What Texas Longhorns Must Do Differently in Rematch With Ohio State

As Texas fans count down the days to the long-awaited rematch against Ohio State, it might be worth looking back at last year's matchup — if fans can stomach it, that is.

Do that and fans will find that the Texas offense looked like a shell of the unit it has become. Arch Manning was easily rattled, the receiving room lacked a dominant contested-catch threat and the Longhorns' red zone production was ice cold.

If the Longhorns want to come out on top in their battle with the Buckeyes, they can’t repeat last year's performance — with a certain area needing serious improvement.

Texas' Red Zone Woes

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Longhorns have lost the red zone war in both games against Ohio State, with last season’s game being especially troubling.

On Texas’ two trips to the red zone, it came away with zero points. That ended up being the difference in a game where the Longhorns accrued 336 yards to the Buckeyes 203.

Scoring inside the 20 has been a persistent problem in Sarkisian's time as Texas’ head coach. Since 2022, Texas has scored a touchdown in 58.8% of its trips to the red zone — its best performance coming last season, when that percentage stood at 63.77%, 54th in the nation.

It’s a problem Sarkisian acknowledged in Monday’s press conference.

“Ultimately, we need to be better in those scenarios,” Sarkisian said about Texas’ red zone performances against Ohio State. “That was probably the difference in the ballgame was our inability to score inside the 10 … You know, hopefully this time around we get more opportunities like that, and we can capitalize on them.”

How Texas Finishes the Job

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Cam Coleman catches a pass for a touchdown against the Texas State Bobcats. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The biggest change from last season’s matchup is the addition of a big-bodied contested-catch artist in Cam Coleman.

Against Texas State, it only took four plays to see what Coleman brings when the Longhorns are in striking distance.

Arch Manning's first TD of the season goes to Cam Coleman 😤

Won't be the last we'll see of this Texas duo 🔥 pic.twitter.com/YJG6CWP0pd
— ESPN (@espn) September 5, 2026

Having someone who doesn’t necessarily need to be schemed open changes everything for Sarkisian and Manning. Rather than relying on a carefully crafted play, Manning can just give Coleman a shot to come down with the ball regardless of how tight the coverage is.

Another major difference from last year's matchup is Manning's pocket presence and handling of pressure.

Manning is far more comfortable in the pocket this time around. When pressure came his way against Ohio State last season, Manning too often looked to escape the pocket and improvise. This frequently led to him abandoning the structure of the play and trying to create on the run.

For the first seven weeks of the season, Manning had an average time to throw of 3.14 seconds. In the latter half of the season, that average dropped to 2.69 seconds, showing a quarterback who’s becoming increasingly decisive.

It’s always important to maintain your composure, but it becomes essential inside the 20.

Secondaries can compress throwing windows, and prematurely bailing from the pocket quickly kills plays.

Last season, Texas proved it can move the ball. Now it needs to prove it can finish the job. And while this may be the same two schools, for Texas, it certainly isn’t the same team.

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