Texas Longhorns Ready to Face Ohio State in Season Opener

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Longhorns held their second scrimmage of the preseason camp Saturday morning at Royal-Memorial Stadium. Head coach Steve Sarkisian expressed satisfaction with the team’s progress, noting improvements in offense and a strong defensive performance in the red zone.

Wide receivers Ryan Wingo, Kaliq Lockett, and Daylan McCutcheon made significant contributions, showcasing explosive plays throughout the 135-snap scrimmage attended by former Texas coach Mack Brown. Sarkisian highlighted cornerback Manny Muhammad‘s effective response to personal challenges posed by his coaching staff.

Although offensive lineman Trevor Goosby, running back Quintrevion Wisner, and safety Jelani McDonald faced unspecified injuries on Saturday, Sarkisian remained unconcerned. He pointed out that backup tackle Jaydon Chatman stood out in Goosby’s absence, underscoring the team’s depth.

“For the last two-and-a-half weeks, our guys have been working and training and grinding to improve individually, to help us improve collectively,” Sarkisian said. “Today’s level of intensity, physicality, and speed was much different than it was a week ago. That’s great growth for us.”

As the Longhorns prepare for their season opener against Ohio State in just two weeks, the focus is shifting towards the matchup. With Texas ranked first and Ohio State third, the game promises to be a significant highlight on college football’s schedule.

This will mark only the sixth occasion in the last 55 years that an AP-ranked Texas team has opened a season against another ranked opponent. Historically, Texas has fared well in such matchups, with a record of 4-1 in previous openers against ranked teams.

Sarkisian confirmed that the team will begin preparations for Ohio State next week while balancing the need to continue improving areas of play. “We’ll start doing some things specific to that game plan, but there are still some things we have to work on,” he added.

As classes are set to commence on August 25, Texas will treat the upcoming week like a mock game week, allowing players to establish a regular routine. “We’ll treat next week as if we’re in school so these guys can start to find their routine,” Sarkisian said.

Meanwhile, Ohio State is gearing up for the challenge as well, with high-profile recruits expected to attend the game. Among them is five-star EDGE rusher Anthony Sweeney from the Class of 2027, who is excited to evaluate how both teams’ lineups match up during the showdown.