ESPN's David Hale believes the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns are 1 and 1A as the likeliest teams to make the 2025/2026 College Football Playoff, despite the two programs locking up during Week 1 of the regular season.
As Hale notes, this matchup has become an appetizer after previously serving as an appetizer matchup.
"In another era, this game wouldn't just be the marquee event of the opening weekend but a turning point in the season. The loser would then face another 11 games while residing on a knife's edge. A second loss -- to Michigan, perhaps -- would doom the Buckeyes. Texas would still have an entire SEC slate ahead with no margin for error. And yet, it could still be entirely true that the loser of this game would have a claim to the title of the country's most talented squad," Hale wrote.
"Of course, this is the 12-team playoff era (and soon to be the 14-, 16- or, if Eli Drinkwitz has his way, 30-team playoff era) which means that the first showdown between Ohio State and Texas will be but an appetizer, and both schools will remain the most likely to hoist the trophy in late January."
Expectations will be high for that Week 1 game. Particularly for Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, who's being given Heisman expectations for the 2025 season despite having three career starts entering the campaign.
Archie Manning doesn't believe those expectations are fair. OSU can prove they are delusional.
Regardless of what happens in that game, Texas and Ohio State are likely on a collision course for a College Football Playoff rematch, whether this coming December or January, or after a future season.
The two teams spend too much not to be lined up again after August 30.