Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Jaylen McClain (18) tries to tackle Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) in the fourth quarter at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Robertson - Imagn Images Kyle Robertson/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns Make History in The Worst Way vs. Ohio State

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 4:30 PM ET

In hindsight, maybe it's for the best that the Texas Longhorns were never the preseason AP No. 1 team until this year.

As the preseason No. 1 team for the first time in school history, the Longhorns fell flat in a 14-7 road loss to the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes in Saturday's season opener. The defense did its job for the most part, but the offense was stuffed twice inside the Buckeyes' 10-yard line, bringing back bad memories about how last year's Cotton Bowl ended. The Longhorns didn't put any points on the board until there was 3:28 left in the fourth quarter, and by that point, it was far too late.

It's a gut punch for a team that entered the season with so much optimism, which, unfortunately, is made all the worse by their preseason ranking.

Texas Longhorns Drop Opener as Preseason No. 1, But There May Be Silver Lining

Kyle Robertson/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

With their loss on Saturday, the Longhorns became the first preseason AP No. 1 team to lose their season opener since 1990. That year, No. 1 Miami lost 28-21 against No. 16 BYU on the road.

If there's any silver lining, there are worse teams to be compared to than 1990 Miami. The Hurricanes rebounded nicely after their season-opening loss, going 10-1 the rest of the way and blowing out most of their opponents. After obliterating, ironically enough, Texas 46-3 in the Cotton Bowl, Miami finished as the No. 3 team in the country behind Colorado and Georgia Tech, who split the national title as the former ended up No. 1 in the AP Poll and the latter No. 1 in the Coaches' Poll.

Additionally, facing the defending national champions on the road is probably the hardest season opener any No. 1 team has had in years. That won't make the loss feel any better, but it's still worth noting.

Regardless of who they lost to, though, the Longhorns know they have to play much better than they did on Saturday to reach their goals. However, they're not hanging their heads in defeat.

"We're going to be fine," head coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters after the game. "We've got work to do as a team and as an offense, but ultimately, I'm getting on the plane knowing we're going to be a good football team. We didn't win tonight. that's the life of a competitor. We went for it in a tough place against a good team. But we'll get back on the horse and we'll play good football this season."

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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