Just a few days away from one of the biggest showdowns of the season and it'll take place in Austin between Texas and Ohio State -- a top-5 matchup. In a rematch of last year's season-opener, the Buckeyes look to use this road matchup to catapult themselves into a schedule that will not allow for a breather.
After a 14-7 win for Ohio State last year, where both Julian Sayin and Arch Manning had their struggles, this year ushers in two more veteran and experienced quarterbacks who look to not 'lose' the game for their respective teams, but now go out and win it.
But that's not going to be the deciding factor on Saturday, says Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt. It'll come down to offensive line play.
“Both of these teams lost their games last year because of poor
offensive line play,” Klatt said on his podcast. “Texas lost all of their games; those three games: Ohio State, Florida, and Georgia, because the offensive line was overwhelmed in every one of those games, and Arch didn’t have any time, thus the skill position players couldn’t impact the game to the level that they wanted to impact the game.
“(The) same could be said about Ohio State. They lost to Indiana because they couldn’t control the line of scrimmage. They got dominated at the line of scrimmage by Miami. Those were those two losses ... the difference in this game is going to be about the five guys up front."
This isn't a surprise to Ohio State fans, or any analyst who has been looking at the Buckeyes all offseason and even dating back to last year. The offensive line was always going to be the biggest question and the x-factor for this group in 2026 and would ultimately be the deciding factor in every big time matchup on the schedule.
Against Indiana last year, Ohio State had just 58 rushing yards and averaged 2.2 yards per carry. The Hoosiers torched Ohio State for five sacks and nine tackles for loss, resulting in the lowest point total (10) for the Buckeyes since their loss to Michigan two years ago.
Then against Miami, just one game later, it was more of the same. Ohio State scored just 14 points and averaged 1.9 yards per carry for 45 yards. The Hurricanes had five sacks and seven tackles for loss.
Against Texas, Ohio State ran for just 77 yards and had a 2.3 yard per carry average. Texas ran for 166 yards on 4.5 yards a carry. The Buckeyes didn't allow a sack, however, and gave up just one tackle for loss.
The difference between this year and last year in this matchup will revolve around two new coordinators -- offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for the Buckeyes and defensive coordinator Will Muschamp for Texas. Neither coached in this game a year ago, so there isn't a real familiarity with the matchup.
" The offensive line that protects their passer better is going to win the football game ... The offensive lines have to play well. The defenses will have to adjust," Klatt said. "I can’t wait to see these defenses, but that’s where it’s ultimately going to be won and lost."
Ryan Day mentioned earlier this week that the offensive line may see a lineup tweak come game time. We'll see if that happens at kick, or throughout the game.
Most of the betting lines have Texas anywhere from 1-2-point favorites come Saturday, but anything can happen on the field. With the keys to Saturday outlined by Klatt, who does he give the edge to?
“I think Ohio State wins it," he said. "I think they kick a field goal in a tie ball game late and walk this one off, 27-24. I’ve got the Buckeyes winning an absolute thriller."
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Joel Klatt reveals his keys to the Ohio State vs Texas showdown
