This year at LGHL, the day before Ohio State games we are trying something a little different. “3 & Out” is going to inform you on the upcoming opponent for the Buckeyes. By the name, you probably could tell we are going to handle things in threes.
Along with highlighting three key players from Ohio State’s opponents, we will shed some light on three things the Buckeyes have to be wary of, and close things out by having a little fun by mentioning three notable alumni or facts from the school that’ll
be matching up with Ohio State.
We’ll be starting this series off in style in one of the biggest non-conference home games in Buckeye history. After taking down Texas in Dallas in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl in January, Ohio State will welcome the Longhorns to Columbus for the second time ever.
Vince Young and Texas left Ohio Stadium with a 25-22 victory back in 2005 in a thrilling game under the lights. Now the two prestigious programs will open up the 2025 season with the winner looking to kick off the new season with a massive victory.
1st Down
Key players from Texas
1) Arch Manning
The biggest star for Texas is undoubtedly quarterback Arch Manning, who will be making his third college start on Saturday. The son of former Ole Miss wide receiver Cooper Manning is a little more nimble than uncles Peyton and Eli, as evidenced by the 67-yard touchdown run Arch broke off last year.
In the same game, Manning threw touchdowns of 75 yards and 50 yards, making him the only quarterback in the last 25 years in the FBS and NFL to throw touchdowns of at least 75 and 50 yards in a game, as well as have a rushing touchdown of at least 65 yards.
Despite his limited experience at the college level, Manning is not only a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in December, but if he does declare for the 2026 NFL Draft he will likely be the first player taken. With his first two starts coming against UTSA and Mississippi State, Saturday’s showdown with the Buckeyes will undoubtedly be the toughest atmosphere he has played in.
Even though Manning saw some limited work in big games last season for the Longhorns, now he has a lot more responsibility on his shoulders.
2) Anthony Hill Jr.
One of the top linebackers in the country last year was Anthony Hill Jr. Not only did Hill finish the season with 103 tackles, he registered 16.5 tackles for loss, eight of which were sacks, as well as four forced fumbles. It’s no surprise Hill is on a gaggle of preseason award watch list, and is in the mix to be an All-American.
What makes Hill a special prospect is that he makes plays at each level of the defense. Hill is essentially the quarterback of the Longhorn defense, making sure his teammates are where they need to be as he diagnoses the upcoming play. Think of Hill as the Texas version of James Laurinaitis.
If the Buckeyes allow Hill to get downhill early, it could be a long afternoon.
3) Colin Simmons
Last year, Simmons burst onto the scene with nine sacks and three forced fumbles, winning the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award. With Micah Parsons “holding in” for the Dallas Cowboys right now, Simmons might just be the most popular defensive end in the state of Texas.
While Ohio State does return some starters from last year’s offensive line, it will have to use relatively new tackles. Austin Siereveld spent most of last season at guard, while Phillip Daniels transferred into the program from Minnesota in the offseason.
With some linemen trying to adjust to some new roles, it could spell trouble for Julian Sayin, who will be making his first career college start.
2nd Down
What Ohio State has to be wary of
1) Continuity on the Texas coaching staff
With both teams having to replace a bunch of starters from last season, what could give the Longhorns a leg up is a coaching staff that is comfortable with each other. Texas is the only school in the country to have the same head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and special teams coordinator in each of the last five years.
Steve Sarkisian has found a number of guys he deeply trusts, and it shows since the Longhorns are the only FBS team to make the College Football Playoff the last two seasons.
Ohio State can’t say the same. After their national title triumph in January, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly went back to the NFL, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles joined a Big Ten enemy, and offensive line coach Justin Frye is now with the Arizona Cardinals.
It will be interesting to see how much trust Ryan Day has in new offensive coordinator Brian Hartline. The defense should be fine since Matt Patricia has coached with Bill Belichick, so it’s obvious Patricia knows all the tricks of the trade.
2) Ohio State can’t let the moment be too big
For a bunch of guys, Saturday’s game will be their first-ever start in college football. Buckeye Nation was spoiled last season because they had a bunch of veterans taking the field throughout the season, so you had an idea of how they were going to handle the pressure. That isn’t the case this season, as Ohio State had 14 players drafted in April.
How quickly Julian Sayin, James Peoples, and the rest of the new starters find their comfort zone is going to be critical. If there are some early issues, the key will be to put those mistakes behind them before those miscues compound and the Buckeyes find themselves in a hole they can’t dig out of.
2021 is a perfect example. In C.J. Stroud’s second start, Ohio State couldn’t find its legs and was never able to catch Oregon at Ohio Stadium. While the season still ended with a Rose Bowl victory, the Buckeyes could have made the playoff had it not been for the loss to the Ducks.
Though a loss won’t eliminate Ohio State from this year’s CFP, they can’t allow a bad start to define their season.
3) Ohio State can’t force the football to Jeremiah Smith
Last year, Texas decided to blanket Jeremiah Smith, only giving up one catch to the talented wide receiver. The difference from last year to this season is that in January, the Buckeye offense was loaded. TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate all made plays with the Longhorns, focusing more attention on Smith.
Not only does Carnell Tate return, but Ohio State brought over a Purdue tight end in the transfer portal. There are questions at running back with the Buckeyes, though. Julian Sayin has to be smart with his throws and force the issue to Smith since Texas has an opportunistic defense that picked off 22 passes last season.
Ohio State has other weapons in the passing game, so Sayin has to recognize when a throw to Smith isn’t there, even though the sophomore receiver will tell you he is open on every play.
3rd Down
Texas pop culture
1) Matthew McConaughey
Alright, alright, alright.
Detective Rust Cohle will likely be prowling the sidelines in Columbus because he is sort of a spirit animal for the Longhorns. McConaughey graduated from the University of Texas in 1993 and has gone on to be one of the most recognizable movie stars in the world.
The Buckeyes and Longhorns will be foes on Saturday, but at least we can all enjoy the respect McConaughey will show the game. After all, Buckeye Nation loves its scarlet and gray heroes as much as McConaughey loves his burnt orange warriors.
2) Bevo
Unfortunately, Bevo won’t be traveling with Texas to Columbus. Let’s be honest, it would be fun to see Bevo charging out of the tunnel before the game on Saturday. At least we know Brutus Buckeye would be a little more cautious around Bevo than UGA was a few years ago when the Longhorns and Aggies squared off.
The current mascot is Bevo XV, who took over the position in 2016 at 19 months old. Since Bevo is now 2,100 pounds, it is easy to see why bringing him to Columbus was a task too tall for Texas.
3) Director U
Just like how it’s hard to top Ohio State when it comes to wide receivers, the same could be said about Texas and movie directors. Wes Anderson, Jay and Mark Duplass, Richard Linklater, and Robert Rodriguez are just a few of the talented directors who attended the school. Imagine trying to put together a Hall of Fame for those directors and trying to decide who to induct first!
If we weren’t about to be in the midst of so much college football over the next few months, a movie marathon with works from those directors would be incredible. Although picking the movies included would be the tough part.
& Out
Ohio State 24, Texas 17
Go Bucks!
