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Collecting all the post-game analysis articles, including those behind paywalls, regarding the Ohio State game here: 

(Gerald Goodridge) Ohio State 14, Texas 7: Three things we learned

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Arch Manning has to improve

Arch looked out of rhythm for most of the game, throwing passes either far too late — like the one that resulted in the interception — or far too early — like the one that reached Quintrevion Wisner before he turned his head around. He looked better on the Longhorns’ fourth-quarter touchdown drive, making two big throws to get the Longhorns on the scoreboard, but it proved to be too little, too late.

Outside of the interception, there is one play that is emblematic of Arch Manning’s struggles in the game. With Texas driving to try and tie the game, Ryan Wingo breaks away from his man on a crossing route and has room to run. Manning, with pressure in his face, puts the ball behind Wingo, who is unable to catch it, ending the game. Manning looked out of sorts for most of the game and truly struggled moving the ball, thanks in large part to Manning’s continued struggles in the contest.

The red zone isn’t fixed

What might be the most pivotal sequence in the game came in the third quarter with the Longhorns trailing 7-0. After forcing Ohio State to a three-and-out to start the half, the Longhorns put together a long drive that started on their own 29 and went nearly the length of the field in 11 plays. With first and goal from the nine-yard line, Texas dialed up three quarterback runs and an inside handoff to CJ Baxter, but was stonewalled and gave Ohio State the ball back.

Steve Sarkisian was a bit frustrated with once again being questioned about his team’s red zone struggles, but ultimately, it turned out to be the difference in the contest. Texas made two trips to the red zone and came away with zero points on those trips, and turned it over on downs both times. If Texas wants to reach the CFP in 2026, that has to be priority No. 1 moving forward.

The defense is still legit

One of the reasons for preseason optimism surrounding the Texas Longhorns was the talent and production they brought back on the defensive side, which seemed to be the right read. Texas limited the Ohio State offense for most of the game, holding them to just 213 yards and limiting one of the most deadly receiving threats in the country.

Ohio State finished the game with 126 receiving yards, 40 of which came on the game’s lone explosive play — the touchdown pass to Carnell Tate. Texas held Jeremiah Smith, who averaged 17.3 yards per reception a year ago, to just 7.2 yards per catch and six receptions on 10 targets. Beyond the numbers, the defense answered the call when it mattered and, much like last year, kept Texas in the game while the offense figured things out.

Four of Ohio State’s five second-half drives ended in punts, three of which went three-and-out, the most notable of which turned out to be the one-minute drive when Ohio State had a chance to ice the game. Ohio State had just five drives that went for more than four plays, two of which ended in punts.

(Joe Cook) Instant reaction: Texas drops another one to Ohio State in 14-7 loss

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The No. 1 Texas Longhorns could not march into Columbus and leave with a victory, falling 14-7 to the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes. Here are a few instant reactions.

***In 1995, BYU had a young quarterback named Steve Sarkisian. He made his first career collegiate start against Air Force, a team that went 8-4 the year before and came in with lofty expectations in the WAC. BYU lost that game 38-12. Sarkisian’s two touchdown passes were for one yard and five yards respectively. He had two interceptions and probably did more to facilitate a Cougar loss than a BYU win. He went 7-3 the rest of the way, leading the WAC in completion percentage and passing yardage. That first start was a major moment for Sarkisian. His response to it helped make him into a top collegiate quarterback and an All-American the next year. But before that career took off, there were some major stumbles out of the gate. Arch Manning had his stumbles out of the gate today, even with his late touchdown pass to Parker Livingstone. The offensive malaise that put just seven points on the scoreboard is not 100 percent attributable to him. Sarkisian, the coach this time, didn’t do his quarterback many favors with his playcalling.

***Also, it’s worth pointing out that Ohio State is really freakin’ good and played a fantastic defensive game. Davidson Igbinosun played a fantastic game, stifling the Longhorns’ second-to-last attempt at scoring. Arvell Reese was all over the field. Matt Patricia, who would have thought, called a dang good defense. But the better quarterback today was in scarlett and red in Julian Sayin. How does Manning respond? Sarkisian responded from his problematic debut to turn into a BYU great. The story is just starting for Manning, and he’ll have a big part in writing what happens next. But he can’t let what is probably the worst performance of his amateur football career bleed into next week. Texas has high aspirations and today’s loss doesn’t exterminate them. Manning has to make sure he does what’s needed to keep those aspirations alive.

***The Texas defense is for real. Jeremiah Smith wasn’t the player that did all the damage. In fact, it was really just one play that did all the damage. And sometimes defenses have bad plays, as you’ll read in a second, but there were a lot more good plays than bad ones. When you go 3-for-4 in defending the tight goal line, you’re still on the hook if that one gets through. That’s how Ohio State scored first. Texas’ defense should hold their head high after this game. The Texas defensive tackles? They’re the real deal yet again. Michael Taaffe? He’s also the real deal. The Texas defense may once again be the backbone of this team as Manning and the offense figures everything out.

***Ohio State opened the fourth quarter with a play where you just have to tip your cap. Jaylon Guilbeau was beat by Carnell Tate, but Guilbeau got back in position to make a play. Tate simply made a better one at the catch point. The entire Ohio State wide receiver corps did what it needed to do, but nobody had a standout game.

***Penalties weren’t numerous for Texas but they were costly and put the Buckeyes in position to score multiple times. The ability to perform in environments like Ohio Stadium will be needed over the course of the season. The Swamp is loud. It’s loud between the hedges. It’s even loud in Mississippi State. The ability to win and perform in loud environments with poise is a necessity. Texas didn’t do everything right pre-snap today.

***Overall, we learned Texas is good. We learned Ohio State is a notch better. Both of these teams are going to be College Football Playoff contenders. Both teams are super talented. The loss is painful but the loss is not season ending as it may have been in years past. It’ll hurt. There’s a lot of room to grow, but that’s why you play these types of games.

***The red zone remains a problem for Texas. Credit to Steve Sarkisian for trying something a little new, but it was poorly executed. A three-and-out from Ohio State gave Texas an opportunity to start the second half with a score. Texas ran well and mixed things up in order to get to the Ohio State one. But when you run something like the tush push, surprise is essential. Texas telegraphed the play and while Arch Manning tried to find the gap to sneak into the end zone, he was kept out.

***Texas almost netted two points out of the ordeal, but a holding in the end zone was offset with a hands to the face penalty. Instead of two points and the ball, Texas simply forced another punt. And they could do nothing with it after an Arch Manning interception. 

 

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Evan Vieth: Arch Manning stumbles out of the gate in Texas loss

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Arch Manning stepped into Ohio Stadium today bearing the weight of the most highly anticipated debut to a season in recent memory. Maybe ever. The newest heir to football royalty was entering his third year, leading the No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns into the home of the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. With the whole nation watching, Manning came up short. Extremely short. Whether you want to use old adages like the lights being too bright or the pressure being too much for the young man, the facts remain the same. Manning’s performance was not up to par with what the Longhorns needed to win the football game, falling to the Buckeyes 14-7.

Texas’ first half was one of its worst under head coach Steve Sarkisian, who will receive his own share of the blame for the loss. 79 total yards, three yards per play and no points. The Heisman favorite had just 25 passing yards on five completions. Just one of those went into the hands of a receiver. Bad turned worse as the Longhorns’ first drive of the second half got the hopes of the burnt orange faithful up, just to crush them before they could blink. Manning’s legs and a strong rushing tandem of CJ Baxter and Quintrevion Wisner brought Texas to the OSU goal line, their first red zone appearance of the year.

On 3rd and 3, Texas gained two yards to the OSU 1. Quickly, the Horns set up in sneak position. Manning snapped it and didn’t move an inch. Goal line stand, still 7-0 Ohio State. With the poor field position, the OSU offense was forced to punt it back to the Longhorns, setting them up with a chance to score their first points starting at midfield. But soon came a holding penalty, then a two-yard rush, and suddenly Texas was in second and long.

Manning stepped back to throw, looking for No. 1 receiver Ryan Wingo, and threw the ball short. Right into the hands of OSU’s Jermaine Matthews, gift-wrapped with a note on top. By that point, the momentum was lost for Texas, and Ohio State’s crowd had taken over the game. Despite a one-score lead, it felt like the game was all but over. It didn’t help that OSU tacked on another touchdown on a deep throw to WR Carnell Tate.

Texas fought back, and Manning did make a nice throw to find Parker Livingstone for the team’s first and only score of the game, but execution and accuracy were hard to come by for Manning. On the final drive of the game, Manning missed two easy short passes to tight end Jack Endries and Wingo, ones that would’ve moved the chains and kept the Longhorns alive. On fourth down, a desperation drag route to Endries was caught, but short of the line. Game over.

