Land-Grant’s experts make Ohio State-Texas predictions

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Being the Buckeye beat’s black sheep blog, we here at Land-Grant Holy Land like to pat ourselves on the back. So, throughout the season, members of our staff will be making predictions about that day’s game. They will go on the record with what they think the final score will be, who the game’s MVP will be, and what the major storyline will be coming out of the day.

Tomorrow, the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes will actually get to play a marquee primetime game as they travel to Austin to take on the No. 4 Texas Longhorns. The two teams will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET in a game airing on ABC. The matchup is easily the biggest game of the non-conference slate this season, and could potentially prove to be the most consequential matchup of the regular season.

It will be the third time that the Bucks and Horns have played in as many seasons, with OSU winning in the College Football Playoff in 2024 and then in the subsequent season’s opener. There is a ton on the line for both teams, as each wants to stake its claim to the pole position in the race for the national title.

Texas, playing at home, is currently a 1.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel. The book projects the total points line at 49.5. If you think you are better at prognosticating than our experts, maybe go and put your money where your mouth is.

Check out what our staff members think and then let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments below. As we move forward with the season, you will be able to keep up with just how well our prognosticators do on a weekly basis HERE.

Michael Citro

Score Prediction: Texas 27, Ohio State 24
Game MVP: Devin McCuin will take advantage of Texas’ game planning to stop Jeremiah Smith. The UTSA transfer will continue to do well with underneath routes and take advantage of the space Smith’s extra coverage provides. I could see him breaking the 125-yard mark in receiving yards.
Major Storyline: Ohio State will need to improve running the football in the red zone and short yardage to truly show it is a contender. This (and Texas playing at home) is what I think will decide the outcome of the game. The OSU line needs more time to gel, as it showed against Ball State. Texas is a whole other level, and this is a game for learning how to deal with bigger, faster athletes in the trenches. Ja’Kobi Jackson may prove to be a better short-yardage and goal-line option than Bo Jackson, but I don’t expect either to excel in heavy packages in a true road game at Texas in that situation because I’m not sure the offensive line is ready yet. I think the Buckeyes lose two games this regular season, and this is one of them. Hopefully, I’m wrong.

Alex Frank

Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Texas 27
Game MVP: Julian Sayin is going to play much better against Texas than he did last year. Believe it or not, this is his first road start against a non-Big Ten team. However, he’s ready for this moment. Sayin’s accuracy and prolificness will silence the crowd in Austin Saturday night, and the Buckeyes will ride his right arm to a third win over the Longhorns in the last 21 months.
Major Storyline: Someone told me last week that Jeremiah Smith may be better this season. That’s scary. Julian Sayin may also be better. That’s not as scary a sentiment, but it’s still a positive for the Buckeyes. Coming out of this game, we’ll be talking about Sayin and Smith being a quarterback-wide receiver tandem that can be relied upon to make the big plays when the count. When Sayin throws to Smith for a game-winning touchdown in the final 30 seconds of the game, they will etch their names into the clutch, big-play lore in Ohio State Football.

Joey Gertz

Score Prediction: Ohio State 21, Texas 17
Game MVP: Devin Sanchez is the game MVP. Sanchez is going to limit the Coleman/Wingo duo and come up with an important interception.
Major Storyline: This is not 2025, 1st-year starter Julian Sayin. The training wheels are off, and Sayin showed up in a big game against an elite opponent. Julian has 225+ yards and two touchdowns.

Justin Golba

Score Prediction: Ohio State 24, Texas 17
Game MVP: Julian Sayin will throw for three touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter. They did not ask him to do much against Texas last season, but this game is different, and he will be called upon to be the leader and the difference late in the game
Major Storyline: Sayin and Arch both play well, solidifying them both as Heisman Trophy favorites early in the season, along with Dante Moore and CJ Carr.

Dan Hessler

Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Texas 27
Game MVP: Julian Sayin will be the MVP. Texas is going to do everything it can to shut down Jeremiah Smith, but that won’t stop Sayin from throwing for more than 275 yards and three touchdowns.
Major Storyline: Sayin proves he can play well and poised if Jeremiah Smith is double and/or triple teamed.

Jami Jurich

Score Prediction: Ohio State 17, Texas 14
Game MVP: Regardless of how the stat lines shake out for the rest of the offense, Julian Sayin’s decision-making, accuracy, and ability to set an efficient tempo are going to be what drives the Buckeyes throughout Saturday’s game. If he can execute on that at the Heisman-caliber level we’ve seen him do in the past, it could ultimately be what gives the Buckeyes the edge in a game where the two teams match up evenly.
Major Storyline: If Ohio State comes away with the win — and I think they will — the biggest storyline will be Matt Patricia’s defense. Heading into the game, there are still some questions around whether this defense can be as dominant as last season’s. If they manage to shut down Arch Manning — particularly after he looked solid in Week 1 — it is a strong indicator that this defense is locked and loaded.

Brett Ludwiczak

Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Texas 24
Game MVP: A year after not being asked to do much against Texas in the first start of his college career, Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin wil win a very different type of duel with Arch Manning by throwing a game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Major Storyline: Once again, Texas pushes Ohio State to the limit, but in the end Ryan Day and his coaching staff pull the right strings to beat Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns. Ohio State has some rocky stretches in the game but makes the big plays when they matter most.

Gene Ross

Score Prediction: Ohio State 24, Texas 20
Game MVP: With Jeremiah Smith the focal point of the Texas defense, Devin McCuin scores twice and puts himself on the national radar.
Major Storyline: Ohio State leans on the youth on its defense to keep Texas in check. Guys like Khary Wilder, Jay Timmons, TJ Alford and Riley Pettijohn are all making plays ahead of schedule. The veterans of the defense (Kenyatta Jackson, Jaylen McClain) are still the leaders of the unit, but this influx of underclassmen makes the Buckeyes’ defense more dynamic.

Matt Tamanini

Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Texas 20
Game MVP: While this might be a bit of a cop out, I think that the MVP of the game won’t be a P at all. i think it will be offensive cordinator Arthur Smith. As Steve Sarkisian noted this week, what you saw from the Buckeyes against Ball State is not what you are going to see from them in Austin on Saturday. I believe that Smith’s scheme will force Texas into some increasingly difficult spots, allowing Julian Sayin to pick and choose which weapons to use. It won’t always be easy, but the creativity of the play calls and the depth of options will allow OSU to move the ball as close to at will as could be hoped for in a game like this.
Major Storyline: While the Buckeyes might not be as “talented” as they were last year, the game in Austin will show that they are perhaps already a more complete team. The depth on both sides of the ball allows them to play faster than they have in recent years, making the most of the talent they clearly still have. Texas will have some big plays that the likes of Caleb Downs and Davison Igbinosun might have prevented last year, but on the whole, the offensive and defensive units will play impressively well against an opponent of Texas’ ability.

Cole VanWiechen

Score Prediction: Ohio State 27, Texas 17
Game MVP: Julian Sayin will lead the Buckeyes over Arch Manning in this game, and I predict he will finish with over 300 yards and two touchdowns, firmly putting his name in the Heisman race again.
Major Storyline: Sayin 4 Heisman! After this game, if Sayin can lead the Buckeyes over Arch and the Texas Longhorns. I believe he will jump to be the frontrunner and betting favorite for the Heisman.

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