Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is still looking for his first win against Ohio State, and this year’s matchup marks his third shot at finally getting one. Both the Buckeyes and Longhorns are locked into the top five of the US LBM Coaches Poll and the Associated Press poll, with OSU holding down the top spot in both, while Texas sits at No. 3 in the Coaches and No. 4 in the AP. The stakes could not be higher for Sarkisian and his squad.
Jeremiah Smith Is Different This Time
Sarkisian spoke at length about Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, a player he called “arguably the best player in college football.” This guy just went off for 151 receiving yards and two touchdowns in one half of play against Ball State on September 5, and Sarkisian knows exactly what that means. He straight up said, “we better know where No. 4 is on every snap.” That’s a huge tell!
Sarkisian explained why Smith demands so much attention, pointing to his “size, speed, catch radius.” He added, “He’s a big, physical guy who can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.” We’re talking about a player who Sarkisian physically compared to legends like Julio Jones and A.J. Brown. With that kind of strength, 50-50 catches are brutal for defenses. Sarkisian’s game plan has to be spot on because, as he put it, “you can’t just throw all fastballs. As good as a fastball as you have, if that’s all you got, sooner or later you’re gonna hit it. We’ve got to be able to mix our pitches up in how we defend him and how we defend the scheme.” It’s a challenge Texas hasn’t quite faced from Smith before, as he had relatively quiet games against them in the past, with just six catches for 43 yards in last year’s opener and a measly one catch for three yards in his rookie season’s CFP semifinal. This time, it feels different.
The Stakes Are Sky-High Again
Let’s not forget the history. In 2025, No. 3 Ohio State took down No. 1 Texas in a low-scoring 14-7 season opener. Texas then stumbled against Florida and Georgia later that season, completely missing out on the College Football Playoff. Then there was the 2025 Cotton Bowl, which was a CFP semifinal game where the Buckeyes delivered a 28-14 punch to Texas before going on to win the national championship. Sarkisian is 0-2 against Ohio State, and this is his shot at redemption.
The development of the quarterbacks will be huge here too. Sarkisian mentioned that his own quarterback, Arch Manning, and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin have developed “pretty drastically different” since their early career meetings. He sees a real “level of confidence” in both guys, noting their “presence in the pocket” and their “confidence to use their legs,” something Julian Sayin clearly showed recently. You can bet both young signal-callers will be looking to make a statement in this monster game. This isn’t just another game; it’s a statement for both programs and for Sarkisian’s record against the Buckeyes.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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