Texas Longhorns running back Jaydon Blue (23) reacts after his long second quarter touchdown run against the Clemson Tigers during a CFP first round playoff game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, December 21, 2024. Credit: Tom Fox via TNS
DALLAS — Despite the fact most major sportsbooks have designated the Longhorns as touchdown underdogs against the Buckeyes, Texas’ roster is nevertheless built to take down Ohio State.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian’s team is tough, plays elite defense and features a strong run game — all factors that have led to Buckeye losses in recent memory.
These are the three biggest essentials to a Texas victory in Friday’s Cotton Bowl Classic.
Defensive ends wreaking havoc
During Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Michigan Nov. 30, 2024, the Wolverines proved that a dominant defensive line can be the key to shutting down quarterback Will Howard and the Buckeye offense.
For the Longhorns, edge rushers Colin Simmons and Trey Moore have certainly displayed a high level of intensity on the field.
Simmons, who edged out Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, leads Texas in sacks with nine total, and Moore follows close behind with six and a half.
Sophomore linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. is also a crucial weapon for Texas, playing a role similar to that of Buckeye Cody Simon. The Denton, Texas, native continuously rovers the field, making important plays in both the pass and run games.
Hill has recorded seven and a half sacks for the Longhorns, simultaneously leading Texas with a whopping 107 total tackles and four forced fumbles.
During his Jan. 3 press conference, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said he’s well aware of Texas’ formidable edge rushers, noting that he’s preparing his offensive line for the Longhorns’ speedy pass rush.
“They have tremendous pass rushers, and they do a great job rushing the passer on the edge,” Day said.
Lockdown cornerbacks
Texas possesses arguably the best pair of shutdown cornerbacks the Buckeyes will encounter all year. Senior defensive backs Andrew Mukuba and Jahdae Barron have each tallied five interceptions for the Longhorn defense.
Barron was yet another Longhorn to oust a Buckeye for a major award, narrowly beating out safety Caleb Downs for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is annually awarded to the best defensive back in college football.
No team is going to completely stop Ohio State from scoring with its trio of ultra-talented wide receivers, as the passing and rushing attack of the Buckeye offense is filled with playmakers at every position. Sarkisian said his secondary must make it difficult for Howard to throw the football, using both physicality and its scheme to do so.
“We need to disrupt timing in the back end,” Sarkisian said in his Jan. 3 press conference. “We need to disguise our coverage as well. We need to be sticky in coverage, we need to get hands on footballs, we need to make throwing lanes difficult.”
If Texas’ secondary can merely lock down one or two of Ohio State’s top wideouts, they are sure to cause many headaches for Buckeye fans everywhere.
Sarkisian and managing the run game
Though Ewers and Texas’ passing attack has struggled at times, the Longhorns’ rushing game has remained a unit of consistency.
The team’s two-headed backfield monster — which includes running backs Quintrevion Wisner and Jaydon Blue — has racked up 1,732 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, all while adding 578 yards and five touchdowns through the air.
“We’re at our best when we can run it, and that gives us balance,” Sarkisian said. “I’m hard-pressed not to just walk away from it and abandon it. So, we’ve got to do a better job as a staff of putting together a good plan.”
Ohio State saw its only two losses of the season against Oregon’s and Michigan’s rushing attacks — both of which rushed for over 150-plus yards on the ground — and Texas surely has enough firepower on the ground to continue this trend.
If history repeats itself, a run-heavy scheme from Sarkisian could be the dose of ground-and-pound offense that’s necessary to take down Ohio State. But Texas could be in trouble if it becomes one-dimensional and overly relies on either the run or pass game.
