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Up to date 15s in the past
It’s lastly right here. Arch Manning begins his tenure as Texas’ full-time beginning quarterback by main the Longhorns into Ohio Stadium to face defending nationwide champion Ohio State.
Comply with all our protection from our specialists at The Athletic beneath.
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Not the opening drive Texas needed. Arch Manning had an open receiver the primary play of the sport, however couldn't hit him. Texas goes for it on fourth-and-2 and is stuffed.
It's now Julian Sayin time. We've heard so little about Sayin compared to Arch, however don't overlook that that is additionally a former five-star QB who deliberate to play for Nick Saban earlier than Saban retired.
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Q1 10:32 – Texas 0, Ohio State 0
Arch Manning’s first completion of the sport is in need of the sticks on third-and-8. Steve Sarkisian goes for it once more on fourth-and-2… and this time C.J. Baxter is stuffed in need of the road to realize!
The Buckeyes take over on downs at their 42-yard line.
Hardly a storybook first drive as a starter for Manning.
Q1 13:52 – Texas 0, Ohio State 0
…and barely will get the primary down on an Arch Manning QB sneak on fourth-and-1 on the Longhorns’ 30-yard line.
That seemed very, very shut.
Q1 14:55 – Texas 0, Ohio State 0
Arch Manning’s first go of the sport is brief, skipping in entrance of receiver DeAndre Moore.
Q1 15:00 – Texas 0, Ohio State 0
Right here we go.
Arch Manning and Texas begin on offense.
As kickoff nears, Ohio State is a really small favourite. The Buckeyes had been favored by 2.5 factors earlier within the week, however the line moved in the direction of Texas. The Longhorns had been a small favourite on Friday, but it surely’s OSU by the thinnest of margins. OSU is -115 on the moneyline and Texas is -105. It doesn’t get nearer than that with out being a real choose ‘em sport.
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The Ohio State crowd appeared muted, virtually in reverence, when Lee Corso made his last headgear choose.
It began roaring when Corso picked the Buckeyes. Then “The Shoe” actually began rocking because the defending nationwide champions took the sphere.
The atmosphere in Columbus seems prefer it’s prepared to fulfill the second as we get set for kickoff.
We made it, everybody.
The crown jewel of the very best school soccer Week 1 slate ever is simply moments away from kickoff.
Buckle up from what’s positive to be an instantaneous basic in Columbus!
What a approach for the legendary Lee Corso to exit.
Texas RBs vs. Ohio State LBs Sonny Kinds and Arvell Reese
Texas has among the finest operating again depth charts in school soccer, particularly with the return of CJ Baxter, who was receiving Bijan Robinson-level hype earlier than getting harm and lacking the 2024 season. Quintrevion Wisner stepped in because the starter final season and eclipsed 1,000 yards dashing.
It received’t be straightforward stopping that duo, however Ohio State has arguably the very best linebacker tandem within the nation. Each Kinds and Reese are distinctive size-speed athletes who’re creating on the place by way of studying keys and defeating blocks. Kinds ranked No. 24 on my summer time prime 50 — and I had one scout inform me Reese “ought to have been on there, too.”
Lee Corso, for the 431st and last time, makes his last headgear choose on “School GameDay” after one more shifting tribute to the school soccer broadcasting legend from each ESPN — and the Ohio State marching band, spelling out his title on the sphere.
The “School GameDay” desk is moved to the midfield, and after doing his common build-up, Lee Corso retains it brief and candy.
💬 “Give me my past love.”
Brutus Buckeye is his 431st headgear choose, similar to it was his first.
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A stunning nod to Lee Corso from the Ohio State band.
Ohio State honors its nationwide championship group yet one more time.
Thus far, Steve Sarkisian has delivered on huge expectations because the Longhorns’ head coach. The one downside is that he hasn’t essentially exceeded them.
