All this hype leading into this game was around Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns, but the defending national champions had something to say about that when it was all said and done.

No. 3 Ohio State took down No. 1 Texas 14-7 in a defensive slugfest at the Horseshoe on a gorgeous day on Saturday. This game had it all: a hyped-up quarterback debut, a suffocating Buckeye defense, and a send-off for an ESPN legend. It also had some obnoxious predictions from SEC homers like Paul Finebaum, who made the ridiculous statement that “the game wouldn’t be close” as he predicted a Texas win.

Now this wasn’t just any season opener—it was a rematch of last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal, where Ohio State beat Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl. Texas came into Columbus as the AP preseason No. 1, with all eyes on redshirt sophomore Arch Manning, making his first start as the Longhorns’ QB1. The hype around Manning was unreal—Heisman buzz, Warby Parker commercials, you name it. Meanwhile, Ohio State, fresh off a national title, rolled in with new quarterback Julian Sayin and a defense ready to prove it’s still the best in the country.

But strangely, the Buckeyes weren’t getting nearly enough respect. We heard so much about the talent lost through last year’s NFL draft, but Texas was replacing starters as well. Also, if you were paying attention, you’d know that the Buckeyes were loaded with young talent on defense. Also, many of these players got playing time last year, so they were more than ready to step in.

Spoiler alert: the Buckeyes’ defense stole the show, and this game became a statement for the ages.

That had a lot to do with new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. Critics of Ohio State pointed to the fact that they were replacing both coordinators, but Patricia proved his value as his defensive schemes confused Arch Manning all afternoon.

Let’s talk about how this game unfolded. The first quarter was a defensive chess match—neither team scored, but Ohio State’s defense set the tone early. Texas elected to receive after Ohio State deferred, but the Longhorns’ offense, led by Manning, couldn’t get much going. A key moment came when the Buckeyes stuffed Texas on a fourth-and-short at their own 42, giving Ohio State’s offense early momentum. Julian Sayin, in his first collegiate start, was steady but not flashy, managing the game while the defense did the heavy lifting.

Manning looked off from the beginning, which probably had a lot to do with the defense. But he also had real trouble with accuracy. It will be fascinating to see if this problem persists as the season progresses.

In the second quarter, Ohio State broke through. After a Texas facemask penalty and a holding call gave the Buckeyes great field position, running back CJ Donaldson punched in a 1-yard touchdown on fourth-and-short, capping an 80-yard, 15-play drive that ate up 8 minutes. The score put Ohio State up 7-0, and Texas couldn’t answer. With five minutes left in the half, linebacker Arvell Reese sacked Manning, forcing a punt. Manning was just 4-of-8 for 20 yards at halftime, and the Longhorns had only 71 total yards. Ohio State’s defense, under new coordinator Patricia, was relentless, making life miserable for Texas’ vaunted offense.

Linebacker Arvell Reese is one of those players on the Buckeye defense who wasn’t technically a starter but got significant playing time last year. The kid is a beast and is super fast, and he has a ton of buzz with NFL scouts as the next dude from that Ohio State defense. But you wouldn’t know that if you just listen to high-profile commentators like Finebaum on ESPN.

The third quarter saw Texas fight back, but Ohio State’s defense kept slamming the door. Manning showed flashes, scrambling for a first down and leading a drive to the Buckeyes’ 1-yard line. But on a bold fourth-and-goal QB sneak, Caden Curry and Lorenzo Styles Jr. stuffed Manning cold, keeping Texas scoreless. Texas fans had to be going crazy, particularly given what happened in the playoff semifinal game last season at the goal line against the Buckeyes.

Later, cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. picked off Manning’s underthrown pass to Ryan Wingo, setting up Ohio State at their own 32. This was just a terrible throw by Manning, and you can’t blame the pass rush on this one. Critics will have a field day with Manning until he turns this around.

