The Ohio State football team does not start the 2025 season with a cupcake schedule like a lot of SEC programs do. They open up with last year's SEC runner-up, the Texas Longhorns. This will be the second straight game in which the Longhorns take on the Ohio State Buckeyes after falling to them in the Cotton Bowl.
Both of these teams are likely going to be preseason top three teams in the polls. The Buckeyes are the defending national champions, so they feel very confident that they can beat Texas again despite the fact that they will have 15 new starters on this year's team.
While the Buckeyes feel great about taking on Texas at home, one CFB pundit does not. Brad Crawford of CBS Sports doesn't believe that the Buckeyes have much of a chance to win that game. He believes Ohio State loses the first game of the year.
CBS Sports doesn't have faith in the Ohio State football team taking down Texas
Crawford cites the fact that the Buckeyes will have two new coordinators and a new starting quarterback as the two biggest reasons why they will lose to the Longhorns. Those certainly are valid points, but the offensive coordinator situation isn't as worrisome as the DC issue.
Brian Hartline has been with the Ohio State football program for quite a while. He understands what works well with the personnel that they have available to them. He also has the best player in college football on his side, so that certainly helps. Matt Patricia at DC is certainly a valid question, though.
It's plausible that Ohio State loses the opening game, even though they get Texas at home. The Longhorns have been stewing all offseason about the loss to the Buckeyes last season, and they have revenge on their minds. They want to get that sour taste out of their mouths.
How well the Buckeyes are able to get after Arch Manning and the offense is going to be the key to them winning this game. If the defensive line plays well, they should be able to win this game and start the 2025 season on the right foot.