Heading into their week one showdown against Ohio State in Columbus on Saturday, there are three specific areas that Texas needs to have success in to ultimately win the game.
Though there are likely more than just three, these specific positional or personnel matchups could have a big enough affect on the game to sway it one way or another.
Texas' secondary vs. Ohio State's pass-catchers
It's no secret that the Buckeyes have one of the best, if not the best, group of pass-catcher's in all of college football heading into week 1. Wide receivers Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss along with new tight end Max Klare could be problematic for Texas the entire game if they don't contain them early.
Longhorn defensive backs Malik Muhammad, Jaylon Guilbeau, Jelani McDonald, and Michael Taaffe have had a great summer for DC Pete Kwiatkowski and Co. so far. Guilbeau was originally working at "star", but he was moved outside with the emergence of true freshman CB Graceson Littleton in the slot this offseason.
If Texas can find a way to limit Jermiah Smith on the outside with different variations of zone coverage, then it's possible that they could make the Buckeyes' offense one-dimensional on Saturday. Zone coverage shells force the quarterback to make tough, precise decisions, which is something that OSU QB Julian Sayin hasn't done yet in a college football game.
Texas' offensive line vs. Ohio State's defensive line
Yes, Texas' offensive line has to do an excellent job of protecting Arch Manning in the passing game, but the run game might be more important in this one for Steve Sarkisian.
If the Longhorns are able to find consistency in the ground game, then it'll take tons of pressure off of Manning to be the sole mover of the offense. Neto Umeozulu, Cole Hutson, and D.J. Campbell are going to have to get good vertical movement on the interior and specifically on Ohio State defensive tackles Kayden McDonald, Eddrick Houston, and Tywone Malone.
Trevor Goosby's matchup against OSU DE Beau Atkinson is explained in depth here as well.
Arch Manning vs. Julian Sayin
The game's two highly touted and talented quarterbacks should be primed for one of the better head-to-head QB matchups of the 2025 season this weekend. Both of these players have an incredible amount of pressure on their shoulders to lead their teams to the promised land this year, and it all starts with their performances in this game.
Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning need to figure out a way to get the most out of their top offensive weapons on Saturday. Though Ohio State's secondary is always top notch, guys like Ryan Wingo, DeAndre Moore Jr., Parker Livingstone, Emmett Mosley V, and new tight end Jack Endries all have unique skillsets that could give OSU's defense fits.
For example, Ohio State CB Davison Igbinosun has excellent size and athletic ability, but it'll be hard for him to matchup with the speed of Ryan Wingo on the outside.
As mentioned earlier in the article, Ohio State's receiving core is incredibly good and will most likely give Julian Sayin some easy throwing windows from time to time. Whichever quarterback takes control and finds a way to be more efficient than the other throughout the game will probably be on the winning team in this one.