BSports - Latest Sports News & Updates

Looking at the key numbers heading into Saturday’s heavyweight matchup.

FOX has been hyping up Saturday’s matchup between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State as the biggest season-opener ever, and it definitely could be.

Just saying the names of the two programs makes it feel like a big matchup. Add to it the fact that it’s the season-opener, with it being a rematch of last year’s College Football Playoff Semifinal, and the stars that will be on the field Saturday afternoon make this an all-time anticipation for a heavyweight fight.

Land-Grant Holy Land is taking a look at the numbers related to one or both of these two teams heading into Saturday’s matchup.

232

It’s been 232 days since the Buckeyes beat the Longhorns 28-14 to advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship. That’s 33 weeks and one day by the time Saturday rolls around.

In that time, Ohio State won the National Championship by beating Notre Dame, 34-23. The Buckeyes’ win completed the greatest run any team has had to win a national title in college football history.

Texas has had a lot of hype generated this offseason. Much of that is due to Arch Manning taking over quarterback and the fact that Texas is ranked No. 1 to start the season in both the AP and Coaches Polls.

Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, Caleb Downs, and Sonny Styles are the key players back as the Buckeyes look for a repeat.

Both teams lost a lot of key players this offseason, and their respective rosters have a lot of new players on them, but that’s not taking away the hype that this game has. The rematch is hard to exceed the greatness of the originial, but this one very well could with the level of talent and pedigree of both teams in this matchup.

10

Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles has earned 10 preseason honors heading into Saturday.

6

Styles is also the sixth “Block O” recipient in program history.

Here is the Buckeyes team website’s description of the “Block O:”

Ohio State’s tradition of awarding the Block “O” is inspired by one of the all-time greats to ever don the Scarlet and Gray: Bill Willis. A defensive end whose career spanned from 1942-44, Willis was an All-American and national champion during his time with the Buckeyes. He later went on to break the color barrier in the National Football League as a member of the Cleveland Browns and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well as the College Football Hall of Fame.

Willis’ No. 99 is retired at Ohio State, and what he stood for – toughness, accountability, and the highest of character – are values that the current-day Buckeyes strive for every day.

11

Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has earned 11 preseason honors heading into this season, including the Fred Biletnikoff Preseason Watch List.

5

This is the fifth all-time meeting between Texas and Ohio State. All of them have come in the previous 20 seasons, including last year’s Playoff Semifinal.

Interestingly, this is the first meeting in Columbus since 2005. The last three meetings have been in Austin (2006), Glendale, Arizona (2009) and Arlington, Texas (2025).

The series between the Longhorns and Buckeyes is tied 2-2, and the two teams have alternated wins in the first four games.

63

Even though the Coaches Poll isn’t really used throughout college football coverage, it’s still worth noting that this is a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup and the 63rd such matchup in history.

2

This is the second No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup of any kind between Texas and Ohio State. The previous matchup came in 2006, when No. 2 Ohio State went into Texas to knock off the No. 1 Longhorns.

In that game, Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns, with one each to Anthony Gonzalez and Ted Ginn Jr. James Laurinaitis had an interception and two forced fumbles with two passes defended in the game.

45

That’s the number of times ESPN College Gameday host Lee Corso has donned the Brutus headgear since the first he time he put it on in 1996. Corso has never been shy to express his love and affection for Brutus, and it’s likely he will put it on one more time on his final show Saturday.

26

This is the 26th time Ohio State has hosted College Gameday since the show began traveling in 1993. That is the most for any school in the show’s history.

67

Overall, Ohio State has played in a game where College Gameday has been 67 times. That is also the most in the show’s history.

431

According to ESPN, Saturday will be Corso’s 431st headgear selection. He is currently 286-144 with his headgear selections.

11

This is the 11th time since 2013 that the Buckeyes are ranked in the top five of the AP Preseason poll to start the season.

Know your Opponent: Texas

Texas is one of the premier college football programs in the country. They began play in 1893, and are in their second season in the SEC. The Longhorns were in the Big 12 from 1996-2023 after 81 years in the Southwest Conference.

In its history, Texas has 34 conference titles and has been to the College Football Playoff twice. They have won four national championships, with their most recent coming in 2005.

Individually, 57 players have earned All-American honors at Texas, and two players — Earl Campbell in 1977 and Ricky Williams in 1998 — have won the Heisman Trophy.

In their first season in the SEC, Texas went 11-2 and played in the SEC Championship against Georgia. They won two games in the College Football Playoff before losing to Ohio State in the Playoff Semifinals.

Texas is now fully invested in Arch Manning at quarterback, and Steve Sarkisian enters his fifth season as the Longhorns head coach.