Breaking Down Texas vs. Ohio State: Matchups, X-Components, and CFP Stakes

Michael Cohen

Faculty Soccer and Faculty Basketball Author

RJ Younger

FOX Sports activities Nationwide Faculty Soccer Analyst

This isn’t simply the highest faculty soccer sport of Week 1. It’s the sort of matchup that makes you cancel plans, silence your cellphone, and settle in — since you may be watching the nationwide champion.

Two of the game’s greatest manufacturers — Texas and Ohio State — loaded with NFL expertise and Heisman contenders, are set to collide in one of the vital anticipated season openers in latest reminiscence.

In every single place you look, there’s intrigue. A former five-star QB prospect, Julian Sayin, making his first profession begin on one of many greatest levels within the sport. A Heisman favourite in Arch Manning, who’s solely began two video games, main the No. 1-ranked staff into the house of the defending nationwide champions. A generational extensive receiver expertise in Jeremiah Smith, seeking to avenge the one quiet sport of his profession — a one-catch, three-yard efficiency in final yr’s CFP semifinal in opposition to Texas. It is a sport the place the margins are razor-thin — and the implications are huge.

To interrupt all of it down, our writers tackled the important thing matchups, spotlighted the X-factors, explored the CFP and Heisman stakes — and made their picks.

Let’s get into it.

1. What’s the greatest matchup to look at in Ohio State vs. Texas?

RJ Younger: Texas’ secondary vs. Jeremiah Smith

Regardless of a two-touchdown win by Ohio State the final time it squared up with Texas, the Longhorns didn’t let Jeremiah Smith beat them. Heck, they made certain he touched the ball only one time — for 3 yards. Texas’ determination to bracket Smith with Longhorn defenders operating a digital triangle round him led to 1-on-1 matchups elsewhere, and former OSU QB Will Howard exploited them, finishing 24 of 33 passes for 289 yards with one TD and one INT. 

I’ll be watching to search out out if Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski deploys that scheme once more on Saturday and if the Buckeyes have one other counter. Within the CFP, the Longhorns had been the one staff to carry Smith to fewer than 88 receiving yards and with no TD. That it wasn’t sufficient to get the win ought to fear Texas followers.

Michael Cohen: Essentially the most fascinating matchup in Saturday’s sport includes two individuals who won’t ever contact the ball and gained’t even log a single snap: Texas head coach and playcaller Steve Sarkisian in opposition to new Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, the previous head coach of the Detroit Lions (2018-20) and longtime Invoice Belichick disciple with greater than a decade of expertise teaching for the New England Patriots (2004-17, 2021-22). 

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day turned heads throughout the faculty soccer panorama in February when he tabbed Patricia, 50, because the unlikely alternative for former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who bolted shortly after successful the nationwide title to develop into the highest-paid coordinator within the nation at Penn State. Although Patricia had been wildly profitable throughout a lot of his tenure with the Patriots, which included three Tremendous Bowl victories and 6 seasons because the staff’s defensive coordinator, his standing within the teaching occupation had soured following a disastrous two-plus seasons accountable for the Lions and a disappointing stint because the senior defensive assistant/defensive play caller for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023.

Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia appears to be like on throughout spring observe. (Photograph by Jason Mowry/Getty Photos)

That Patricia hadn’t coached on the collegiate stage since he was a graduate assistant at Syracuse from 2001-03 made Day’s alternative much more uncommon. He’s now accountable for a unit that led the nation in complete protection (254.6 yards per sport) and scoring protection (12.9 factors per sport) final season. In different phrases, Patricia has extremely huge sneakers to fill. 

The primary playcaller Patricia will tangle with — Sarkisian — is extensively considered one of many keenest offensive minds in faculty soccer, evidenced by his three nationwide championships as both a quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator or each throughout the primary twenty years of his profession. Sarkisian is considered one of solely three Texas coaches at school historical past to win 10-plus video games in back-to-back seasons, becoming a member of program legends Mack Brown, who did it yearly from 2001-09, and stadium namesake Darrell Royal, who completed that feat in 1963-64 and once more in 1969-70. Final yr’s Longhorns, who reached the Faculty Soccer Playoff semifinals for a second consecutive season, led the nation in huge features with 108 performs of 20-plus yards. And regardless that Texas misplaced eight starters on that aspect of the ball, together with its prime three move catchers and 4 of 5 offensive linemen, the depth of expertise Sarkisian has amassed by way of 4 consecutive recruiting lessons ranked among the many prime six nationally ought to replenish the lineup with relative ease. 