This loss doesn’t solely fall on Manning’s shoulders, but it’s hard not to look towards his 17/30, 170 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT statline and not want more from one of the best quarterback prospects in recent memory, a player that many believed should’ve been starting the year prior. Manning’s inaccuracies were glaring, and despite usage of his legs and an occasional ability to make passes downfield, he did not execute at the level necessary to beat a reigning national champion. Whether it was from discomfort in a rowdy environment or purely a poor game from QB1, Texas is 0-1 to begin the season. The Longhorns will host San Jose State next week with hopes of returning Manning to his form in relief of Quinn Ewers in 2024. 

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(Ian Boyd) Five quick thoughts: Texas comes up short against Ohio State

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It’ll be nice to see Texas play a different team in the coming weeks. For the second straight game, the Longhorns lost a highly anticipated matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Once again they went down in defeat while getting stopped in the “red area” on two different goal line 4th down attempts, including one from within the one-yard line.

Both teams played excellent defense but the now Matt “the pencil” Patricia managed Buckeye defense was very well calibrated to stop the Longhorns. Meanwhile Ryan Day was able to scheme up a gameplan that protected his young quarterback Julian Sayin. Ohio State used frequent motion of Jeremiah Smith and some bigger formations to run the ball, create safe throws, and hang on for the win.

On the day Sayin was 13-20 for 126 yards at 6.3 ypa with a touchdown and zero turnovers. Nothing crazy and it would have been a pretty quiet day if not for one 40-yard bomb to Carnell Tate the Buckeye receiver grabbed in impressive fashion.

Not so for Texas. After a conservative start, Arch Manning quickly found himself tasked with trying to hero-ball the Longhorns to a victory. Missed throws, a turnover, and a few receiver drops prevented the Longhorns from quite matching the Buckeyes and getting a victory on the road.

Quick thought no. 1: Arch comes up short in his first big game

For a moment it was looking like there would be little positive to take from this game. Manning missed several throws over the course of the game and threw an interception when the Longhorns were threatening to take control of the game after a botched 4th-and-goal attempt.

One of Steve Sarkisian’s solutions for the red zone issues was to work in more quarterback sneak plays with his 6-foot-4, 220 pound signal-caller. That worked on one early 4th down when Manning made it across the chains on a second effort, it fell short to squander a 15-play, 70-yard drive. However, it did pin the Buckeyes and lead to a 3’n’out and great field position for the Longhorns only for the interception to yield control of the game back to Ohio State.

The other goal line possession came at the end of a 13-play, 76-yard drive and included Manning rifling an open drag into Ryan Wingo’s leg and seeing a corner route go off Parker Livingstone’s hands.

Eventually Manning managed a touchdown drive built off a ripped deep in to Wingo and a wheel route to Livingstone that was heavily contested but (just barely) brought in for a score. A final drive for the end zone included another terrific ball on a wheel route to tight end Jack Endries but was ultimately undone when the Longhorn O-line failed to block Edge CJ Hicks on 4th-and-5. Hard to explain that one, false starts and other issues were certainly a problem for right tackle Brandon Baker in his first ever start on the road.

Manning finished 17-30 for 170 yards at 5.7 ypa with one touchdown and one pick. He added 10 carries for 38 yards on the ground, nine for 39 if you take out the Buckeye’s sole sack. That’s a heavy burden to carry against a top five team on the road and Manning wasn’t quite ready to bear it.

Quick thought no. 2: The defense and special teams were great

Ohio State hit a few throws on Texas in this game and had the run game going for first and spurts, all of which you’d expect from a team of that caliber playing at home.

Overall the Ohio State offense didn’t really do much. 54 plays yielded only 203 yards and a 3-12 performance on third down. The difference in the game was Ohio State didn’t commit turnovers, was able to stick with the run game and avoid risks, and the Buckeyes capitalized on two big opportunities. They scored on a drive that was enabled by Longhorn penalties, converting their own 4th-and-goal from the one with a traditional I-formation, lead run. Then they got the Tate touchdown.

Graceson Littleton in particular was an absolute revelation for the Texas defense. The Longhorns mixed up packages and coverages early before Pete Kwiatkowski eventually got fairly confident the Buckeyes weren’t looking to challenge the Longhorns and Littleton wouldn’t be the mark if they did. Littleton broke up a crosser to Smith and swatted away a slot fade on subsequent plays, then made a big tackle on a cross short of the sticks to give the offense a chance at the game-tying drive.

Texas got picked on outside a few times, as will happen against a receiving corps of that caliber. The Horns also got caught a few times by a sequence where Ohio State would motion of Smith from the boundary to the field slot and then again to the outside. Texas would scramble to adjust to each motion in turn and get defenders out on Smith, often yielding leverage back inside for off-tackle runs. Nevertheless, it was a great showing overall.

Special teams were also solid, particularly Jack Bouwmeester who had 185 yards of punting and pinned Ohio State inside the 20 three times.

Quick thought no. 3: Ohio State had a gameplan edge

Many will look at Texas’ 37 carries for 166 yards at 4.5 ypc and say, “well at least the Longhorn run game was pretty good!”

I’d recommend anyone thinking in that fashion re-read this recent article by Paul Wadlington which proved unfortunately prescient. The Longhorns were 1-5 on 4th down, 4-15 on 3rd downs, and could not control the game on the ground or convert in big moments.

Ohio State determined the key to this game would be playing great coverage and forcing Texas to drive the length of the field without the benefit of any Arch bombs. The Buckeyes mixed coverages but played a lot of single-high with an emphasis on coverage as well as deep, two-high coverages with man underneath. Everything Texas got in the passing game was hard-earned and typically involved beating coverage with ball placement, which Manning was inconsistent in achieving. Patricia was rightly unafraid of the Longhorn run game and shrugged off the occasional successful runs. He focused on stopping Manning with athletes draped over all of his targets and pressure in his face.

Meanwhile, Sark evidently went into this game hoping he could play big in 12 personnel and try to bully the Buckeyes on the ground. Rumors of the death of Ohio State’s front proved to have been exaggerated. Caleb Downs made it hard to find the tight ends and Texas’ solid blocking rarely amounted to any back-breaking runs or true consistency moving the chains on the ground.

When Texas had to try and throw to win, the gameplan was heavy on cheat motion (motioning a receiver laterally before letting him turn and run at the snap) to try and free receivers down the field. Ohio State wasn’t particularly surprised or thrown off. The old condensed sets of yesteryear probably served Texas better.

Both teams were hoping their young quarterbacks could be game managers in Week 1 but only team made that dream a reality.

Quick thought no. 4: Red zone issues?

Is Texas still bad in the red zone? I imagine Sark can’t wait to answer questions about how the Longhorns once again failed to punch the ball across the goal line when it mattered most against a top opponent. The approach has definitely evolved. The Longhorns mixed in some quarterback run options, pure quarterback run, CJ Baxter, and even some progression passing. All of it was actually fairly promising, but they were still inches away time and time again.

Sark’s run game package for Manning was somewhat varied and arguably produced decent results, just not quite good enough. I suspect in future weeks the Longhorns will zero in on runs to Baxter which include the threat of a quarterback keeper on the backside of the play to create hesitation and angles for the big running back. The best red zone play the Longhorns ran all day included this feature.

For my money, quarterback sneak makes a lot of sense for this team given the toughness of the interior and Arch’s own strength and size. Give me an Arch sneak on 4th-and-goal from inside the one any day of the week, Texas just didn’t quite get it today.

Quick thought no. 5: A month of rebuild ahead

The Longhorns now have three games and about a month to sharpen up execution across the board and figure out which dimensions of the offense are most deserving of feature action. After that, Sark is probably going to have to default back to some hero-ball with Manning to get wins in big games.

Running the ball with Quintrevion Wisner (patient but unexplosive) and Baxter can improve and might carry the Longhorns through the rest of the non-conference but I’m not sure if there’s enough there to beat the best teams on the schedule. The inability of Texas’ receiving corps to get open against Ohio State isn’t necessarily indicative of how it will look against defenses that aren’t flush with NFL cover corners or pass-rushing linebackers…but there are a few such teams on the schedule in SEC play.

Ultimately to make the playoffs this team is going to have to find ways to get Manning in more rhythm and get some guys open to generate explosive gains. The degree to which Ohio State was unfazed by the Texas passing game hearkened back to issues against Georgia in 2024.

However with a month to regroup before the schedule picks up, Texas could sync up the passing game and level up the overall offense enough to make up those final few inches that thwarted the efforts today. The defense and special teams are there to win a lot of games, probably enough to make the playoffs if the offense can find its footing with Manning.

 

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(Charlie Williams) My Raw Thoughts: Texas falls short to Ohio State in key situations

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’m not here to sugarcoat. I’m here to break down the game the way I saw it — honest and straight. Texas outgained Ohio State, but the Buckeyes were simply the better team on Saturday. Despite the yardage, they controlled the crucial situations. Football is won in short yardage, red zone, and conversion downs — and that’s where Texas fell short. Here’s my full recap.

X-Factors That Changed the Game

Four names stood out for Ohio State: Matt Patricia, Jermaine Matthews, Arvell Reese, and Sonny Styles.

