Texas Longhorns vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Preview: Keys to Victory

The Texas Longhorns do not have to wait until the latter portion of their 2025 schedule to find a difficult challenge, as the Longhorns take a trip up north to Columbus to take on the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes to open the season on Aug. 30.

Much has already been said about the surrounding hype to the Week 1 matchup, with the game being a rematch of the College Football Playoff Semifinal from a season ago, and both squads will start the season ranked among the best in the country.

Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns are no strangers to big games, traveling to some of the most hostile environments in college football and playing in games with big stakes in recent memory. This season opener will undoubtedly be towards the top of the big games the Longhorns have played. Here are a few things for Texas to focus on if they wish to leave Columbus with a big victory:

How Can Texas Beat Ohio State?

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith — Jan 10, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) and Texas Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron (7) in action | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Contain Jeremiah Smith

Not many were able to contain wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, as the freshman phenom had 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. With multiple highlight performances, with his biggest coming against Oregon, where he amassed 187 receiving yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions, with both touchdowns being of 40-plus yards.

The Longhorns, however, were one of the only teams to continue Smith, as the wide receiver had just one catch for three yards in their matchup a season ago. The Longhorns will need to replicate their success against Smith, especially with an Ohio State offense where Smith will undoubtedly be the featured player, which the offense is built upon.

Pressure Julian Sayin

The Buckeyes announced that redshirt-freshman Julian Sayin will be the starting quarterback for Ohio State when the Longhorns travel to The Shoe. Sayin saw action in just four games, completing five of his twelve passes for 84 yards and a touchdown.

The one thing that will disrupt an offense, especially one with an inexperienced quarterback under center, is pressure. And the Longhorns should have plenty of options when it comes to disrupting Sayin's time in the pocket. With players like Colin Simmons, Ethan Burke, and Anthony Hill Jr., among others, being players who can get to the quarterback on a consistent basis, which will be crucial to stopping Ohio State's defense.

Protect Arch Manning

As important as it is to pressure the opposing quarterback, it is just as big, if not bigger, to make sure yours is not, which will be a point of emphasis for Texas. Protecting Arch Manning will be critical to allow the Longhorns' offense to run smoothly and effectively. While replacing four of their five starting offensive linemen from a season ago could raise some questions, the Longhorns' offensive line will have to work together as a unit on Aug. 30 to leave with a victory.