2. Which participant may very well be the X-factor in deciding this sport – and why?

Michael: Colin Simmons, edge rusher, Texas. 

Colin Simmons #11 of Texas celebrates throughout a sport in opposition to Ohio State. (Photograph by CFP/Getty Photos)

A former five-star recruit within the 2024 cycle, Simmons exploded onto the nationwide scene final fall with a outstanding true freshman marketing campaign at Texas. He appeared in all 16 video games for the Longhorns and racked up 9 sacks (most within the nation amongst freshmen), 14 tackles for loss (most within the nation amongst freshmen) and 46 quarterback pressures (second-most within the nation amongst freshmen). The tip end result for Simmons was a bouquet of Freshman All-American honors from 4 completely different media shops and the Shaun Alexander Nationwide Freshman of the 12 months award, which had solely been given to an edge rusher as soon as earlier than. 

This weekend, Simmons can have a chance to pose issues for a retooled Ohio State offensive line that options 4 new starters from the group that gained the nationwide championship, together with each offensive tackles. The Buckeyes’ newly anointed left sort out, Austin Siereveld, arrived in Columbus as an inside offensive linemen within the 2023 recruiting cycle and performed all 495 of his snaps final season at guard, splitting time between left (307 snaps) and proper (188 snaps). His transfer from guard to sort out was pretty shocking when Day introduced it partway by way of fall camp and may require a couple of video games to take maintain. On the opposite finish of the road, Ohio State will doubtless platoon a pair of transfers in former Minnesota offensive sort out Phillip Daniels (No. 44 switch, No. 5 OT) and former Rice offensive sort out Ethan Onianwa (No. 102 switch, No. 13 OT) after their competitors continued into the ultimate week of fall camp. 

All of these are matchups that Simmons, who must be among the many greatest edge rushers within the nation this season, will doubtless welcome in his pursuit of quarterback Julian Sayin. 

RJ: Julian Sayin, quarterback, Ohio State. 

Since 2010, quarterbacks making their first profession begin vs. an AP No. 1-ranked staff are 0-16. In actual fact, the final time a QB making his first profession begin defeated an AP No. 1-ranked staff was when Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh led the Wolverines to victory in opposition to No. 1 Miami (FL) on September 8, 1984.

There isn’t a Buckeye fan alive or lifeless who would not wish to see Sayin finish that drought — particularly in opposition to the staff they hate most, and a quarterback with a final title they know all too effectively. That process now falls to Sayin, who’s been given a easy directive from head coach Ryan Day:

“Simply win. Discover a method to win.”

Quarterback Julian Sayin #10 of the Ohio State Buckeyes warms-up previous to the Ohio State Spring Recreation. (Photograph by Ben Jackson/Getty Photos)

3. How does this sport influence Faculty Soccer Playoff seeding – and even Heisman campaigns – proper out of the gate?

RJ: If Sayin or Manning put up a gaudy stat line, they’ll doubtless vault to the highest of the leaderboard. However Smith stays the participant almost certainly to learn from an enormous sport. If he can flip his one catch for 3 yards final yr in opposition to UT right into a sport that appears much like the one he performed in opposition to Oregon — seven catches for 187 yards with two TDs — he may sew up the Heisman in Week 1 and cruise to the stiff-arm trophy on the energy of a season tantamount to the one he loved final yr if OSU can attain the Large Ten title sport.

