Despite all the big-time hype surrounding Texas’ big showdown with Ohio State tonight across the nation, many fans and so-called experts are overlooking and dancing around the main story surrounding this huge game.
Texas must beat Ohio State for multiple reasons; where Ohio State doesn’t have to win due to their overall consistency and recent dominance over Texas. Of course, the Buckeyes want to come to Austin and put on a show and add another huge win to the spectacular record of Ryan Day, but at the end of the day there won’t be many ramifications from a loss to the Longhorns on the road in the big picture unless they are flat out embarrassed.
On the other hand, a loss for the guys in burnt “Orange and White” will have many ramifications which could affect the rest of the season and the future of the program.
The Steve Sarkisian Factor
Since arriving on “The Forty Acres” in 2021, Steve Sarkisian has won two CFP games, a conference title and produced three consecutive double digit winning seasons for a Texas program which hadn’t done that since the Mack Brown Era in the 2000’s when the Longhorns had nine consecutive double digit winning seasons.
Even with his outstanding track record in hand, a loss to Ohio State tonight will be devastating to Sark’s pristine coaching reputation at Texas. Sark would be an extremely disappointing 0-3 against both Georgia and Ohio State in the last three years and that’s simply not the standard at Texas as they’ll more than likely need to go through one or both programs this fall to win the programs first national title since 2005.
Although Texas is doing very well on the recruiting front especially keeping kids home right here in the “Lonestar State”, another loss to Ohio State will seriously slow down the momentum they have on the recruiting trail. As kids these days don’t want to play for a program who consistently comes up short in huge games.
Very rarely can one say a Week 2 game for a coach as established and as accomplished as Coach Sark is at Texas is a must win game for the program but tonight is one of those nights.
Arch Manning Needs To Beat Ohio State For His Legacy
After entering the 2025 season as the “Golden Boy” for college football, Arch Manning was stripped off his glow in first career road start in Columbus last season. When the dust settled, Manning completed 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but most of those yards came in the fourth quarter.
All and all a very underwhelming performance.
Fast forward to tonight and a big win and an all-star performance by Manning against Ohio State will definitely insert him into the Heisman trophy conversation, but more importantly for Longhorn fans give him the legacy defining win he needs to add to his Texas resume.
Thanks to playing behind a shaky offensive line last season, Manning unfairly took a lot of unnecessary criticism from pundits and fans all over the country. With an improved line and added playmakers in Cam Coleman, Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown at the skill position, Manning heads into Saturday night leading the most talented unit he’s been apart off in his career.
Add in the fact he averages 272.5 passing yards and 2.8 touchdown passes in home starts along with sporting an undefeated 10-0 record in starts at DKR and the stage is set up perfect for the face of the Texas program to perform in a legacy game. A win sets the tone and gives Arch and Texas’ the inside track to a CFP berth, while a loss will cast a lot of doubt, anxiety and uncertainty on a program who thinks it has one of the best football teams in nation.
Texas has to beat Ohio State in Austin, Ohio State doesn’t have to beat Texas.
