COLUMBUS, Ohio — For Texas football, the 2025 season began the same way Saturday that its 2024 season ended in January.
Texas and new starting quarterback Arch Manning struggled throughout Saturday’s season opener at Ohio Stadium. Undone by wasted offensive opportunities and a couple of untimely penalties on defense, No. 1 Texas was handed a 14-7 loss by No. 3 Ohio State.
Saturday’s setback came nearly eight months after the Longhorns suffered a 28-14 loss against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Cotton Bowl.
Even though Saturday’s game kicked off at 12:14 p.m. Ohio time, the punters for both teams had to wait a little longer for their seasons to start. Texas kept its offense on the field for two fourth downs on the opening possession, while Ohio State also went for it on a fourth-and-1 in its first drive. Manning plowed ahead for a first down with Texas needing a few inches inside of its 35-yard line, but CJ Baxter was stuffed on a fourth-and-2 run. Minutes later, Ohio State’s first drive ended when Max Klare was unable to haul in a fourth-down pass from Julian Sayin.
Texas gained a total of seven yards over its next two drives, but Ohio State also didn’t score in the first quarter. The Buckeyes, though, struck first on a fourth-and-goal plunge from running back C.J, Donaldson with 8:57 left in the second session. That 13-play, 80-yard scoring drive was aided by two UT penalties, a third-down facemask on edge rusher Colin Simmons and a defensive holding by cornerback Malik Muhammad that gave Ohio State a first down at the Texas 18.
Texas was held to 79 yards over the game’s first 30 minutes, and its offense went 1-for-7 on third downs. Texas never got within the Ohio State 40 and a possession that started near midfield in the second quarter’s final two minutes went nowhere. Manning completed five of his 10 attempts, although only one of those passes was caught by a Texas receiver.
Texas nearly matched its first-half offensive output on its first possession after halftime, but a 70-yard drive was for naught as Manning was stuffed on a fourth-down quarterback sneak near the goal line. On UT’s next possession, Manning was then intercepted at the Ohio State 27.
Ohio State extended its lead on Carnell Tate’s 40-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter’s opening minutes. A turnover on downs at the Ohio State 9 ended the next Texas drive, but the Longhorns used the second career catch by redshirt freshman Parker Livingstone — a 32-yard touchdown — to cut the deficit to 14-7 with 3:28 remaining.
After its defense came up with a big stop, Texas got one last shot. A 30-yard catch by Cal transfer Jack Endries got Texas to its 45-yard line, but the drive stalled after it reached midfield. Ohio State was able to celebrate after a pressured Manning had to settle for a short pass to Endries, who was stopped short of a first down on a fourth-and-5 attempt.
If Texas (0-1) is to achieve that goal, it must take note of what went wrong against an Ohio State team that took time on Saturday to celebrate last season’s national championship in front of an announced crowd of 107,524. Now 0-1 for the first time in Sarkisian’s five-year Texas tenure, the Longhorns will attempt to rebound next week at home against San Jose State.
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