Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day reacts to a call against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Barbara Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State Buckeyes' Ryan Day Clearly Stressed About Texas Longhorns

Originally posted on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI
By Matthew Schmidt | Last updated Aug 12, 2025 12:06 PM ET

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day is no longer on the hot seat after leading his team to a national championship last season, but that does not mean his stress levels are at zero.

Day still has a long road ahead of him, as Ohio State is attempting to repeat as a national champion. Not only that, but the Buckeyes need to get their quarterback situation sorted out, and they have almost an entirely new defense after losing so many pieces to the NFL Draft.

So, yeah: while the national title was nice and all, that's in the past now, and Day has to focus on what's in front of him. And the closest thing in that regard is the Texas Longhorns.

Ohio State will open up its regular season against Texas on Aug. 30, and Day is already sweating bullets over it. When asked if he had been sleeping easier since winning the championship, he replied "no" and then explained the challenge that lies ahead.

"If we didn't open up with Texas, maybe," Day said, via Chase Brown of Eleven Warriors. "If you want to take a deep breath — I mean, the first game is a monster, right out of the gate."

Ohio State's rematch with Texas should be a doozy

Remember: the Buckeyes defeated the Longhorns in a thrilling Cotton Bowl last winter, the most memorable moment being Jack Sawyer's fumble return touchdown to seal the game in the fourth quarter.

Things are a bit different this time around, though.

Not only does Ohio State's roster barely look recognizable from seven months ago, but Texas will be employing phenom Arch Manning under center, which has many pegging the Longhorns as the best team in the country heading into 2025.

The good news is that the Buckeyes will be hosting the Longhorns at Ohio Stadium, so they will have the home-field advantage.

"I'll just say this: We're excited about playing in that game," Day added. "I know Buckeye Nation is fired up. It's going to be an unbelievable atmosphere. ... We need the Shoe rocking, just like it was for the Indiana game, just like it was for the Penn State game a couple of years ago."

You can bet that the Ohio State fans will be raucous, even though the contest is a noon start. But will the Buckeyes be able to fend off a vengeful Texas squad? We will find out soon.

This article first appeared on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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