Patricia, now the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator, kept Texas completely off balance. Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning never looked settled, often unsure of the coverage they were facing. Matthews was active all game — coming down with an interception and nearly causing a second turnover with tight coverage. Reese made his presence felt as well, pressuring the quarterback, playing the run, and holding up in pass coverage. Styles was everywhere, flying downhill and nearly sealing the game with a late interception.

All three played solid, disciplined football and were true X-factors for the Buckeyes’ defense, swinging momentum and shutting down Texas drives when it mattered most.

Arch Manning’s First Start: Ups and Downs

Manning’s full-time starting debut was uneven. He missed throws, misread coverages, and didn’t run when the opportunity was there. That said, he did make some strong throws late in the game. The hole shot against cover two was a beauty, and perhaps his most impressive throw — even incomplete — was a perfectly placed corner route off a levels concept to Parker Livingstone. Livingstone couldn’t hold on, but the ball placement showed Manning’s upside.

Manning also flashed toughness on the final offensive play, fighting off a sack attempt and still getting the ball out. The performance was far from polished, but his work ethic is unquestioned. He’ll be the first to hit the film room, likely reviewing plays on the flight home, looking for what Ohio State did to keep him off rhythm.

Running Game: Strong Individual Efforts, Weak Situational Execution

On paper, Texas ran the ball well. In reality, Ohio State invited the run. The Buckeyes lined up in light boxes and even a diamond front at times, daring Texas to pound the ball inside. They were content conceding yardage between the 20s, knowing they could tighten in the red zone or rely on Sarkisian’s tendencies — that he would abandon the run for the pass even when the ground game was working consistently.

Even so, the backs ran with heart. CJ Baxter looked fully healthy, running with power and refusing to go down on first contact. Time after time he carried two and three defenders, showing burst and confidence in his surgically repaired knee. He even made a veteran play on blitz pickup, recognizing a delayed rush from linebacker Sonny Styles, planting and redirecting to protect Manning at the last second. Baxter deserves to come off the pitch count — and he deserves the ball in the red zone.

Tre Wisner also impressed, bouncing runs outside, breaking tackles, and finding extra yards when the middle was clogged. Both backs proved capable of moving the chains. The issue wasn’t effort, it was situational football: short yardage, goal line, and fourth downs. Texas simply couldn’t push the pile when it mattered most.

Offensive Line: Good Stats, Bad Situational Football

The offensive line mirrored the offense as a whole. In open field, they created lanes and held up well enough to produce positive stats. But when the game tightened, the cracks showed.

In red zone and short-yardage situations, the line got no push. Fourth-and-short failures, goal-line stops, and stuffed runs erased the statistical success. Add in false starts and missed assignments, and the grade becomes average at best. The final offensive snap summed it up: an unblocked rusher forced Manning into desperation mode. You can’t win games at this level without winning situational football up front.

Receivers: Not Polished Enough

The receiver group did not look polished. There were some drops, issues with settling in zone windows, and only okay route running. Ryan Wingo faded on routes, rounded off breaks, and failed to threaten cushions. On Manning’s interception, Wingo didn’t adjust to the corner’s leverage, allowing the DB to undercut the route. Later, on an in-breaking pattern, he drifted away instead of attacking the ball, nearly gifting Styles a game-sealing pick.

Freshman Daylan McCutcheon made a strong grab, while Livingstone had a highlight 50-50 touchdown catch on Matthews — but also dropped a key fourth-down ball on what was arguably Manning’s best throw of the game. DeAndre Moore was largely absent, only flashing once when Caleb Downs nearly intercepted a pass across the middle. This group has talent, but Saturday showed they’re still developing consistency.

Defense: Standouts and Shortcomings

Up front, Alex January was dominant. He shed blocks, chased running backs down, and delivered massive hits at the line of scrimmage. He looked every bit the future star Texas fans expect. Cole Brevard flashed in spurts, clogging lanes and showing why he was brought in. Collectively, the defensive front held its own against a strong Ohio State run game. Yes, they got pushed back a few times, but overall they held firm.

The problem was the pass rush. Despite months of talk about this group’s ability to pressure quarterbacks, the Longhorns failed to generate it without blitzing. Colin Simmons got loose twice when left unblocked, but otherwise, Julian Sayin had time to sit in the pocket, scan, and deliver — especially out of empty sets. This wasn’t just “quick game.” Sayin was comfortable, and the four-man rush didn’t affect him.

At linebacker, it was mixed. Anthony Hill Jr. will want to burn the tape. He overran plays, didn’t diagnose consistently, and too often looked caught in no-man’s-land in coverage instead of attaching to receivers. The lowlight came on Ohio State’s fourth-and-goal touchdown, when he left his feet — a no-no unless you’re Troy Polamalu — instead of taking on the blocker and squeezing the gap. That gamble opened a lane for CJ Donaldson to punch it in.

By contrast, Liona Lefau had a monster performance. He read plays cleanly, attacked gaps, tackled well in space, and played with physicality that jumped off the screen. His energy and physical presence set the tone, and his future impact on this defense looks undeniable.

TyAnthony Smith also impressed. He played well in coverage and against the run, flashing instincts and athleticism that point to a bright future. He may already be the best pure linebacker on the roster.

As for Trey Moore — did he even play yesterday? He was on the field, but he wasn’t very active around the football. That one will need a re-watch because his presence wasn’t felt.

In the secondary, the corners held up and blanketed the Ohio State receivers. Kobe Black may have been beaten by Jeremiah Smith earlier in the game, but the ball wasn’t thrown. Jaylon Guilbeau gave up a touchdown to Carnell Tate, who’s arguably one of the top receivers in the nation. Corners get beat — it happens. Manny Muhammad played a solid game overall, though he was a little too handsy at times, grabbing Smith like a “middle school dance,” which extended a drive and led to a touchdown.

Overall, the corners played physical, contained Ohio State’s passing game, and forced officials to make calls — something the Buckeyes themselves do very well.

The star of the day in the secondary was Graceson Littleton — better known as Gridlock, a nickname given by our own Eric Nahlin. He’s already living up to it. Fans on Twitter even joked he should switch from No. 29 to No. 7 — the number worn by some of Texas’ best defensive backs, like Michael Huff and Jahdae Barron, both Thorpe Award winners. Littleton rocks 29, but 9 minus 2 does equal 7. Maybe they’re on to something, but the way he played Saturday, he deserves every bit of that buzz.

Littleton looked the part as a true freshman on the big stage, covering Smith across the field, locking up in the slot, and sticking like glue to Brandon Inniss. On one play, Sayin dropped a perfect ball in the bucket, but Littleton’s positioning forced Inniss to the sideline and made the catch impossible. He also came up huge on a third-down stop, chasing Inniss across the field and tackling short of the sticks, forcing a punt that gave Texas another chance. In a hostile environment, he more than held his own. Littleton is here to stay — a star in the making.

At safety, Michael Taaffe was consistently around the ball and likely led the team in tackles. Alongside Lefau, he was part of the cleanup crew that limited explosive runs. The rest of the safety group played disciplined football, keeping a cap on the defense and preventing Ohio State from hitting deep shots. Their names weren’t called often, and that’s okay — it meant they did their job.

Special Teams: A Bright Spot and a Concern

We’ve got a punter, folks. Jack Bouemeester was a difference-maker in the second half, flipping the field and winning the position battle. His accuracy and placement were outstanding — pinning Ohio State deep in its own territory multiple times, angling punts out of bounds, and consistently giving Texas a chance. He was an absolute stud, and all three phases of the game matter. Texas has a weapon in him.

Kickoff return, though, was a different story. There looked to be miscommunication — the up man signaling for a hold-up, only for the returner to ignore it and bring the ball out of the end zone on more than one occasion. The result was bad field position Texas didn’t need. Maybe the staff went with guys they trust in practice, or maybe they haven’t settled on a primary returner and used game one as a trial. Either way, communication has to improve in that phase moving forward.

Final Word

Even though Texas outgained Ohio State statistically, the Buckeyes won the moments that mattered most. Short yardage, red zone, third-down execution, and a few key special teams miscues separated the two teams. Manning flashed promise but also showed inexperience. Wisner and Baxter ran hard, the line put up numbers, but situational football was lost — and so was the game. Until Texas learns to convert in those crucial spots, the box score won’t translate to scoreboard wins in big games like this.

Is it time to hit the panic button? No, of course not. There’s still a lot of football ahead. Texas now has a month to regroup, work on itself, and get better as a unit. The culture in that building is strong — players and coaches alike want to improve and win, no matter the setback.

The season goals are still in front of Texas. One game doesn’t define the year. Saturday showed where the Longhorns must grow, but also why they still have every chance to be the team they believe they can be.

Eric Nahlin: Three changes Texas could consider making over the next few games

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I will never profess to knowing as much as a football coach, especially someone at the heights like Steve Sarkisian, but I do have access to those in the coaching profession that I have routine conversations with. After a couple of conversations since Texas’ loss, here are three things I would consider changing.

