Texas vs Ohio State: Keys to Victory, Arch Manning’s Debut, and Predictions for Week 1 Showdown

Gameweek is here! The Texas Longhorns’ season opens against the same opponent that ended their National Title hopes a year ago. What’s the No. 1 thing you’ll be watching as Texas takes on No. Ohio State?

Daniel Seahorn (@DanielSeahorn) – The game is won and lost in the trenches, so that’s where I will be watching. Will Texas be able to establish the run game? Will they be able to adequately protect Arch? Will the Texas defensive front be able to get pressure on Sayin? That’s probably what I will be watching the most. 

Gerald Goodridge (@ghgoodridge) –  The offensive line and running backs. Texas’s ability to run the ball against this Ohio State defense will likely be the difference in the game. If the Longhorns can get CJ Baxter, or the ground game in general, going, then I think the Longhorns will fare well. If you pair a solid ground attack with what should be a top-10 defense, everything else seemingly takes care of itself. 

Cameron Parker (@camerondparker) – How the offensive line handles Ohio State’s defensive front. We’re hearing that Sark may shake up the projected starting five up front, and protecting Arch Manning and establishing the run will be huge not only on Saturday but all season long. 

Jacob Neidig (@jneidig_2) – Cleanliness on the offensive end and speed on the defensive side of the ball. I don’t expect perfection, but I do think these are two areas that will set the tone for the game and overall season. I want to see Texas avoid presnap penalties, line up properly, and handle their assignments while possessing the ball. 

Quentin Bell (@uncleqbell) –  I’ll be keeping my eye on the o-line and the d-line. Discipline, execution, and working as a cohesive unit are the keys to the o-line. While the d-line needs to keep constant pressure and disrupt the Buckeye offense.

Wescott Eberts (@SBN_Wescott) – Man, y’all are tripping. I’m going to be watching Arch freaking Manning playing in front of a hostile crowd supporting the reigning national champions. He’s been waiting for this moment for two years and is ready to get out there, have some fun, and let it rip. I can’t wait to see what that looks like.

The Texas defense held Jeremiah Smith to one reception for three yards in their last meeting. Can PK’s secondary keep the Heisman hopeful in check again?

Daniel – If I had to bet on it, I probably would say Smith does better than that this second time around, but I’m sure there will be a concerted effort to not let him wreck the game on Saturday. You’re fine with a guy like Smith getting nickels and dimes, but you can’t let him crush you with explosive plays like he did to teams last year. 

Gerald – PK’s defense has done a great job against most opponents at limiting the big plays; however, I think expecting the defense to limit a presumptive top-five pick to another single-catch outing is unfair. While I have this down as a defensive battle, I think that Jeremiah Smith probably ends up with more than one catch.

Cameron – I would wager that Jeremiah Smith finishes with more than one reception on Saturday. Unlike last season, I don’t think Ohio State can beat Texas without Smith creating a few big plays. Sure, Carnell Tate remains, but Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson, and Quinshon Judkins are gone. There are a lot of question marks surrounding Ryan Day’s offense, especially at quarterback. Jeremiah Smith can answer a lot of those questions with a big performance on Saturday.

Jacob –  I would consider minimal, lengthy catches and third-down conversions to be holding Smith in check. He’ll get his touches early and often. There’s hardly a way to stop that. Ensuring he doesn’t take over the game will be more important than a certain number of yards. 

Quentin –  Smith will have a better game, but if the defense can keep constant pressure, he’ll be limited. Hitch, slants, screens, and the occasional deep curl route are where he’ll probably get most of his looks. He might get a touchdown with limited touches.

Wescott – I’m a little bit conflicted on this one. On one hand, I think it makes a lot of sense for Texas to adopt a similar game plan and ensure that Smith doesn’t create any game-changing plays. On the other hand, Will Howard was able to make a lot of completions over the middle last year, finding holes in the Texas coverage. With an inexperienced quarterback playing for the Buckeyes on Saturday, I would like the Longhorns to close those easy windows and make Julian Sayin complete more difficult passes to Smith. I think they can combine to make some plays, but nothing game-changing.

What is the biggest key for Texas to win on Saturday?

Daniel – Playing a clean game on offense and taking the hostile crowd of The Horseshoe out of the game early. Communication is always a big deal, but it will be incredibly important that everyone is on the same page, given how hard it can be to deal with a hostile road environment like the one in Columbus. 

Gerald – Getting the ground game going early. A young quarterback’s best friend, especially going into one of the toughest environments in the country, is the offense’s ability to stay on pace. If the run game gets going, the pressure eases on the rest of the offense to do it all themselves, potentially putting the ball in peril and giving that home crowd juice.  

Cameron – Avoid turnovers and play their brand of football. I sense Saturday being a defensive battle, so whichever team can avoid making the most mistakes will win. 

Jacob –  Winning in the trenches. The Texas offense has to churn out yards on the ground, early and often. The ability to run and protect the pocket will greatly impact how Manning plays at QB. If Texas wants Arch to shine, he’ll need help up front. Defensively, the same applies. If the Longhorns hope to disrupt the opposing offense, it starts with clogging the run and putting pressure on the quarterback. 

Quentin –  Discipline and execution. The o-line needs to work together as a unit to get leverage in the trenches, whereas the defense needs to give consistent pressure with eyes on the ball at all times.

Wescott – It’s imperative to play clean football on the road, and that means avoiding mental mistakes like procedural penalties on offense, protecting the football, and avoiding game-changing breakdowns like, say, allowing a long touchdown on a throwaway screen pass before halftime or running a disastrous toss play on the goal line.

Who wins? Texas (+2.5 at FanDuel) or Ohio State? 

Daniel – I think this one will be tight and we will probably see the inexperience of young signal callers rear their heads at different parts of the ball game. I am taking the Longhorns in a tight one on the road. Texas 24, Ohio State 20. 

Gerald – I think this is going to be a very defense-heavy game. These are two of the most talented units in the country, squaring off against inexperienced quarterbacks. The team that controls the line of scrimmage the best wins, and I think that it’s Texas in this one. Texas 24, Ohio State 21.

Cameron – Give me an ugly, defensive battle that will be similar to last year’s Cotton Bowl semi-final. Except this time around, the Horns end up victorious. The Arch Manning era begins with a W. Texas 24, Ohio State 16

Jacob – I expect the offense for Texas to have more struggles than people anticipate. I’d be surprised if the game turns into a track meet, especially early on. For both teams, this is a game, not unlike any others, but perhaps to a greater degree, where finding a way to gut out a win is far more important than how the win looks. Give me a Longhorn W in a game where the final score looks closer than it was. Texas 27, Ohio State 20.

Quentin –  I believe that this will be a tight one with both sides working out the first week kinks and a defensive battle till the end. Texas 28, Ohio State 21.

Wescott – I’ve got a few more hours in which I can inhabit whatever world of optimism I prefer before having to face whatever reality awaits at the Shoe, so I think that this one is a thriller with Sayin showing some mettle with a late touchdown drive to tie it and Arch responding in the two-minute drill to set up a game-winning 47-yard field goal by Mason Shipley, who then drags his buckeyes across the Ohio State logo at midfield. Texas 20-17 to cover the spread, and Heid Manning fulfills his promise to tear up Columbus with help from the rest of the burnt orange nation. Texas 20, Ohio State 17