Paul Finebaum Sends Big Steve Sarkisian Warning Before Texas-Ohio State

"Sarkisian has something to prove," Finebaum said. "This is the first time that Texas has been in this position since Darrell Royal. Mack Brown had it going, but they had to beat Southern Cal."

Texas Made Program History in 2025

Heading into Week 1, Sarkisian has led Texas to a milestone, as the Longhorns are ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP poll for the first time in school history.

This aligns with the excitement surrounding Sarkisian and the Longhorns. ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI), which measures team strength and predicts a team's performance for the rest of the season, ranks Texas as the number one team in the country.

The FPI gives the Longhorns an 86.3% chance of making the College Football Playoff and a 24.4% chance of winning the national championship for the first time since 2005.

Arch Manning Adds to the National Title Expectations

Another reason for the optimism is quarterback Arch Manning. He is the grandson of Archie Manning and the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning. Arch was the No. 1 player in the 2023 recruiting class and is a former five-star recruit. He has spent his first two seasons as the backup to Quinn Ewers.

Manning has thrown for 969 yards and nine touchdowns during his limited playing time. He is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, which increases the hype and expectations surrounding him. If he wins, he would be the first Texas player to receive the Heisman since Ricky Williams in 1998.

Austin has its drawbacks. Texas ranks No. 103 in returning production, with only 29 percent of its offensive players coming back. This places the team at No. 126 in terms of returning offensive production. The Longhorns have lost four of their top six receivers, their second-leading rusher and four of the five starting offensive linemen.

Texas will face Ohio State at noon ET on Saturday, and the game will be on Fox.