Scrap bully ball in the red zone, goal line

Texas has never been a bully ball team under Sarkisian, not even with Bijan Robinson or Roschon Johnson at running back. When they had the backs they didn’t have the O-line. Now, they don’t seem to have the backs and the O-line is still in question. Of this play, on 4th and 1, Sark went with a sneak in order to prevent Ohio State from substituting but “I think they got under us pretty good and kind of took Arch’s legs out from him. Hindsight is 20/20, if I could do it all over a gain, we probably sub and they put their big guys in, we put our big guys in, and see if we can get it in the end zone.”

I’m not sure that would do any good. If Sark wants to go the hero ball route with a big, tough quarterback, they should spread teams out and make them defend the entire goal line. This play wasn’t going to work either way you slice it, imo.  For all his exceptional coaching ability, Sark has still yet to figure out the Red Zone and this sequence didn’t offer the ray of sunshine we were looking for in this contest.

Graceson Littleton to corner, Jaylon Guilbeau back to Star

Guilbeau’s a fine player but I’m not sure he’s the guy you want on an island, especially against an early-round draft pick like Carnell Tate. On Tate’s TD, Guilbeau got back in the frame but only because the ball was under thrown. Meanwhile, the true freshman Littleton looked electric at Star in his 19 snaps. Littleton was recruited as a corner and the early book on him was he was a faster version of Malik Muhammad. That looks about right after seeing him Saturday.

While I would consider making this switch, I wouldn’t necessarily start Littleton over Kobe Black. But, I do think the CB room would have better raw coverage ability if Gridlock made the move. The knock on Guilbeau at Star was lack of assignment soundness but there are easier ways to help Star than a cornerback on an island. Plus, he’d be in a timeshare with Jelani McDonald.

Increase the electricity at running back

I realize Christian Clark is coming back from injury but he came back quicker than CJ Baxter who is already playing and just looking okay. I also realize he missed his freshman year but RB is one of the easier positions to integrate into an offense early. 

Tre Wisner and Baxter are solid players but they tend to get what a play is blocked for rather than providing a value-add. 

In my opinion, the coaches should give Clark a ton of carriers in the next few weeks to see what sort of mental load he can handle. And to also gauge his ball security and blitz pickup.

This move would also tie into the above point about bully ball. If you can’t bully your way down the field, you need some dynamism. 

 

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(Sam Khan Jr.) Texas troubles: 3 issues that plagued the Longhorns in Ohio State loss

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The grand opening of the Arch Manning era did not go quite as No. 1 Texas planned.

The Longhorns’ underwhelming offensive showing in a 14-7 loss at No. 3 Ohio State raises a lot of questions that need to be answered if Texas expects to contend for a national title, and not just regarding the quarterback play. Texas’ seven-point output was its lowest since Steve Sarkisian’s first year in charge of the program, in a 30-7 loss at Iowa State on Nov. 6, 2021. Here are three issues that arose in the loss to the Buckeyes that Texas must fix.

 

Red zone ineptitude

This is an issue Texas has contended with for years. On Saturday, the Longhorns made two trips to the red zone and scored on neither. The failure to punch it in on their first drive of the third quarter, when Manning was stuffed on a fourth-and-goal sneak just short of the goal line, was painfully reminiscent of the defining series of the team’s College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl in January. That day, Texas needed just one yard to tie the game but had a disastrous four-play sequence that left the Longhorns empty-handed.

Saturday marked the continuation of a downward trend of Texas coming up empty in the red zone. The Longhorns’ best red zone showing in the Sarkisian era was his first year, when they went 5-7 but ranked fourth nationally in both red zone touchdown rate (74.5 percent) and red zone scoring rate (93.6 percent), according to TruMedia.

Texas red zone success in Steve Sarkisian era
 
2021
74.5
4th
93.6
4th
2022
62.1
65th
89.7
19th
2023   
50.8   
120th   
80.3  
91st
2024
63.8
54th
79.7
102nd

Source: TruMedia

The issues haven’t stopped the program from achieving greatness, as it has increased its win total every year since 2021. But in big games like Saturday’s — or in the postseason, when Texas will see more elite teams — it can be a game-changer. It certainly was against Ohio State, in January and on Saturday.

Arch Manning’s inaccuracy

Manning’s first road start was underwhelming, to put it kindly. Struggling on the road against a top-five team isn’t a reason to go all Chicken Little. Winning in the Horseshoe is a tall task for anyone not named Michigan. But Manning’s inaccuracy was perhaps the most eye-opening part of his performance. Last season, he completed 67.8 percent of his passes in his 10 appearances and 69.4 percent in the three games he played extended snaps (wins over UTSA, Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State).

Ohio State’s a much better team, and the Buckeyes’ secondary did a terrific job against Texas’ receivers. But there were times when Manning missed open receivers with balls that were thrown low or sailed high. Manning finished 4-for-11 on pass attempts that traveled 10 or more air yards, with one interception, according to TruMedia.

Examples of Manning’s throws that were off target on Saturday:

• His one-hopped first pass of the day, when he rolled out and tried to connect with DeAndre Moore.

• His third-quarter interception, which was intended for Ryan Wingo, was underthrown. It’s not an easy throw — he launched it from the left hashmark to the right sideline — but Manning has the arm strength to make it. Wingo won the route and had inside leverage on Jermaine Mathews. If the ball is thrown closer to the sideline, Wingo probably makes the catch out of Mathews’ reach, and it certainly doesn’t get picked. But there wasn’t enough on it. A defender was creeping near Manning’s face as he threw but didn’t make contact. It’s possible Manning felt that presence and didn’t step into the ball as much as needed.

 

• On third-and-3 at the 9 with about eight minutes left, Texas ran some mesh action, with Wingo and tight end Spencer Shannon running crossing routes. Manning targeted Wingo and threw the ball at his feet. There were two miscues here. If the ball is properly placed to Wingo, it’s a first down. Also, Shannon was even more open than Wingo, with no defenders close by. If Manning throws it to Shannon, it may have been a touchdown. Manning made a much better throw on the next play in the corner of the end zone to Parker Livingstone, but Livingstone couldn’t quite secure it as he slid to the turf and Ohio State corner Davison Igbinosun blanketed him.

 

• On Texas’ final possession, Wingo was again running a crossing route and Manning missed, throwing it high and behind him, resulting in an incompletion. If the ball is on target, Wingo may still be running because there were no Ohio State defenders nearby (Caleb Downs popped up in the picture as the ball fell to the turf).

 

Manning finished 17-of-30 passing for 170 yards. There was a stretch late in the game where he seemed to get comfortable and establish a rhythm. His throw to Wingo down the left seam for 28 yards with about four minutes left was great. So was his 30-yard completion to tight end Jack Endries down the left sideline with two minutes left. Manning placed that one right between two defenders closing in. The touchdown throw near the right sideline to Livingstone was also a great throw.

But there wasn’t much consistency from the first-year starting quarterback. That may come in time as he establishes more rhythm with the receivers, and it’s something he’ll need to work on the next three weeks as Texas faces a trio of Group of 5 opponents. “That cohesiveness with Arch and those guys is only gonna get better as we keep moving forward,” Sarkisian said.

Sarkisian’s play calling

Sarkisian is one of the best play callers in the game. Ask coaches who go up against him week in and week out and they’ll say the same. But Saturday was unquestionably a learning experience for him with his new quarterback. Early on, as Manning struggled, there weren’t enough easy completions made available to him, whether it was screens, swing passes or quick throws into the flat. Also, his ability as a rusher, which is substantial given his athleticism, wasn’t utilized much until later in the game, which Sarkisian acknowledged.

“When he gets hit a couple of times, it helps him. He’s one of those kinds of guys,” Sarkisian said of Manning. “I think we learned a little bit that way in incorporating a little more of his run stuff earlier in the game (is better), whereas we waited a little bit into the second half. When that happened, I felt like he started really playing and we saw some real flashes and glimpses of the type of player he’s going to become here.”

Ohio State deserves a lot of credit because its secondary clogged up the middle of the field and did its best to prevent Texas from throwing it downfield, which Sarkisian majors in. In the first half, Manning’s longest completion went for just 7 yards. Sarkisian’s offense thrives on the play-action passing game, and to make that effective, the run must be a threat. Though Texas ran the ball well over the course of the game, the Longhorns seemed to get away from it some in the first half.

Manning handed the ball to the running backs 11 times in the first half, and five of those came on the first drive of the game, which means Baxter and Quintrevion Wisner combined for just six carries on the next four possessions. Three of those were three-and-outs resulting in punts. Texas ran only 14 offensive plays on those final four drives of the first half, and chances are Sarkisian didn’t force the issue more because Baxter and Wisner weren’t finding much room to run. That’s where utilizing Manning’s legs a little more or finding more easy completions could have helped keep Texas on the field more.

The goal-line sequence when Manning unsuccessfully tried to sneak for a touchdown is one that had Texas fans pulling their hair out. In that instance, Sarkisian did rely heavily on the run game. From first-and-goal at the 9, Texas ran it four consecutive times, twice with Arch, once with Baxter, then the sneak attempt that Ohio State stuffed.

