Ohio State Crushes Ball State to Start Season Strong

College football offers plenty of entertainment, yet most teams start the season with a sense of fear. Even when obscure schools face powerhouses, those matchups generate excitement for the underdog and bring in much-needed money. Watching a team win by forty points often feels boring to me. I prefer ranked matchups early on, especially if we have expanded playoffs. Teams should play tougher games to kick off their year. That makes the regular season meaningful. If a squad goes undefeated, it proves they faced real challenges. Notre Dame going unbeaten might impress us in just two games this year. However, seeing Ohio State and Texas face each other early and throughout the season creates a different story. If one of them remains undefeated after that, the achievement is far more impressive.

Ohio State enters as the top-ranked team in the country. The Buckeyes proved their status immediately with a crushing 56-3 victory over Ball State in their opener. Their offense looked excellent on that day. Julian Sayin threw for 320 yards on 21 of 25 passes, throwing three touchdowns. Both of his backups were solid as well. Each went 5-for-6 with more than fifty yards and a touchdown. This was not exactly a challenging game for the team.

Now Ohio State must figure out how to beat a Texas defense that ranks among the best in the nation. It will be a tough test after last year's battle between these two programs. The Buckeyes looked great basically every game last season, but they scored only fourteen points against the Longhorns. Sayin had just 126 passing yards in that contest, the fewest of his entire season.

Texas enters today as the fourth-ranked team in the country, carrying high expectations once again. Those expectations will be tested early this season, just as they were last year. In 2025, Texas traveled to Ohio State for the first game. They put up a respectable fight, yet their offense got very little going. The Longhorns scored just seven points in that one. Arch Manning looked uncomfortable under center. He completed only slightly over fifty percent of his passes for 170 yards with one touchdown and an interception.

The Longhorns started differently this season with an easy win over Texas State. I was wrong about that game, expecting them to take their foot off the gas quickly. The team did somewhat slow down later, scoring only ten points in the final quarter and pulling Manning out in the third. They had too many points already to keep the underdog alive. Manning looked much better in this matchup with 305 yards, four touchdowns, and completing twenty of twenty-seven passes. He threw an interception though.

This should be a game where you get everything possible out of Texas. The Longhorns cannot be taken seriously if they continue losing to the best teams in the country. They face one of the toughest schedules anywhere. This is the start of that grind. The line opened as a pick'em, yet the Longhorns have become the favorite now. Ohio State has lost many defensive players since the last meeting between these two rivals. I think it is justifiable to take the Longhorns here. I will ride with the home team and the squad seeking revenge. Give me Texas.