The Buckeyes capitalized in the fourth when Sayin, cool as ever, found Carnell Tate for a 40-yard touchdown pass, making it 14-0. Tate made an amazing catch, his two catches for 49 yards showed why he’s a rising star.

At this point in the game, Ryan Day went super conservative with the offense. They had a two-score lead and the defense was dominant, so he played the percentages here.

Texas finally got on the board with 3:28 left, as Manning connected with Parker Livingstone for a 32-yard touchdown pass after a quick 60-yard drive. Of course, the SEC official upheld the catch on replay.

But Ohio State’s defense wasn’t done. On Texas’ final drive, facing fourth-and-5 from the 50, Manning’s pass to Jack Endries fell 2 yards short. The Buckeyes ran out the clock, securing the 14-7 upset. Manning finished 17-of-30 for 170 yards, one touchdown, and one interception—a rough debut against a defense that held Texas to 1-of-5 on fourth downs.

Let’s give credit where it’s due. Ohio State’s defense was the MVP, led by safety Caleb Downs and linebacker Sonny Styles. Downs, called the best player in college football by some, was everywhere, and the secondary made Manning work for every yard. Davison Igbinosun’s 10 tackles and pass breakup were huge, and Matt Patricia’s game plan was a masterclass—holding Texas to just 7 points, their lowest since 2021. On offense, Julian Sayin went 13-of-20 for 126 yards and a touchdown, while CJ Donaldson ran for 67 yards on 19 carries.

For Texas, Manning’s struggles sparked some heat on social media, with fans and commentators like Paul Finebaum pointing out his accuracy issues. Coach Steve Sarkisian took the loss in stride, praising Ohio State’s secondary but lamenting those failed fourth-down calls.

This game was a tone-setter. For Ohio State, it’s proof they’re still a juggernaut, improving to 4-3 all-time against No. 1 teams at home. Ryan Day’s 17-1 record in regular-season non-conference games is no fluke, and this defense looks ready to carry them back to the College Football Playoff. For Texas, the loss stings—Heather Dinich noted it could haunt them on Selection Day, with tough games against Georgia and Oklahoma looming. But while Manning’s late touchdown drive showed some potential; he’ll need to grow fast in the SEC.

In the end, Ohio State delivered a statement win—knocking off the Longhorns in a defensive slugfest that reminded everyone why the Buckeyes are perennial contenders.

Here are a couple of final thoughts after this game:

First, Arch Manning obviously had a tough day. He looked nothing like the all-world player the hype suggested. But it’s one game. Sure, there are some serious issues like field vision and accuracy, but he was playing against possibly the most talented defense in the country, and schemes from a Super Bowl winning defensive coordinator that he’s never seen before. He was also on the road against the defending National Champs. It’s way to early to make any definitive judgement about Manning.

That said, it was striking how much better Julian Sayin looked. The Buckeye quarterback was also a 5-star recruit and we saw why yesterday. The kid has a quick release and he’s super accurate. Also, he didn’t make any big mistakes. Ryan Day acknowledged that the Buckeyes called a very conservative game plan given that this was Julian Sayin’s first start at quarterback, but they will be unleashing this kid as the season progresses. If he can build on the traits we saw yesterday, this Buckey team could be scary.

Finally, the leadup to this game is another great example of how we should separate the pure entertainers like Paul Finebaum with analysts who actually know what they’re talking about. Finebaum is a great personality for college football, but you probably should ignore his hype when you’re thinking about placing any bets on college football.

Finebaum is an SEC homer, so he glossed over any challenges Texas might have, and he completely missed the boat on the young talent waiting for their shot at Ohio State. That said, at least he has a sense of humor about days like this when he’s wrong about so many things. But that does add to the fun! What a way to kick off 2025! Ohio State’s defense sent a message, and Texas has some soul-searching to do.

Many of us are tired the the never-ending debates about college football rankings, but we’ll never get tired of days like yesterday.

Three teams in the top ten went down yesterday, including #1 Tennessee, perennial power Alabama and a clearly overrated Clemson.

