The last time Texas and Ohio State shared a field, the Horns had everything to lose and, well, they did.
The then-No. 1 Texas Longhorns simply couldn't produce on the offensive side of the ball, and they fell to the then-No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes.
This time around, the opposite is true.
The Buckeyes are the No. 1 team in the nation, and they have everything to lose. Meanwhile, the Longhorns entered the season as the No. 5-ranked team in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, moving up to No. 4 after their Week 1 demolition of the Texas State Bobcats.
Yes, obviously, Texas is fighting for a return to the College Football Playoff, and a loss to Ohio State in the second game of the season could derail that effort.
However, the Horns are the lower-ranked team this year; they have the home-field advantage, and they are out for (scarlet-colored) blood.
Buckeyes have everything to lose, Longhorns have (almost) everything to gain in Week 2
If you're going to lose any game of the season, losing to the highest-ranked team in the nation would be the most ideal scenario. However, if you are going to make any kind of statement about deserving a spot in the CFP before heading into conference play, especially in the SEC, a win over the No. 1 team is also the most ideal scenario.
The preseason poll gave the Longhorns even more to play for, and the second top-25 ranking only solidified that motivation:
- Ohio State Buckeyes (-)
- Georgia Bulldogs (up 1)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (up 1)
- Texas Longhorns (up 1)
- Indiana Hoosiers (up 1)
- Oregon Ducks (down 4)
- Miami Hurricanes (-)
- LSU Tigers (up 3)
- Ole Miss Rebels (-)
- Texas A&M Aggies (down 2)
- Oklahoma Sooners (down 1)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (up 1)
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (down 1)
- USC Trojans (-)
- BYU Cougars (down 1)
- Penn State Nittany Lions (up 2)
- SMU Mustangs (up 2)
- Tennessee Volunteers (up 2)
- Washington Huskies (down 2)
- Utah Utes (up 1)
- Iowa Hawkeyes (up 1)
- Houston Cougars (up 1)
- Missouri Tigers (up 1)
- Louisville Cardinals (-)
- UVA Cavaliers (new)
With a win on Saturday, the Longhorns would very likely see themselves leapfrog over both the Georgia Bulldogs and Notre Dame Fighting Irish, undeniably having the best win of the season to their name.
However, with a loss, the Buckeyes would cement themselves atop the national rankings for now, and the Horns could easily see themselves slipping outside of the top five teams.
No. 1 Ohio State and No. 4 Texas are scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 12, and the game will be broadcast on ABC. You're going to want to see this one (whether you're a fan of either team or not).
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