Michael: RJ is right in suggesting {that a} sterling efficiency from both quarterback will instantly thrust that participant towards the higher echelon of early Heisman Trophy favorites in the identical means that the faculty soccer world was buzzing — albeit briefly — about former USC quarterback Miller Moss when he accomplished 27 of 36 passes for 378 yards, one landing and no interceptions in a high-profile, Week 1 victory over then-No. 13 LSU on a impartial website final yr. However in contrast to Moss, who rapidly light from any authentic consideration for the game’s prime award and wound up dropping his beginning job late within the yr, it stands to motive that each Sayin and Manning ought to have larger endurance given each their particular person pedigrees and the standard of their respective supporting casts. Manning, specifically, is taken into account among the many odds-on favorites to win the award after the outstanding glimpses he confirmed whereas throwing for 939 yards, 9 touchdowns and solely two interceptions in simply 260 snaps final season behind starter Quinn Ewers. 

As for any Faculty Soccer Playoff seeding implications, it’s clear from final yr’s introduction to the 12-team format that groups will not be eradicated from postseason consideration with a single defeat in the identical means they could have been through the four-team period, particularly if that loss comes in opposition to a top quality opponent. Ohio State went on to win the nationwide championship in 2024 regardless of dropping two of its three most necessary video games within the common season in opposition to then-No. 3 Oregon and archrival Michigan. And there was no query the Buckeyes morphed into one of the best staff within the nation by January. 

Nonetheless, the winner of Saturday’s marquee matchup can be granted the early inside monitor towards the No. 1 general seed on this yr’s subject, assuming the loser regains its footing and stays within the CFP dialogue all through the autumn. That’s very true for Texas, which has a chance to safe what may be remembered as the game’s greatest highway victory of the season earlier than the calendar even flips to September. It’s laborious to discover a higher résumé-builder than that. 

4. Who wins the sport and why?

Michael: Texas

Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns calls a play within the second half in opposition to the Florida Gators. (Photograph by Tim Warner/Getty Photos)

It’s completely potential that Ohio State will evolve into one of the best staff within the nation in some unspecified time in the future this season, be that by the point convention play begins at Washington on Sept. 27, or someday down the highway when stiffer competitors arrives within the type of No. 12 Illinois on Oct. 11, No. 2 Penn State on Nov. 1 and No. 14 Michigan on Nov. 29. If final yr was any indication, it would take Day and the Buckeyes till mid-December for all the pieces to click on into place. 

However for proper now, a number of days earlier than the large season opener in opposition to Texas, it actually appears like there’s a bit an excessive amount of change for Ohio State to beat in Week 1 when dealing with such an elite opponent. It’s not simply in regards to the Buckeyes dropping 14 gamers to the NFL Draft, tying the college document for many choices in a single yr. Neither is it merely in regards to the introduction of recent beginning quarterback Julian Sayin, an ultra-talented — however undersized — pocket passer whose competitors with Lincoln Kienholz dragged on far longer than most individuals anticipated. Reasonably, it’s the mix of that wide-ranging roster overhaul with the sure-to-be-scrutinized debuts of two new coordinators in Brian Hartline, who’s taking on for Chip Kelly, and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who replaces Jim Knowles, that presents early trigger for concern. An excessive amount of change too quickly could be tough to beat, particularly when these adjustments embody each on-field personnel and gameday operations. 

So whereas there was a equally giant participant exodus at Texas, which despatched 12 gamers to the NFL Draft, together with seven starters on offense, the teaching infrastructure remained the identical on the three most necessary spots: Sarkisian, who doubles because the staff’s offensive playcaller is again; so, too, are offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Kyle Flood and defensive coordinator/outdoors linebackers coach Pete Kwiatkowski. That sort of continuity and familiarity among the many Longhorns’ coaches may very well be a big benefit come Saturday afternoon when each groups are incorporating droves of recent gamers in a pressurized surroundings. 

RJ: Ohio State

The 2 greatest gamers in faculty soccer each play at Ohio State. One among them is Smith and the opposite Caleb Downs. Between these two gamers, they’ve males able to scoring TDs offensively, defensively and on particular groups. They’ve two gamers with one of the best set of fingers on both staff’s respective offense and protection, they usually have playmakers — the type that may erase errors and make a playcall flawed, even when it seemed proper on the snap. If the sport is about which staff’s greatest gamers make one of the best performs within the greatest second, I’ll take Ohio State.

RJ Younger is a nationwide faculty soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports activities. Comply with him at @RJ_Young.

Michael Cohen covers faculty soccer and faculty basketball for FOX Sports activities. Comply with him at @Michael_Cohen13.

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