Brian Kelly and LUSU stun Nick Saban and Alabama

Brian Kelly isn’t very likeable, but the guy can coach. He got tired of facing Alabama with Notre Dame-level talent, so he abandoned the Irish and took his talents to LSU. And now he’s beaten Nick Saban and Alabama in his first try.

Alabama came into Death Valley as 13.5-point favorites, but they found an LSU team that was ready for a fight. The fourth quarter of this game was insane, with Bryce Young working his magic multiple times to escape what seemed like certain sacks to pull out amazing throws. Meanwhile, Nick Saban made a serious of bone-headed decisions going for 2 after touchdowns. The Tide failed both attempts and that would kill them, as the game-tying field goal may have been a game-winning field goal instead.

Meanwhile, first-year LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels came up big, and LSU found a new hero with tight end Mason Taylor (son of NFL great Jason Taylor), who caught a huge fourth-quarter touchdown and then became a hero catching the two-point conversion in overtime. Kelly decided to go for two in overtime after LSU answered an Alabama touchdown. It was a ballsy move and he was rewarded with a play LSU fans will never forget.

Georgia stomps #1 Tennessee

Tennessee has been one of the feel-good stories of 2022, but reality set in yesterday in Georgia. The reigning National Champs made a statement, and Kirby Smart has his boys poised to battle for a repeat titles. The Bulldogs will be #1 this week.

Notre Dame smacks overrated Clemson

Anyone who has watched Clemson this season knew that the Tigers just weren’t very good. DJ Uiagalelei just isn’t a very good quarterback, and Dabo Swinney’s winning formula at Clemson has always centered around dynamic talents at quarterback. Meanwhile, the Irish have had a mediocre season under new head coach Marcus Freeman, but they were able to out-muscle this Clemson team and knock them out of playoff contention.

It was quite a weekend for college football, as many of us who love the game saw the crowds return and bring back the magic of the game. Yes, we still have issues with this top-heavy sport with Alabama and a few other dominant teams, but the traditions, crowds and games themselves make this an irresistible sport. No, NIL won’t ruin it. It will just continue to evolve, and likely in a better way.

As for the games this weekend, Ohio State and Minnesota kicked things off on Thursday night, as the Gophers came out to play and made things interesting for the first half. The Gophers have a monster offensive like in front of star running back Mo Ibrahim, and the Buckeyes have a young defense that clearly needs some more time to gel.

Meanwhile, C.J. Stroud was making his first start at quarterback and struggled in the first half. He had trouble throwing accurately on the run and couldn’t consistently get the ball to Ohio State’s talented receivers. That changed in the second half as Ryan Day schemed the receivers open and Stroud hit them in stride. The Buckeyes showed how Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and the rest of the Buckeye receivers will torch opponents all season. And they have running backs as well, as Miyan Williams and true freshman TreVeyon Henderson both scored on long touchdowns.

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Let’s face it. Jim Harbaugh has been a disaster at Michigan despite the huge expectations. He can’t beat Ohio State, and the Wolverines are no longer a top-tier college football program.

Can Harbaugh save the situation? It’s doubtful, and Paul Finebaum explains it well in the video above. And as he points out, many Michigan fans have had enough. It also appears that Michigan is having a problem with the number of players entering the transfer portal.

After the failed Tom Herman era, Steve Sarkisian has been given the Texas job with the challenge of elevating the languishing program. Sarkisian had an amazing run with the Alabama offense for the past two seasons, and he’s always been a great offensive mind.

But Tom Herman had similar qualifications, coming off a National Championship at Ohio State in 2014. Yet he had real issues on both sides of the ball.

Paul Finebaum rips the program in the video above, basically saying that Texas isn’t relevant these days. He explains how the billionaire booster program is a real problem at Texas, so much so that Nick Saban didn’t want to go there.

Texas has a tough schedule this year, so Sark may have a rough start with his new gig, and then the pressure will mount.