It already figured to be a classic. But college football’s coaches took the Ohio State season opener to another level this week.
The coaches ranked Texas No. 1 and Ohio State No. 2 when the preseason poll was unveiled on Monday.
No one needs to fire up interest for an impending Ohio State football season. I’m sure the same can be said in Texas.
Still, the Longhorns will roll into Ohio Stadium for the Aug. 30 opener with a shootout buildup at high noon.
This will be just the 26th time No. 1 will meet No. 2 in a regular-season clash. It will be the second time it’s happened when these two have met.
No. 1 Ohio State handled No. 2 Texas 24-7 on Sept. 9, 2006 in Austin.
In reality, the Longhorns were nowhere near that kind of team, finishing the season outside the top 15 with a 10-3 record.
The Buckeyes stayed No. 1 all year before getting hammered 41-14 by Florida in the national championship game.
All that is to say preseason polls are virtually meaningless. But it can still be great fun.
True, Fox threw some mud on the picture by insisting this game tee it up at noon.
Yet it will be an amped crowd with two talented rosters frolicking in a packed venue before a national television audience
Will projected starting quarterback Julian Sayin be up for the challenge?
Will Texas QB Arch Manning, getting over-the-top hype from the SEC drumbeaters, take an initial step toward the Heisman?
If the Buckeyes can get him the ball consistently, Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith figures to continue the dominance he flashes as a freshman.
The fact is, no matter who Ryan Day starts at quarterback, the Buckeyes will have the best offensive player (Smith) and the best defensive player (safety Caleb Downs) on the field when Texas arrives.
Coach Steve Sarkisian returns 14 starters, nine of them on offense, from last year’s Longhorns — who fell 28-14 to Ohio State in January’s national semifinal. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes return just seven starters.
The game figures to be a toss-up, with Ohio State’s status as a 2.5-point favorite almost entirely attributable to homefield advantage.
Paul Finebaum, the SEC’s mouth of the south shock jock, has already guaranteed Texas will bust the Buckeyes as part of Manning’s unstoppable march to the Heisman.
Yet Ohio State is the defending national champion, and hasn’t dropped a non-conference game in Ohio Stadium since 2014.
Remember, that 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech was the springboard to a national title season — something Day and Company have already proven is within their grasp.