In a recent podcast with Locked on Texas' Brad Kellner, he did a collaboration with Locked on Buckeyes' host Jay Stephens to preview the game on Saturday.
It was easy to tell right off the bat that Stephens is worried about how Julian Sayin and the rest of Ohio State's offense is going to fare against the Longhorns' defense on Saturday. Though he did express how talented the entire defense is as a whole, the defensive line is what gives him the most trepidation.
"I can't get over the talent that Texas has, and what happened last year when these two teams played. With some different things going on with the Buckeyes' offensive line, it might be that some guys up front for Texas find ways to create havoc and to penetrate the Buckeyes' offensive line which disrupts the rhythm and the flow for Sayin on Saturday. And so I think for Sayin, if he's able to, if the pocket is clean and he's able to orchestrate and move around and not have to worry about a blitzer or a D-End coming at him, I think he'll be able to get into a flow. But I have my own worries about the Buckeyes' offensive line and a unit that is going to start the year younger than normal, I do wonder if they'll be able to hold up against the talent like in the front four of Texas, for the entire four quarters of the game."
Ohio State has two new starting offensive tackles this season, and depending how comfortable they are in the Buckeyes' offense, it could be a rough day for them on Saturday. Colin Simmons, Ethan Burke, and Colton Vasek are some of the absolute best pass rushers that Ohio State is going to see in 2025, and asking players like Austin Siereveld and Ethan Onianwa to hold up against them all game long is going to be a feat
We could end up seeing Ohio State using tight ends to "stay home" and help in pass protection, which is excellent because that means that Julian Sayin will have 1-2 less targets downfield.
It's no secret to anybody that the Longhorns' defensive line unit is one of the best in the nation heading into 2025. If the Buckeyes can't slow down Texas' pass rush, the game could end up being more lopsided than we think, and in Texas' favor.
Also read: Full guide to Texas vs. Ohio State: Watch info, weather, odds, and more