COLUMBUS, Ohio – For those looking for the true meaning of No. 3 Ohio State's victory against No. 1 Texas at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, consider the before-and-after elements.
Before? Texas super-fan Matthew McConaughey walked through the tunnel and flashed the "Hook 'Em" sign at a defiant Ohio State student section. Actor Glen Powell roamed the back end zone taking pictures with fans from both sides. Texas quarterback Arch Manning – a five-star attraction larger than the State Fair of Texas – stretched out, warmed up and prepared for his first huge start.
Yet Lee Corso – the guest of honor in his final ESPN "College GameDay" appearance – still put the Brutus Buckeye headgear on the JumboTron for the crowd of 107,254. Why would Corso do that?
After? Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti pumped his fist on the sideline and hugged staff members after the Buckeyes made the final stop in the fourth quarter. The speaker blared "Texas" by BigXthaPlug to troll the Longhorns. Ohio State won 14-7 and left a few not-so gentle reminders on the way out.
This is pretty big in Ohio, too. The Buckeyes are still the team to beat. The Big Ten remains on top, and defense wins championships. That was proven in this Big Noon slugfest.
"For a noon kickoff, to have that many people in the stadium was amazing," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. "For an atmosphere like that, to bring everyone together, was great for our team, and I think it made a huge difference in the fourth quarter."
NCAAF HQ: Live college football scores | Updated Top 25 rankings | Full 2025-26 schedule
Matt Patricia's defense shuts down Arch Manning
Patricia walked into the post-game press conference with a warm greeting from Day – "There he is!" Who knew the biggest celebrity afterward would have a black cut-off Ohio State sweatshirt and a trademark pencil in his ear?
"Columbus is great," Patricia said. "Everybody is so nice. I'm a Northeast Italian, but everyone is so welcoming and kind. I've felt nothing but appreciation and love."
Patricia – a long-time defensive coordinator with New England and head coach in Detroit in the NFL – replaced Jim Knowles, now at rival Penn State, in the offseason. It was perceived as a gamble, but Patricia does not see it that way. He is at home in the college game.
"The thing about college, I really appreciate those preseason games now," Patricia said. "The sideline is nuts. There are a lot of players out there. … Just a great environment. It's loud in there. This place is loud, man. I love it. I absolutely love the fans. You don't get that kind of exuberance in an NFL game."
The Buckeyes' defense – which sent seven defensive starters to the 2025 NFL Draft – spoiled Manning's long-awaited debut as full-time starter. Manning was limited to 17 of 30 passing for 170 yards, a TD and an interception. The Longhorns managed 336 total yards and converted 1 of 5 on fourth-down conversions.
MORE: Arch Manning report card in season-opener
That included a third-quarter goal line stand where Manning was stonewalled on a Tush Push on fourth-and-1. Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles and Jermaine Matthews made the right plays at the right times.
Aside from Texas' last two drives, Manning was held in check.
"We made some adjustments at half," Manning said. "They have a bunch of great players obviously. They are the reigning champs, but I thought we could have played better and I could have played a lot better. I am bummed we couldn't execute."
Ohio State allowed 12.9 points per game and won a national championship last season. Michigan allowed 10.4 ppg in 2023 and won a national title. Georgia won back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022 and allowed a FBS-best 10.2 ppg in 2021. Sensing a theme here?
For the Buckeyes, it came down to those crucial fourth-down stops.
"Every time you get a fourth-down stop it's like a turnover," Day said before asking how many the Buckeyes had. "Four. There you go. One at the end of game; but the other three are like turnovers."
MORE: Ohio State's defense historically good vs. Texas
Ohio State still looks like the Big Ten's best
Here is the scary part. Ohio State won with 203 total yards on offense. Quarterback Julian Sayin – a first-time starter – finished 13 of 20 for 126 yards and a TD. SN Preseason All-American receiver Jeremiah Smith had six catches for 43 yards, and the Buckeyes had just 77 rushing yards. Sayin's steady play under new offensive coordinator Brian Hartline against a loaded Texas defense stood out.
"I thought he handled himself well and took care of the ball," Day said before asking another question. "Could we have opened it more in the second half? Yeah, but I thought Brian called an unselfish game."
Ohio State will almost certainly move up to No. 1 in the next AP Poll, and Day believes this team will improve heading into Big Ten play through a non-conference schedule that features Grambling and Ohio.
"The team you see right now will not be even close to the team we see halfway through the season or at the end of the year," Day said. "It certainly makes the corrections easier to make after a win against a top-five opponent."
There is a design to that comment, too. The next monumental game at Ohio Stadium will be Nov. 1 against No. 2 Penn State. Of course, a trip to Michigan – winners of four straight against the Buckeyes – is circled in scarlet for Nov. 29. Patricia and Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale matching wits? Sign us up now.
MORE: Inside Lee Corso's College GameDay send-off | How Lee Corso's final headgear pick unfolded
How much does Ohio State-Texas matter in CFP era?
Before the game, Jim Tressel and Mack Brown – the coaches who dueled in the legendary matchup between No. 2 Texas and No. 4 Ohio State on Sept. 10, 2005 – were engaged in a deep conversation. The Longhorns beat the Buckeyes 25-22 at The Shoe that night and eventually won a national championship by beating No. 1 USC 41-38.
That was a different time. Texas was in the Big 12. Ohio State was left out of the BCS championship because of that loss. Now, Saturday's showdown could be the first of two in the 12-team College Football Playoff era. And the second one would be much more important.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian fell back on a statement from SEC Media Days afterward.
"The days of a national champion being undefeated are over," Sarkisian said. "Especially when you play in games like this and play in the conference we play in."
That is what makes Petitti's celebration even more striking. The Big Ten and SEC spent the summer wrangling about the next playoff format, with talks ranging from a 5/11 model to multiple automatic qualifiers to even a reported 28-team proposal. This game did not have the same gravitas as that 2005 regular-season matchup, but it looked a lot like the CFP semifinal Ohio State won 28-14 against Texas last season.
The true meaning? The Big Ten is the boss, and Manning will have to be better if there is a rematch down the line. Does he believe the Longhorns will bounce back?
"I sure hope so," Manning said. "I do think so. I beat myself today. We beat ourselves, and I think we'll look back and say we improved a lot."