Texas went to it quickly as to not give Ohio State a chance to sub in more “really big people” Sarkisian said. “We’ve been really working hard on our sneak stuff,” Sarkisian said. “I think they got under us pretty good and took Arch’s legs out from him. Hindsight’s 20-20. If I could do it all over again, we probably sub, and they put their big guys, and we put our big guys in and see if we can get in the end zone.”

 

Fans grew frustrated with how the goal-line sequence in the Cotton Bowl was called, which lost 7 yards on the first three downs and created a difficult fourth-and-goal situation that ended in a sack-fumble touchdown return by Jack Sawyer that put the game away. Whether it’s more creativity or having more variety in that area, Sarkisian has to be more effective at getting his team to punch the ball in in goal-to-go situations against elite teams.

 

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Stewart Mandell is one of the biggest morons in an industry filled with morons. I don't remember a single bad drop from a receiver. I remember Arch throwing behind or way out in front, or worm burning it. The only one that could have been reasonably caught but wasn't was Livingstone in tbe end zone, but that wasn't a drop. It was a difficult play to make trying to pull the ball off the top of the turf. 

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(Ross Dellenger) Arch Manning's nightmare outing leaves Texas reeling after Ohio State loss: 'I've got to play better for us to win'

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With two Texas state troopers on his hip and tears welling in his eyes, Arch Manning took one last glance toward the Ohio State fans hanging above the tunnel as he exited Ohio Stadium here Saturday. It’s a sight that may stick with him forever, a sort-of nightmarish portrait — a blanket of Scarlett-clad kids having rotated upside down their balled fists, extended index fingers and outstretched pinkies.

Horns down.

In one of the most anticipated moments for any quarterback in the annals of college football history, Arch, the kid with the famous last name, the former five-star talent, the latest product from the first family of football quarterbacks, experienced a veritable nightmare. No matter what happens next — remember, Texas is still very much alive to win everything — this is how Arch Manning’s debut as the Longhorns starting quarterback will forever be enshrined in the history books: Ohio State 14, Texas 7.

The christening of the next great Manning, the first chapter in what so many predict to be a legendary career, did not go as planned. Unless, of course, you were Matt Patricia, the Buckeyes’ crafty first-year defensive coordinator and former NFL head coach who schemed well enough to make the Longhorns look silly at times. For instance, Manning didn’t complete a pass longer than 10 yards in the air until the fourth quarter. He missed his receivers wide, threw short and long of them, tossed a costly interception and overall seemed rattled.

Despite only throwing nine college touchdowns entering the game, Manning was the preseason betting favorite for the Heisman. By the third quarter, he was fourth betting favorite. Perhaps it was all those lofty expectations. Maybe it was the more than 107,000 here roaring with every Manning misstep. Or a defensive secondary that, at least in the first half, clearly confused the third-year sophomore QB. The truth: It was everything, all of it toppling onto his shoulders, weighing him down and forcing him into costly miscues.

But don’t write him off yet, his coach pleaded afterward. After all, this is a small sample size, maybe even a one-game aberration on the road at the defending national champs. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian says he’ll board the plane to Austin with positive feelings for the way his team — and Arch — fought in the second half, the way he grew. He sees encouragement. “The growth throughout the game for Arch was really encouraging. We are going to be fine,” Sarkisian said. “For Arch, the expectations were out of control on the outside. I’d say let’s finish the book before we judge him. That’s one chapter.” An unforgettable one for the Buckeyes, no doubt.

Patricia, the former Detroit Lions head coach, debuted in sizzling fashion. Texas had 79 yards at halftime and was shut out for the first three quarters of a game for the first time in a decade. It was a Manning mess in the first half. He fired his very first pass short of an open receiver. Despite having decent offensive line blocking, he rarely attempted anything more than 5 yards downfield, missed an open touchdown and failed to get into the end zone on a fourth-and-goal sneak from the 1.

“Ultimately, not good enough,” Manning said afterward. “Obviously, you don't want to start off the season going 0-1. They're a good team, but I thought we beat ourselves a lot. That starts with me. I’ve got to play better for us to win.”

Off the field, Manning graced our TV sets, too. Did you see him in the Raising Cane’s commercial? How about the one for the eyeglass company Warby Parker? He wore Vuori shorts in another ad too. I IOn the field, it was less spectacular. But that goes for many of those in burnt orange on offense, all of them fighting to move an inch against Patricia’s nasty defense. Manning was confused enough that during a halftime conversation with his QB, Sarkisian says he “shifted his focus” on recognizing coverages.

“He was struggling to see some things early,” the coach said. “They’ve got a smart secondary and a good scheme. They made Arch work.”

But let’s be honest, this wasn’t pretty offensively on either side. No, not at all. Ohio State punted six times and had 203 yards of offense. The Buckeyes finally broke a scoreless tie on the legs of transfer running back C.J. Donaldson, who rumbled into the end zone on a fourth down.

In many ways, it was to be expected. Both started a different quarterback from their playoff semifinal match in January. The Horns employed a rebuilt offensive line with four new starters. The Buckeyes missed their top two running backs. There were new faces everywhere — and it showed.

But all eyes were on that Manning kid. However, he wasn’t the only one making his debut.

Dave Portnoy, the president of Barstool, an unabashed Michigan fan and the new addition of Fox’s "Big Noon Kickoff" show, made his appearance felt and heard during the show’s 2025 debut outside of Ohio Stadium. He burst onto the set singing the Michigan alma mater among a sea of booing Buckeyes fans, taunted them over UM’s four-game winning streak in the rivalry and, then, in a continued personal attack on Ohio State’s head coach, suggested that Ryan Day could be fired if he loses a fifth straight to the Wolverines.

“What happens if you lose to Michigan this year? He could be out,” Portnoy screamed to the crowd. “There’s a reason I’m not allowed in The Shoe today. Because he’s soft and Michigan has broken him.” Though the school denied it, Portnoy says he was banned from the show’s late segment that originates from within the venue — the latest stewing from the school about Fox’s decision to partner with Barstool.

While that scene unfolded, just steps away, ESPN’s "College GameDay" show graciously ushered out their analyst legend, Lee Corso, in what was the 90-year-old’s final appearance on the popular pregame show after nearly three decades. Other members of the show even donned headgear designed to emulate the coach — an emotional farewell that ended with Corso, in his final pick, choosing the Buckeyes to beat the Longhorns. How fitting: He bookended his career with a giant Brutus head — his very first headgear pick in 1996. In fact, he’s picked Ohio State a record 45 times among his 431 headgear selections.

A few minutes later, Corso, wearing a tuxedo on his big day, made his way up to the Ohio Stadium press box to watch his final game as an ESPN employee, munching on two hot dogs slathered in mustard as a rotation of reporters wished him goodbye between bites.

Unfurling before him was a picture-perfect college football Saturday: sunny and 70 degrees with a cool wind and a stadium blanketed in Scarlet — a far cry from the off-the-field drama and dysfunction of the industry’s business side.

It was a historic day, in many ways — the kickoff of a college football season in which players, for the first time ever, are being directly compensated by their schools. There is plenty more brewing off the field. There’s a trove of new lawsuits against the NCAA threatening eligibility rules; indecision over the future format of the College Football Playoff; disagreement over congressional college sports legislation; swirling uncertainty around legal aspects of college sports’ new enforcement entity to limit booster pay; and, on the horizon, potentially more landscape-altering conference realignment and super league proposals.

But, on this day, many could forget that madness. There was football to be had: Here, in Ohio, between two of the sport’s most historic blue-blood powers and revenue-generating giants, the richest powers in a sport that is, more than ever, fractured into classes. It’ll forever be remembered as Arch’s debut — a nightmarish one at that.

 

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Wescott Eberts: Red-zone failures define another high-profile Texas loss

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Standing at the podium at SEC Media Days, Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian was already peevish after the first question. “That was a good start, man. Got a couple jabs right there right off the rip,” Sarkisian said. The “jabs”? “Over the last couple of seasons, the red-zone offense has faltered a little bit in late-game situations, in big moments, too.” Less of a jab than an objective statement of fact, but okay.

The question? Whether better red-zone offense would push the Horns into the national championship game after those aforementioned high-profile failures near the goal line resulted in back-to-back losses in the College Football Playoff semifinals. “Hopefully next year you ask me a different question, saying since you got that resolved, what are you working on this year?” Sarkisian said as he closed his statement, still peevish.

Following a 14-7 loss for Sarkisian’s No. 1-ranked Longhorns to the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday in Columbus, the question remains the same — when are Sarkisian and Texas going to demonstrate more competence in the red zone, the type of competence necessary to win a national championship? That’s because in a game defined by small margins, Texas once again suffered its greatest deficit of competency in the red zone, scoring zero points on two trips inside the Ohio State 20-yard line.

