COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Ohio State’s season is about to ramp up after the Buckeyes opened with a dominant 56-3 win over Ball State, but a much bigger challenge awaits this weekend.
Ohio State will travel to Austin for its first major test of the young season, facing the Texas Longhorns on Saturday. Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day said the matchup is exactly what his team has been preparing for.
“Obviously a great opponent. They have, you know, really good talent across, across the, the board,” Day said. “So going down there is, is something that we’ve obviously, you know, been working towards all summer and looking forward to. They have a great program and a great team, so it’s going to be a great environment. But this is what we’re going to have to do this year. When you look at our schedule, we’re going to have to be able to go on the road and win games like this. So our preseason, our offseason was all designed around this. So, you know, it’s here, time to go prepare for these guys.”
The game carries added meaning for eight Ohio State players who are from Texas, including Legend Bay, Brock Boyd, Payton Pierce and Devin Sanchez.
Sanchez, an Ohio State cornerback, is expected to draw a key assignment against Texas wide receiver Cam Coleman, described as the Longhorns’ best offensive weapon. Sanchez said playing in his home state is something he’s looking forward to.
“Uh, it’s gonna be great, um, great environment, um, playing close to home,” Sanchez said. “So it’s just, you know, hoping that I can get a lot of family there. But, you know, regardless, it’s just having my mom and dad there, you know, seeing me play back in my home state.”
The matchup is also a reversal from last season, when Ohio State beat Texas in Ohio Stadium. This time, Ohio State heads to Austin as a slight underdog, with both programs putting an undefeated record on the line Saturday night.