The 2025 college football season is just over a month away, but that hasn't stopped fans from discussing one of the marquee games of the season.
The Texas Longhorns are set to face the defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes in their opening game. This matchup features the No. 1 and No. 4 ranked teams according to ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI). The FPI predicts that both teams will finish the season with a 10-2 record and gives each a greater than 10% chance of winning the national championship.
Last season, Ohio State defeated Texas 28-14 in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Buckeyes went on to win the national championship game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. On "The Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst shared his prediction for the outcome of the Week 1 matchup.
"I could give you a lot of answers, but I'll give you a simple one," Finebaum said. "They are going to win the game."
Both teams are replacing a ton of production from last season. Some of the key losses for the Texas Longhorns include quarterback Quinn Ewers, four of their top six receivers, their second-leading rusher, and four of their five starting offensive linemen.
Arch Manning, the top player in the 2023 recruiting class, is expected to take over as quarterback. As the grandson of legendary college quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of NFL stars Peyton and Eli Manning, Arch has thrown for 969 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions in limited playing time over his first two years.
Ohio State is also losing several important players from last season, including quarterback Will Howard. The leading candidates to replace him are former five-star redshirt freshman Julian Sayin and redshirt sophomore Lincoln Kienholz. The Buckeyes will also be replacing defensive ends Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, and running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins.
However, Ohio State returns arguably two of the best players in college football: sophomore receiver Jeremiah Smith, who led the Big Ten with 1,315 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns, and senior defensive back Caleb Downs, a consensus All-American.
Ohio State will face Texas at noon ET on Aug. 30 in The Shoe.
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