With redshirt sophomore quarterback Arch Manning behind center instead of the smaller and less mobile Quinn Ewers, Sarkisian turned to the quarterback run game on both trips, but it wasn’t enough to produce game-defining efforts by Manning as Sarkisian’s play calling once again comes under justifiable scrutiny after two of the four failed fourth-down conversion attempts in Saturday’s loss came in the red area. The first missed opportunity in the red zone came down 7-0 in the third quarter at the end of a 15-play drive that covered 70 yards over 6:54 as the running game started to find its rhythm because it was the 71st yard that went on to define the game.

After the Texas offensive line helped push redshirt sophomore running back CJ Baxter towards the goal line on a two-yard gain on 3rd and 3, Sarkisian called a quarterback sneak at tempo, trying to run Manning behind senior right guard DJ Campbell, a preseason All-SEC selection. Instead of Campbell clearing the way for Manning, however, Ohio State won at the point of attack, stopping the Texas quarterback well short of the goal line.

If the play looked rushed live, it’s because it was rushed. After the game, Sarkisian said that he called the sneak to prevent Ohio State from substituting, a regrettable decision upon reflection. ”I think they got under us pretty good and kind of took Arch’s legs out from under him. Hindsight is 20/20 — if I could do it all over a gain, we probably sub and they put their big guys in, we put our big guys in, and see if we can get it in the end zone,” Sarkisian said.

Using a jumbo package on the goal line is a tactic that Sarkisian employed in the Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State that ended the 2024 season for the Longhorns the play before the infamous toss sweep resulted in a seven-yard loss. It went for no gain and Sarkisian quickly went away from it, although Baxter’s return does give the Texas head coach a 230-pound running back to employ in that situation.

Even with Baxter back, the possibility of using heavier personnel to solve the goal-line issues for the Horns would be more encouraging if there was actually some recent evidence of it working. In the post-game press conference, Manning took some of the blame. “It was fourth and inches on the goal line. We’ve got to have those, and I’ve got to make more of a push, because that was a big swing in the game,” Manning said.

The second red-zone trip featured more perplexing play calling from Sarkisian. Trailing 14-7 early in the fourth quarter after Carnell Tate’s 40-yard touchdown reception, Texas once again leaned heavily on the running game to sustain a lengthy drive that eventually totaled 76 yards over 13 plays. After a 14-yard gain by junior tight end Jack Endries on a screen pass moved the Longhorns into the red zone, Sarkisian stuck with that ground-based ethos, calling a quarterback counter for Manning that gained four yards and a run for junior running back Quintrevion Wisner that gained three yards.

Facing 3rd and 3 in four-down territory, Sarkisian abandoned the running game even though Texas ultimately ran for 166 yards on 4.5 yards per carry, motioning the running back into the flat on third down and dialing up a crossing route for sophomore wide receiver Ryan Wingo. Open on the play, Wingo wasn’t able to come up with the reception when Manning fired the ball low and hard, an essentially uncatchable pass.

Despite positive offseason buzz about the rapport between Manning and Wingo, the sophomore wide receiver only recorded two catches for 35 yards on seven targets, a disappointing performance from a player the Longhorns need to be productive to make the playoffs for a third straight year. Because Sarkisian opted against running the ball on third down, fourth down became an obvious passing down with three yards to gain.

The play call by Sarkisian had a certain amount of conservatism baked into it — the running back and the tight end both served as blockers with Wisner not even check releasing from the backfield, leaving the three wide receivers as the only potential targets for Manning, all lined up to the field.

And one of those wide receivers wasn’t really a target, either, running a rub route for Wingo that was taken away by the Ohio State safety in the middle of the field, leaving redshirt freshman wide receiver Parker Livingstone releasing from the slot to the corner of the end zone as the only option for Manning. Protected well, but standing flat-footed in the pocket, Manning tried to lead Livingstone into the throw instead of giving his wide receiver a chance to go up and high point it and Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun was in phase to help ensure the pass fell incomplete in the end zone.

Asked about the red zone during Monday’s press conference, Sarkisian pointed to the team’s improvement from a 50-percent touchdown rate in 2023 to a 64-percent touchdown rate in 2024. “We did make some improvements, we just need to continue to improve,” Sarkisian said. But if the Longhorns have improved in the red zone since January, it wasn’t apparent on Saturday in Columbus, and Sarkisian deserves a lot of the blame for his questionable play calling.

Kirk Bohls: Texas again shows it's hard-pressed to play with big boys in another loss to Ohio State

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Texas’ stay at the No. 1 penthouse was short-lived. And Steve Sarkisian has to be wondering if he can get his deposit back. Might ought to check on that sketchy game plan while he’s at it. Neither his script nor the best quarterback God supposedly ever put on earth was enough to get Texas past defending national champion Ohio State in both teams’ season opener.

The third-ranked Buckeyes, flush with excitement and fueled by a red-tinged Ohio Stadium crammed with 107,521 watchers, took full advantage of a jittery, unsettled Arch Manning, a penalty-cursed defense and an all-too-familiar Texas offense that still can’t score from in close. The result was a dramatic 14-7 Ohio State win that jump-starts its defense of last year’s national championship just hours after the pregame festivities when the school unveiled a humongous banner celebrating the 2024 title.

And a big, resounding thud for Texas, which is stuck on a consistent theme. It has now lost twice to Ohio State in the past eight months and twice to Georgia last season and is hard-pressed to show it can play with the big boys and win it all.

Manning will be feeling the after-effects more than most. His debut was a dud, but only fools would expect him not to come back strong. Aside from two off-Broadway starts against lesser teams like Louisiana-Monroe and lowly Mississippi State last year, Manning had very little big-game experience, and his shaky performance left plenty to be desired. It mostly left a win to be desired.

“Our job is to try to find ways for all of our guys to play better,” Sarkisian said. “And so for Arch, the expectations were out of control on the outside. But I’d say let’s finish the book before we judge him, right? This is one chapter, and we’ve got a long season.”

The Buckeyes won this meeting as they had the last. With big plays and bigger defense. Texas scored a touchdown with 3:28 left in the fourth quarter to avoid being shut out for the first time since a 24-0 loss to a 2-5 Iowa State in 2015 and did get the ball back with about two minutes left. Manning couldn’t get the Longhorns closer than midfield before Ohio State’s All-American safety Caleb Downs wrestled Texas tight end Jack Endries to the ground short of a first down. That marked the fourth time in the game that the Buckeyes' defense stiffened and made Texas turn the ball over on fourth down.

Offensively, Ohio State got a big-strike, 40-yard touchdown from Carnell Tate on an underthrown ball and 1-yard bulldozer play from West Virginia running back transfer C.J. Donaldson to cap a drive. It was a series helped immeasurably by a facemark penalty against Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons and a defensive holding call on cornerback Malik Muhammad for 25 yards of the team’s 80-yard drive. “We got work to do as a team and as an offense,” Sarkisian said. “But ultimately I’m getting on the plane knowing we’re going to be a good football team. We went for it in a tough place against a good team. But we’ll get back on the horse, and we’ll play good football this season.”

He could also be blamed for not being aggressive enough, particularly when he disdained going for it on a fourth-and-2 at the OSU 45 and punting when momentum was up for grabs.

“I just didn’t want to give them that field position,” Sarkisian said, dismissing the idea his team could convert the first down. “We were playing really good defense. I didn’t want to give them free points.”

Texas had no answer offensively even though its salty defense held the hometowners to a scarce 203 yards in their own building. Ohio State didn’t have a turnover on the day and effectively disguised its coverages to confuse Manning, who made some big throws but never looked completely comfortable.

The mop-haired redshirt sophomore’s heralded breakout appearance as Quinn Ewers’ successor didn’t go as planned. Oh, he threw a touchdown pass and passed for 170 yards, which were 44 more than his opposing quarterback did.

But it wasn’t a strong performance by any measure, and typically he owned it. All of it, which was actually the best thing he did Saturday. “Ultimately, not good enough,” Manning opened his remarks about assessing his play. “I thought we beat ourselves a lot, and that starts with me, and I got to play better for us to win.”

Amen to that. He had a very rocky start and was a big reason Texas lost. It wasn’t all bad, but it came nowhere near the lofty expectations that fans and we in the media unfairly created for him. Manning did play better in the second half. However, red-zone issues continue to haunt this team that finished 101st in that category a year ago as the Horns failed to score on series that ended at the 1 and the 9. Texas also got zero out of series that began at its own 49, 47 and midfield.

After an impressive drive he engineered with four straight completions and a key 15-yard scramble, he failed to score on a quarterback sneak from the 1, stuffed by Caden Curry and Lorenzo Styles Jr. That was reminiscent of last year’s Cotton Bowl loss to the Buckeyes at the pivotal point of that game, which turned when Texas couldn’t punch it in from the 1. “I’ve got to make more of a push,” the self-deprecating Manning said, taking the blame for the offensive line that didn’t budge Ohio State’s elite defensive front.

