The biggest season opener in Ohio State football history is almost here.
In less than 24 hours, Ohio State and Texas will meet in a matchup of two of college football’s top three teams. The national spotlight will shine upon Ohio Stadium as the top-ranked Longhorns meet the defending national champions in a rematch of last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl.
There are plenty of questions surrounding the 2025 Ohio State football team entering the season opener, and the marquee matchup to start the questions means we’ll get answers to those questions – good or bad – quickly. It also makes Saturday an immediate opportunity for Ohio State’s new starters to make a name for themselves, as there are plenty of Buckeyes with something to prove entering the Texas game as Ohio State replaces 14 NFL draft picks from last season.
In our first Last Call of the season, we highlight our biggest questions entering Saturday’s game, identify some players we think will have a major impact on the game and make some final predictions for what we think will happen in the season opener.
Questions
How will Julian Sayin handle the pressure?
Given that Sayin will be playing his first meaningful snaps at the collegiate level on Saturday, this question is both literal and figurative surrounding Ohio State’s new starting quarterback.
In a literal sense, one of the biggest questions about the Buckeyes’ new signal-caller is how he’ll fare against a live pass-rush since quarterbacks typically aren’t tackled during practices. At only 6-foot-1 and 208 pounds, Sayin is on the small side for a Big Ten quarterback, so how will he hold up once he takes a few big hits, and will he remain composed in the pocket when Colin Simmons and the rest of Texas’ pass-rush get close to him?
This is also a question in the figurative sense in that Sayin has no experience that’s even comparable to being the starting quarterback against a top-ranked opponent in one of college football’s biggest games of the year. Will Sayin respond to the bright lights and shine in front of a crowd of 100,000-plus, or will he be overwhelmed by the spotlight and expectations?
How well Sayin performs under both kinds of pressure could make or break whether Ohio State wins Saturday’s game.
– Dan Hope
What will Ohio State’s defense look like under Matt Patricia?
We all want to know the answer to this. Jim Knowles transformed Ohio State’s defense into one of the best in America during his three years in Columbus. This fall, Patricia will look to pick up where Knowles left off, and he’ll do that by continually teaching his players about the game of football.
“Coach Patricia hangs his hat on being a teacher,” Caleb Downs said on his podcast, Downs 2 Business. “I feel like everybody on the defense has done that, too. When you know more football, it allows you to play faster. I’m really looking forward to seeing how everybody operates this season. … I think we got enough talent to do exactly what we did last year and better.”
That quote should make every Ohio State fan excited. We’ll see if that excitement holds Saturday afternoon.
– Chase Brown
Can Ohio State's defensive line win at the line of scrimmage?
For all the glitz and glamor, the pageantry, the new quarterbacks, football is still a game decided in the trenches. And the trenches will look a lot different when Texas takes the field on offense than they looked in the Cotton Bowl less than eight months ago.
Between the nine players that start on Ohio State's defensive line and Texas' offensive line, eight of them are new full-time starters for their respective teams. The lone exception is Longhorn right guard DJ Campbell. There's experience with those new starters, true, but for each of them, it's a bigger role with bigger responsibility than they've had in the past.
There's confidence from Ryan Day entering Saturday in Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Eddrick Houston, Kayden McDonald and Caden Curry, plus the depth pieces that support them along Ohio State's defensive front four. Stopping the run game first to make the Longhorns one-dimensional, then getting pressure on Arch Manning, is the biggest unknown that could give the Buckeyes the upper hand in my eyes.
– Andy Anders
Players to Watch
Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels (and Ethan Onianwa?)
Siereveld’s growth to become Ohio State’s starting left tackle and a team captain has been one of the top storylines of the offseason, but the fact remains that he’ll be playing his first collegiate snaps as an offensive tackle against one of the best pass rushers in the country. On the other end of the line, Ohio State hasn’t named an outright starter but will be relying on one or both of two transfers – Phillip Daniels and Ethan Onianwa, with Daniels looking likely to start – to man the right tackle position.
With a first-time starting quarterback behind them, Ohio State needs its tackles to block effectively on the edge, especially in pass protection. There’s reason for optimism based on the way coaches and players have talked about Siereveld and Daniels this offseason, but they’ll be thrown into the fire with a massive test in their first game as Ohio State OTs.
– Dan Hope
Arvell Reese
Reese's athleticism, nose for the football and physicality have him in line to be a breakout star for Ohio State in 2025. As much as Texas likes to get moving horizontally in its passing game, his sideline-to-sideline abilities should be a sneaky asset to the Buckeyes, and there could be a few tricky chess moves Patricia has up his sleeve for the dynamic linebacker.
– Andy Anders
Max Klare
In the preseason, Bennett Christian described Klare as “the best route runner I’ve ever seen for a tight end.” During a game in which Jeremiah Smith can — and likely will — draw extra attention from Texas’ defensive backs, I expect Klare to put his route running on display in one-on-one matchups. Klare will also benefit from Julian Sayin making his first start, as Sayin could use Klare as a security blanket when under duress.
– Chase Brown
Predictions
100 receiving yards, two touchdowns for Jeremiah Smith
After Texas held Smith to just one catch for three yards in the Cotton Bowl, Ohio State’s superstar wide receiver will be hungry to make a statement in the season opener. Texas will throw plenty of coverage at Smith and do its best to take him out of the game again, but I don’t think the Longhorns will be successful this time. Considered the best player in college football entering the 2025 season, Smith will show why on Saturday and start his Heisman campaign with a standout performance.
– Dan Hope
Jermaine Mathews Jr. intercepts Arch Manning
I have a feeling Mathews is in store for at least one big moment in this game. Maybe it will be a pass breakup, a tackle for loss or a forced fumble — or maybe it will be an interception! I’ll go with the last option, predicting Mathews intercepts a Manning pass as the Texas quarterback tries to establish a rhythm in a rowdy environment (which will only make the environment rowdier).
– Chase Brown
There are at least three drive-killing penalties
I expect some sloppiness in a Week 1 game with new starting quarterbacks, new play-callers for Ohio State, tons of new starters for both teams and a loud home crowd potentially rattling Texas. Clean football is important, but not expected from me. Teams are going to shoot themselves in the foot, more than once. Whoever does it less will have a massive advantage.
– Andy Anders
For more pregame analysis of Ohio State vs. Texas, watch our video previewing the keys to the game, where the Buckeyes could have advantages over Texas and the biggest concerns for Ohio State enering the matchup with the Longhorns.
