Here are two players to watch on offense as The Ohio State Buckeyes welcome the No. 1-Ranked Texas Longhorns in Week One.

The third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes will have their hands full in their season-opener as they host the top-ranked Texas Longhorns in the Shoe next Saturday at noon. The game is one of the biggest season-openers in team history, and will be a repeat of the College Football Playoff National Semifinal from last season.

We all know how that ended. Defensive end and Ohio-native Jack Sawyer made one of the biggest plays in Buckeye history as he stripped his former roommate and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and ran the ball back 83 yards for a touchdown. The Buckeyes held on 28-14 en route to winning the first-ever 12-team playoff.

The defense made plays time and time again especially late in the year for the 2024 buckeyes. In their last matchup with Texas, Ohio State struggled at times to move the ball against a stingy defense. The offense also lost some key contributors including quarterback Will Howard, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, and running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins.

So, who will step up and make plays against one of the best defenses in the country? Familiar faces in Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate will surely get into the game and make an impact. Here are a few other names to watch if the Ohio State offense wants to find success against the Longhorns. 

Running Back James Peoples

Second-year running back James Peoples had 197 rushing yards last season on four yards per carry and two rushing touchdowns. He was the third man in the backfield behind the now-NFL bound duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. His biggest game stat-wise came against Western Michigan when he ran the ball ten times for 51 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

In last year’s affair with the Orange and White, the Buckeyes struggled to get the run game going, finishing with just 81 rushing yards and an average of 3.4 yards per carry. To be fair, neither back had too many carries, and the backs still accounted for all three offensive touchdowns in the game for the Buckeyes.

With a brand new quarterback under center against one of the best defenses in the country, being able to run the ball especially early in the game will be crucial to relieve the stress of players, coaches, and fans. James Peoples is a very talented back who has been compared to J.K. Dobbins during his Ohio State tenure. His first start will come against a very talented defensive line, which will make every yard earned.

West Virginia transfer CJ Donaldson will be joining Peoples in the backfield to form a new running back duo for the scarlet and gray. This will be great for Peoples to get some rest while also being the lead back for this new-look offense under Brian Hartline.

If Peoples can make a few plays on the ground and help protect Julian Sayin, it will give Ohio State a much better chance of moving the ball down the field and beating Texas. The offensive line will need to be connected in order to help Peoples perform.

Tight End Max Klare

The top transfer tight end this offseason joined the Buckeye offense and will be a very big piece of the puzzle. Former Purdue Boilermaker Max Klare has been named to a variety of pre-season watchlists this season and is expected to be a huge weapon for Julian Sayin and the offense.

Klare hauled in 51 receptions for 685 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns last season for the Boilermakers and will be critical in helping Sayin in his debut. He had some very impressive games last year for a Purdue team that won just one game. He had games of 133, 91, 83, 78 and 71 receiving yards and had some impressive moves with the ball in his hands.

With the loss of Gee Scott Jr., Klare will fill in as the tight end one in this offense. Although he is expected to be more involved than Scott was, Scott still had some big plays, games, and impact on the team especially against Texas. He was tied for second on the team with five catches against Texas last season, to go along with 30 yards including one of the best efforts of the season to give the offense a manageable fourth and short situation.

That extra effort to help out the quarterback will be vital if the Buckeyes want to score on this Texas defense and make places against the linebackers and secondary. Everyone knows all eyes will be on Jeremiah Smith against this defense that threw numbers at him in the last matchup, when he finished with one catch for three yards.

These Playmakers Will Be A Huge Help For Julian Sayin

Carnell Tate stepped up big in that game leading the offense with seven receptions and 87 receiving yards. With Tate and Smith gaining most of the coverage and attention, I expect Klare and wide receiver Brandon Inniss to make some plays in the short-to-medium passing game.

Giving Sayin some quick and easy throws would make a lot of sense for this offense that retains some pieces but will still be working through some plays. If players like Peoples and Klare can rise to the occasion, the sky is the limit for the Buckeyes offense even against the Longhorns.