Texas would have another chance later in the fourth quarter from the Buckeyes’ 9, but he rifled a short pass too hard for Ryan Wingo to gather on third-and-3 and then couldn’t find Wingo on his first read and threw an incomplete pass to redshirt freshman Parker Livingstone in the corner of the end zone on fourth down.

“I got to play better,” Manning said. “I got to get Ryan the ball. He’s a really good playmaker, and I couldn’t do that enough today. So that’s on me.” High on accountability, low on accuracy.

 

Posted
5 hours ago, satyanash said:

(Sam Khan Jr.) Texas troubles: 3 issues that plagued the Longhorns in Ohio State loss

 

We are cooked.  Red zone ain't ever getting fixed.  It's year 5 for crying out loud and our offensive Guru can't figure it out.  Just hope the retard figures it is better to kick a field goal.  Or maybe Shanahan will call him to teach him how to do it.

Posted
8 hours ago, Hermanator said:

Stewart Mandell is one of the biggest morons in an industry filled with morons. I don't remember a single bad drop from a receiver. I remember Arch throwing behind or way out in front, or worm burning it. The only one that could have been reasonably caught but wasn't was Livingstone in tbe end zone, but that wasn't a drop. It was a difficult play to make trying to pull the ball off the top of the turf. 

That was actually a great throw. It wasn’t a drop, because Igbinonus (sp?) had his right arm pinned. Let’s not reverse Mandel Arch here 

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Posted
25 minutes ago, Red Five said:

Matt Patricia was not scared of any Texas RB that played on Saturday hurting his defense, I can promise you that.

Did another RB play on Saturday besides Baxter and Wisner? We have seven on the team if we're counting Niblett there. Are those two really far and away our two best out of a room of seven?

Posted

Jesus Christ these 9.95 cunts like to exaggerate to stir up the fan base. 

The line was nowhere near that bad. Even in a dominating performance there will always be instances where an individual gets beaten on a given play on the line. On the whole, the line got a push against another top tier program, opened plenty of holes, and kept Arch clean for enough time to make plays. Arch was just too out of sorts to make them. The running backs not making anyone miss is a much bigger issue. A Bijan or even Brooks runs for 200+ with the defensive front and blocking they saw in that game. 

Any game against a top tier program will have wins and losses at every position during the game. In both Rose Bowls we had plenty of individual losses. Same as all 4 playoff games we're 2-2 in.  I'm getting really sick of these people like Burton and this jackass blowing shit out of proportion just to make money off our team. Accurate reporting should be expected, and that was not an accurate assessment. 

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48 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

That was actually a great throw. It wasn’t a drop, because Igbinonus (sp?) had his right arm pinned. Let’s not reverse Mandel Arch here 

I didn't make a comment on the quality of the throw

Posted
6 minutes ago, Hermanator said:

Jesus Christ these 9.95 cunts like to exaggerate to stir up the fan base. 

The line was nowhere near that bad. Even in a dominating performance there will always be instances where an individual gets beaten on a given play on the line. On the whole, the line got a push against another top tier program, opened plenty of holes, and kept Arch clean for enough time to make plays. Arch was just too out of sorts to make them. The running backs not making anyone miss is a much bigger issue. A Bijan or even Brooks runs for 200+ with the defensive front and blocking they saw in that game. 

Any game against a top tier program will have wins and losses at every position during the game. In both Rose Bowls we had plenty of individual losses. Same as all 4 playoff games we're 2-2 in.  I'm getting really sick of these people like Burton and this jackass blowing shit out of proportion just to make money off our team. Accurate reporting should be expected, and that was not an accurate assessment. 

Our dline against their oline was a much bigger mismatch than vice versa. We couldn't punish Ohio State upfront, but at least we weren't being consistently punished either. Everything works better if we connect on the plays that were there. 

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Posted
On 7/31/2025 at 6:53 AM, satyanash said:

RB room is now looking like a real weak spot.

Wisner is a known quantity - great vision and patience, but slow and undersized. He only made hay when our O-line dominated the opposing D-line, and we've lost a lot of experience there. Gibson needs to stop fumbling and develop some vision. And everyone else is unproven and inexperienced.

Blue couldn't stop fumbling but he was also the only RB who could do anything when our O-line was getting dominated (see Georgia and Ohio State). He scored 14 of the RB room's combined 24 TDs and led all our backs in YPC. And now we have no one who can replace him. We needed a back with top-end speed who can be a threat running routes out of the backfield.

Unsurprisingly, I got flamed for this take by the sunshine pumpers back in July. Also unsurprisingly, it turned out to be correct. There's no one in our RB room right now that opposing defenses are especially worried about. 

Posted
6 minutes ago, satyanash said:

Unsurprisingly, I got flamed for this take by the sunshine pumpers back in July. Also unsurprisingly, it turned out to be correct. There's no one in our RB room right now that opposing defenses are especially worried about. 

Just rb’s? I feel our wr room is way worse after Saturday. Rb by committee can work and I think overall it will this season. But I don’t even see a wr that looks special in any way. No speed and can’t get open. wtf is our wr tree? Straight line hot routes?

Posted
18 minutes ago, Hermanator said:

Jesus Christ these 9.95 cunts like to exaggerate to stir up the fan base. 

The line was nowhere near that bad. Even in a dominating performance there will always be instances where an individual gets beaten on a given play on the line. On the whole, the line got a push against another top tier program, opened plenty of holes, and kept Arch clean for enough time to make plays. Arch was just too out of sorts to make them. The running backs not making anyone miss is a much bigger issue. A Bijan or even Brooks runs for 200+ with the defensive front and blocking they saw in that game. 

The entire point of Scipio's article is that our O-line only won the battles in the ground game that Ohio State’s gameplan allowed them to win. Were we getting push and opening holes in the red zone when Ohio State stopped giving us light boxes? Not really.

Posted
2 minutes ago, Rockethorn1978 said:

feel our wr room is way worse after Saturday

The Film Guy vid is good if you have time - it comments on the WR's, who seemed a lot more open on rewatch.  Also comments that they kept good body language even when they didn't get the ball.  Not nothing I suppose.  Wonder how PFF will grade them out...

Posted
2 minutes ago, UThomas said:

The Film Guy vid is good if you have time - it comments on the WR's, who seemed a lot more open on rewatch.  Also comments that they kept good body language even when they didn't get the ball.  Not nothing I suppose.  Wonder how PFF will grade them out...

Probably I’m going off the live game only. I didn’t go back and slow mo replay breakdown. I couldn’t stomach watching that shit show twice. 

Posted
2 minutes ago, satyanash said:

The entire point of Scipio's article is that our O-line only won the battles in the ground game that Ohio State’s gameplan allowed them to win. Were we getting push and opening holes in the red zone when Ohio State stopped giving us light boxes? Not really.

And this touches on something that I have worried about.  Our OL is lots better than it's been in the last 15-20 years or so, but doesn't seem to be quite there yet.  And, outside of Bijan and Brooks, RBs have been perhaps a bit less than overwhelming.  And when one's good, the other not so much.

And less-than overwhelming OL presented a major problem for our self-sacking QB until possibly this season.

Ordinarily, I'd say that's a big problem from Sark and Flood.  But they're in year five, which is barely enough time, as I understand it, to develop a talented, cohesive, and effective OL.  And we just lost what four of our OL?  And the portal is not, again as I understand, anywhere near a complete solution for OL woes.

This is where I think the Days and Smarts, who've been running their factories for a considerably longer time, have a pretty major advantage.  And the fact that we got a bunch of OL drafted is nice, but does not disprove my hypothesis that OL isn't where it needs to be and it will take some more time.

 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
1 minute ago, Dahobbs said:

Our dline against their oline was a much bigger mismatch than vice versa. We couldn't punish Ohio State upfront, but at least we weren't being consistently punished either. Everything works better if we connect on the plays that were there. 

Exactly, if he thinks our Oline got dominated that badly, how would he describe the OSU Oline? In contrast, Day should be downright panicking that his offensive line sucks big chocolate salty balls after getting stuffed for barely over 2 yds a rush by a defense having to scheme to defend a great receiver unit. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted (edited)
27 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

Our dline against their oline was a much bigger mismatch than vice versa. We couldn't punish Ohio State upfront, but at least we weren't being consistently punished either. Everything works better if we connect on the plays that were there. 

No offensive line is going to win in goal line when the defense knows exactly what play set is coming. OSU had zero doubt Sark was going to run it inside 4 straight times from the 6. They sat on it. Day at least gave Texas different formations and looks with a credible threat to roll out the QB in goal line, and it still took them 4 downs to get it in. 

That problem isn't the line. It's Sark being too damn stubborn. Scheme to win the snap, not to make a statement. 

Edited by Hermanator
  • Hook 'Em 2
Posted
24 minutes ago, Rockethorn1978 said:

Just rb’s? I feel our wr room is way worse after Saturday. Rb by committee can work and I think overall it will this season. But I don’t even see a wr that looks special in any way. No speed and can’t get open. wtf is our wr tree? Straight line hot routes?

