Texas Football’s Stunning Defeat to Ohio State: The Alarming Consequences Nobody Saw Coming

So, Texas kicked off their 2025 season as the nation’s top-ranked team, loaded with sky-high expectations and a Heisman front-runner in Arch Manning—but that 14-7 loss to Ohio State? Yeah, it’s got folks scratching their heads. How does a team hyped as the best stumble so early without getting blown out? Sure, fans are quick to cast the blame on Manning—and who can blame them when the quarterback takes a hit in a road debut against the defending champs? Yet, the Greater Longhorn picture is bleeding with deeper concerns—from a stifled pass rush to uncharacteristic miscues by star linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. The season’s still young, and with three soft matchups looming, the Longhorns could rebound… but if they want to keep their National Championship dreams alive, addressing these early-season shocks isn’t just smart—it’s mandatory. Curious about the three key issues that have Texas fans worrying after this opener?

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Nobody expected Texas to walk through Ohio State in its 2025 college football season opener, but the 14-7 loss ended up posing several questions about the team that were not previously there. Fans are quick to blame quarterback Arch Manning, but the Longhorns have several reasons to be concerned in the aftermath.

Texas entered the game with as much hype as any team in the country. It entered the season ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP poll with Manning the early favorite to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Everything was aligned for the Longhorns to reach the pinnacle in 2025 after falling one game shy of the 2024-2025 National Championship Game.

In a game that only featured three touchdowns, they did not get blown out. However, Texas did not look anything like the best team in the country in its loss to Ohio State. Week 1 is just the beginning, and facing the defending champions is never an easy task. The Longhorns still have a few reasons to be worried about their performance.

There were a lot of positives in their performance. The Longhorns’ defense looked like a top-tier unit, and their offense still amassed 336 yards of total offense. Running back Quintrevion Wisner was particularly efficient, racking up 80 rushing yards on 5.0 yards per carry.

However, they took too long to get going and were unable to convert in the red zone. Manning’s mistakes were the most obvious, but the team struggled in other areas that it appeared to be elite in entering the season.

With three soft matchups over the next month, Texas will more than likely enter its bye week with a 3-1 record. However, if they want to continue their championship aspirations, the Longhorns have to address the three key issues that led to their loss to Ohio State.

Arch Manning’s struggles in road debut

This one is obvious. Not many Longhorns performed well, but whenever the quarterback struggles, it is difficult to notice anything else.

It was not all bad for Arch Manning. He looked like the player everyone expected him to be for most of the fourth quarter when he connected with Parker Livingstone for a 32-yard touchdown before hitting tight end Jack Endries in stride on a perfectly placed pass down the left sideline. It just took him way too long to finally get the offense moving.

Manning showcased his talent, but his timing, footwork and mechanics were all off. Most of his passes were a second too late and often too far behind as a result.

Just four starts into his career, some fans are already labeling him a hype job. There is no need to go that far, especially after his first-ever start on the road against the No. 3-ranked team that happened to also be defending national champions. Manning clearly has a lot of ground to cover, but his outlook remains overwhelmingly positive.

Manning was not as bad as some fans made him out to be. There were several positives to take away from the performance that he can hopefully build on in Week 2 and beyond. However, it is objectively true that the public definitely got too excited about him in the preseason.

Manning will not silence any doubters against San Jose State, UTEP or Sam Houston State, but he gets another chance to prove himself as the elite playmaker fans want him to be against Florida on Oct. 4. His performance in Texas’ loss to Ohio State is worrisome, but only if it becomes a trend.

Texas football pass rush failed to show up

Fans expected Arch Manning to lead a high-powered, Steve Sarkisian-coached offense, but Texas’ true calling card was supposed to come on defense. That proved to be true in Week 1, holding Ohio State to just 14 points on 215 yards of total offense, but their highly touted pass rush failed to show up.

Texas’ defense was one of the best in 2024, resulting in several players hearing their names called in the 2024 NFL Draft. Many of them came from the defensive line, but the Longhorns still returned three rotational players up front, while adding three key transfers to the group.

After notching 46 sacks in 2024, the fourth-most in the country, Texas’ pass-rushing unit was one of the highest-rated position groups entering the year. They lost star edge-rushers Colin Simmons and Barryn Sorrell, but returned Anthony Hill and Trey Moore, who combined for 13.5 sacks last season.

However, Texas’ elite unit on paper failed to show up in the loss to Ohio State. The pass rush barely got into the backfield and did not record a single sack of quarterback Julian Sayin, who was making his first career start. The group looked out of sorts against an offensive line that lost three key starters.

Ohio State did not throw the ball much with Sayin clearly still getting up to speed, but the secondary did its job. Texas bottled up All-American Jeremiah Smith, who ended with just 43 receiving yards. The coverage did what it needed to do to allow the Longhorns’ front seven to have a big game, but they came up empty.

If Texas is going to have success in the 2025 college football season, its pass rush needs to ramp up its production in the coming weeks. They lost a few big names in the offseason, but this unit should be on par with the one that dominated in 2024.

Anthony Hill Jr.’s uncharacteristic performance

Five members of Texas’ 2024 defense were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, but Anthony Hill Jr. was the best of the elite group. Hill, who has been a full-time starter since his freshman season, led the team with 113 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore. Entering his third season leading the Longhorns’ defense, Hill was the consensus best linebacker in college football and a no-brainer preseason All-American.

While those are still all true, Hill did not get off to the best start. He ended Week 1 with six tackles and zero pressures on Sayin in the backfield. Six tackles is a solid game for most players, but not for someone expected to be the best linebacker in college football.

Hill also made a few uncharacteristic mistakes that had dire consequences. Ohio State’s first touchdown, a one-yard run from CJ Donaldson on fourth down, came as a result of Hill missing his gap. It would have been a tough tackle, but it was a play Hill has been making throughout his career.

As a middle linebacker, the low sack count is not a huge concern, but Hill’s versatility is arguably his best attribute. He still lined up as an edge rusher on a handful of plays, but could not get home to notch his first sack of the year.

As a unit, Texas’ defense still looked elite against Ohio State. It was only Sayin’s first career start, but the Buckeyes only crafted two successful drives. That just happened to be all they needed to get the win.

Hill did not have a horrible game, but he did not play like the best defensive player in the country. Texas needs him to perform like the elite player he is if they want to return to the College Football Playoffs. Although it was not a significant concern, Hill appears to still be adjusting to life without his star teammates.

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