that forces OSU to make mid-game adjustments.

Run Game Consistency

Ohio State had a slow start in the run game against Ball State, totaling just 35 yards rushing at 2.1 yards per carry in the first half. As a result, attention once again turned to the offensive line, as the play of Phil Daniels was a glaring concern at times.

More specifically, Daniels struggled mightily with sealing the edge on outside run schemes. In an Arthur Smith-led offense, establishing a run threat is paramount, especially when facing a front seven that is as experienced and talented as what Texas has.

“I think early on we didn’t run the ball the way we wanted to, and then it opened up better in the second half. And so, we’ll continue to evaluate that throughout the week and figure out if we have the right mix out there.”

As Day said, the silver lining for OSU is that the offense finished with 237 yards rushing while averaging nearly 7 yards per carry. Moving Van Sickle to right guard and Austin Siereveld to right tackle is a possibility, but this mix also struggled in the few drives it tried against Ball State. The staff will have to do its due diligence this week to find the right guys.

So, this begs the question: What combination will Day and his staff go with this Saturday? Will Phil Daniels get another chance? It’s certainly likely, but nobody knows for sure. This game will quickly answer many questions still looming over the Buckeye offensive line.

Pass Rush/Contain

Kenyatta Jackson’s ability and production have been well documented. After all, he led the nation in QB pressures for week one, according to PFF. The issue that Ohio State faces is the fact that there still is not a second dependable edge threat- for now.

Khary Wilder flashed a handful of times in the first half this past Saturday, but as a true freshman who only came in on third downs, he may need more time. Beau Atkinson and Zion Grady had fairly average performances, although Atkinson was third on the team in tackles with four on Saturday. Epi Sitanilei ended up recording OSU’s lone sack in limited time during the second half. As for Qua Russaw, his availability remains somewhat of a mystery. The Buckeyes have plenty of options.

However, with a potential early first-round pick at Left Tackle for Texas, the burden likely can’t fall squarely on Kenyatta’s shoulders. Arch Manning’s mobility will also demand discipline and awareness from whoever takes the edge spot. Qua Russaw has been working with defensive line coach Larry Johnson all of fall camp to hone his skills on the line. If Matt Patricia decides to employ the hybrid-backer position and Qua is indeed healthy, that would be a strong possibility.

Regardless of how the game or any of these storylines unfold, the entertainment value is off the charts. The talent, coaching prowess, and history of both programs are off the charts. Both teams also face two of the toughest schedules in the country. A loss in this game will put tremendous pressure on either team’s remaining schedule to make the playoffs.

So, in celebration of college football, let’s all enjoy a matchup of titans amongst the chaos that surrounds the sport.

Prediction: Texas 31, Ohio State 27

Visit https://nil.store/TSB and use code TSB for 15% off!

NEXT: Read 5 Things Ohio State Must Figure Out Before Facing Texas From Ryan Day’s Press Conference