Watch the film breakdown. WRs were not the problem. When the safeties are literally sitting and positioning pre snap to take away the crossing route they know is coming against the grain? That's a scheme issue. That's being too damn predictable and not throwing enough sliders to get people off your fastball. 

Their players knew time and time again, from the very first snap of the game, where to position themselves to attack what was coming. The same concept of running clear out routes to have someone from the back side cross in against the grain. He even pointed out that every first snap of the game Arch has taken at Texas has been the same play. And OSU sat on it. 

Posted

You don't scheme a defensive galaxy brain strategy in week 1 to allow Arch Manning a good pocket with time to throw, idgaf what scipio said that was bull. 

RB concern is legit, and shouldn't be surprising. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
6 minutes ago, BurgleBro said:

You don't scheme a defensive galaxy brain strategy in week 1 to allow Arch Manning a good pocket with time to throw, idgaf what scipio said that was bull. 

RB concern is legit, and shouldn't be surprising. 

Most (all?) of the criticisms were about the run blocking.

Posted
1 hour ago, Codaxx said:
9 hours ago, Hermanator said:

Stewart Mandell is one of the biggest morons in an industry filled with morons. I don't remember a single bad drop from a receiver. I remember Arch throwing behind or way out in front, or worm burning it. The only one that could have been reasonably caught but wasn't was Livingstone in tbe end zone, but that wasn't a drop. It was a difficult play to make trying to pull the ball off the top of the turf. 

That was actually a great throw. It wasn’t a drop, because Igbinonus (sp?) had his right arm pinned. Let’s not reverse Mandel Arch here 

^^^ This ^^^ ... Ohio State got away with one there and no one in the booth bothered to say anything.

 

                PLsarmpinned-1.jpg.a53c12aaf527777ea887b49f9d25d6d0.jpg

                PLsarmpinned-2.jpg.ebde6e4c7f7315d153830516c8a662ca.jpg

                PLsarmpinned-3.jpg.51b300a4b39325efe54399c9800da45a.jpg

 

 

Posted

Ian Boyd: How did Ohio State shut down Texas?

Quote

Shut down is a loaded term to describe how Ohio State defended the Longhorns. Technically Texas outgained Ohio State 336 yards to 203 at 5.0 ypp to 3.8 for the Buckeyes. The Longhorns were only 5-14 on third down but the Buckeyes went a feeble 2-15. Nevertheless, Texas certainly didn’t do much on the scoreboard.

The obvious differences in the game came on a handful of key plays. Each team faced 4th-and-goal from the one and the Buckeyes pounded the ball in while the Longhorns were stuffed. The Buckeyes took a shot down the field, which ended in a rather miraculous Carnell Tate touchdown reception, the Longhorns took a shot down the field after taking early charge of field position in the second half, which ended in an interception. Ohio State hit a big 3rd down pass to Jeremiah Smith to keep the drive alive which ended in the Tate score, Texas missed a big 3rd down pass to Ryan Wingo to set up a bad 4th down which was botched.

Those instances of “they made the plays and we didn’t” easily summarize why Ohio State won the game. We’ll analyze the big moments, but how was it though that Texas was a few plays away from matching a 14-point effort in regulation? Why weren’t the Longhorns comfortably in the double-digits of scoring with some margin to spare for converting key moments?

The Buckeye game plan

Early on the Ohio State gameplan looked a lot like the gameplans Michigan has used in the past to thwart the Buckeyes. There’s no question this Ohio State defense looks much more pro-style and akin to what Michigan was doing in order to win three consecutive Big 10 Championships, a national title, and four straight over the Buckeyes.

After some early success playing disguised Match Quarters with deep safety alignments, eventually Matt “the pencil” Patricia figured out the Buckeyes could effectively cover Texas in Cover 3 and create fits from 5-1 “penny front” schemes:

On the first clip above the safeties get pretty far back in emulation of how Michigan would typically seek to deny Ohio State’s own pass game. In the second clip, an initial Tampa 2 look with Caleb Downs in the middle of the field transforms with the Buckeye safety racing down into the box and running untouched through an open hole, which forces CJ Baxter to cut into a wall of Buckeye defenders and an unblocked linebacker.

You can see how effective the Buckeyes were in Match 3 (Cover 3 with pattern-matching principles) in a variety of different examples over the course of the game, including the plays where Texas successfully hit throws down the field. The Buckeye defensive backs knew what they were looking at and maintained good leverage on all of Texas’ shots while the linebackers routinely got good drops to discourage crossers. If it wasn’t Downs in the middle of the field it was linebackers Sonny Styles or Arvell Reese getting good drops to discourage attempts. Texas couldn’t get behind the Buckeyes, everything had to be thrown into tight windows:

It was very reminiscent of the Vanderbilt game from last season. Good three-deep matching denied Texas’ favorite shots while the run game and underneath passing game were too inconsistent to carry the day without the big explosives over the top.

The big money downs…

It’s probably worth going through some of the big plays where Texas came up short that made the difference between winning or losing a hard-fought game against a surprisingly good defensive effort.

Let’s start with the early 4th-and-2 where the Longhorns came up empty on the opening drive. Steve Sarkisian called a zone-read RPO play, which proved to be a bad play-call.

Arch Manning has been hammered online for failing to keep the ball and throw to one of the open receivers available on the pass options, but that’s not how these play designs work. The first read for the quarterback is the unblocked defensive end, who is clearly playing wide in contain and was too wide to reliably make the tackle on the running back. The problem for Texas was the weak-side linebacker didn’t respect the tight end running a route and since the progression didn’t get there, he was able to race in unblocked to hit Baxter for no gain.

Generally speaking, it’s better to block people rather than trying to read multiple defenders on a 4th-and-2 play where they are going to overplay the run. Block em or run true play-action. Ohio State effectively gamed the option and were able to cheat coverage to get the stop.

Next, let’s talk 4th-and-goal and the ill-fated Manning sneak. As it happens, I think the issue with the sneak was that Ohio State overplayed DJ Campbell’s side but Manning went there anyways. If he’d taken a moment to consider the alignment just before or after the snap, he might have gone behind Connor Stroh instead and converted for the score.

Before that, Texas almost scored in the fashion we expected pregame:

The running back swing pass emptied the box of the linebacker but Hutson determined to go around the first block to lead outside while Manning chose to take the more direct path to the end zone. If either had made the same determination on which was the best path, I think Texas either scores here or sets up 3rd-and-goal from the one with two chances to dive it in (like Ohio State got) rather than just one.

Play design here is good and the angles Texas had were pretty great, they just didn’t quite execute. Campbell lost the backside defensive end on a stunt who actually made the play. I think my own preference would have been for Hutson to go inside given the situation (right on the goal line) and doubled the end with Stroh up to the next defender rather than trying to get around the edge.

Before we talk the other red zone scenario, let’s skip ahead to the big 3rd-and-5 miss to Wingo on a shallow cross which was just that, a miss. Sark designed the play to look like mesh-rail but instead of reading the normal pattern, the design was always to go to Wingo running what would normally be the fourth and final read on the play. The best answer I can give is that Manning appears to have been unprepared for how fast Wingo got across the formation and had to throw from a mechanically unsound base, which lead to a pass that was behind his target.

Ironically, if he had read the running back rail option first, it was poorly accounted for by Ohio State and would likely have converted or set up 4th-and-short. You can’t be mad though, this was designed to go to Wingo and he was also wide open. Maybe Manning would have missed the rail too.

On the following 4th-and-5 Sark called for a normal mesh pattern, Texas didn’t block the Edge, and the play was drawing dead out of the gate.

Finally, we have the other red zone failure. Things went south from 1st-and-10 from the 11.

This one, like nearly every other called quarterback run in the red zone, was close to producing great results but wasn’t quite executed.

 

One summation of these near misses by Texas is that Ohio State demanded pinpoint execution on everything and the Longhorns weren’t quite pinpoint. On the third down Arch saw the window to make this throw was very tight and his throw was rushed and low. Wingo saw those defenders and was late to get his eyes back to the quarterback. By the time he’s looking for the ball it’s bouncing off his leg. It looks like sloppy play by Texas but it’s a sloppiness encouraged by effective coverage from the opponent and probably also the home crowd.

Finally:

Texas did a great job picking up this blitz and executing the route combination. Sark says he wanted this to go to the rub route for Wingo underneath but the safety is right there, making it another tight window. Manning chose the corner route and hit his receiver’s hands…they just didn’t quite come up with this one.

Overall this was a very competitive game in which the Buckeyes made the big plays they needed and the Longhorns narrowly missed on multiple opportunities. It was obviously a huge boon for Ohio State to score first in a defensive struggle and keep pressure off Julian Sayin, who himself missed what should have been an early touchdown bomb to a wide open Smith before playing with a governor for the rest of the contest.

Tie went to the home team, you could say. The Longhorns weren’t ready yet to win against a team of the caliber Ohio State proved to be in their first road test of the season. The next question is whether they can tighten things up enough to win future road tests as that won’t be the last one on the 2025 slate

 

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