When it got here time for Texas to take the following step in its rebuild below Sarkisian in 2023, the Longhorns rolled to a Large 12 championship and made the School Soccer Playoff. In its first 12 months within the SEC, Texas made the convention title sport and one other CFP semifinal.
Now, with Arch Manning on the forefront, Sarkisian enters his fifth season at Texas below extra stress than ever. Unfair? Fairly presumably. A part of the territory that comes with main such a resource-heavy blue-blood program with such a passionate fanbase? Simply ask the man who will stand throughout the sideline from him at this time.
I'm actually to see how Ohio State's offense seems with first-time playcaller Brian Hartline in opposition to a proficient Texas protection.
Ohio State had some points stringing constant drives collectively in opposition to the Longhorns final 12 months and now with a first-year quarterback, there's much more uncertainty concerning this offense. The ability gamers are there on the surface, however how Hartline calls the sport with Julian Sayin main the offense will probably be a serious storyline all through this sport.
They received a nationwide championship.
That was hardly an enormous shock after a number of star gamers opted to return to highschool over getting into the NFL Draft and the Buckeyes leveraged a mountain of NIL cash to usher in affect transfers like quarterback Will Howard, operating again Quinshon Judkins and security Caleb Downs.
However the highway to get there wasn’t straightforward.
Ohio State did not even qualify for the Large Ten championship sport because of a slim loss at Oregon and a shocking defeat to overmatched archrivals Michigan at house in the course of the reguular season. The Buckeyes entered the postseason as a surprised, wounded No. 8 seed within the newly expanded School Soccer Playoff.
Then they dominated.
Their first-round rout of Tennessee on a frigid Columbus evening was primarily over by the top of the primary quarter. Ditto for his or her Rose Bowl revenge sport in opposition to Oregon. That they had more durable challenges in opposition to Texas within the semifinal and Notre Dame within the nationwide championship sport, however acquired essential game-sealing performs — the aforementioned Jack Sawyer scoop-and-score in opposition to Texas and a downfield completion from Howard to star freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith within the title sport — to lastly hoist one other nationwide championship trophy.
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As anticipated, Ohio State-Texas has introduced the celebrities to The Shoe for at this time's sport. Texas Minister of Tradition Matthew McConaughey, former Texas and North Carolina coach Mack Brown (donning a Texas pullover) and former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel all shared a pleasant second collectively pregame. Former celebrity Texas quarterback Vince Younger is in the home, too.
What’s the important thing on this sport? Arch Manning, after all. And it’s not nearly his final title or his household’s lengthy historical past of quarterback success. Nope, Manning is able to show he’s the actual deal, and that begins below the most popular of spotlights, on the highway in opposition to the defending nationwide champion Buckeyes. Thanks, to whoever scheduled this sport to begin the season.
My prediction is that it doesn’t matter what occurs, there will probably be Arch Manning overreactions. From a scouting perspective, the vital takeaway (extra so than his last stat line) will probably be if Manning minimizes errors in a troublesome atmosphere and capitalizes on the alternatives. Steve Sarkisian’s early sport script will ease the quarterback into the motion, and I’m anticipating incoming switch tight finish Jack Endries to play a key function (similar to Gunnar Helm did final season for Quinn Ewers). Manning seemed like a future prime draft choose in his solely profession SEC begin, however that was Mississippi State, and going through Ohio State in Columbus is clearly night-and-day totally different.
The distinction on this sport will probably be whichever group has the extra constant run sport, which is why I’m leaning Texas. Tre Wisner was stable final 12 months, and I’m excited to see a wholesome CJ Baxter again on the sphere (plus what Arch brings together with his legs). I actually preferred what I noticed from James Peoples final season for the Buckeyes, however changing two early draft picks on the place received’t be straightforward. Each defenses must be sturdy vs. the run, particularly on the linebacker degree. Texas’ Anthony Hill Jr. and Ohio State’s Sonny Kinds each made my early top-50 draft board and I had one scout inform me Ohio State’s Arvell Reese will probably be on my last top-50 subsequent April.
