Ohio State
1-0 , 0-0
Texas
0-1 , 0-0
No. 3 Ohio State Holds Off No. 1 Texas to Win 14-7 in Season Opener
8/30/2025 3:30:00 PM | Football
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 3 Ohio State (1-0) knocked off No. 1 Texas (0-1) 14-7 at Ohio Stadium Saturday in the season opener for both squads. Ryan Day is now 17-1 in regular-season, non-conference games as head coach of the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes led 14-0 before the Longhorns scored midway through the final quarter to cut the lead in half. Ohio State’s defense then held Texas out of the endzone the rest of the way for the win.
Julian Sayin, in his first collegiate start, threw for 126 yards and a touchdown, completing 13 of 20 passes. Carnell Tate led the Buckeyes with 49 yards receiving on a pair of catches and a touchdown. Jeremiah Smith added six receptions for 43 yards. CJ Donaldson Jr. led the Ohio State ground game with 19 carries for 67 yards. Defensively, Davison Igbinosun led the Buckeyes with 10 tackles.
Ohio State returns to action next Saturday against Grambling State at Ohio Stadium. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. with the Big Ten Network providing the national broadcast.
First Quarter
No. 3 Ohio State 0, No. 1 Texas 0
Texas elected to receive the opening kickoff after Ohio State won the pregame coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Longhorns, behind quarterback Arch Manning, started from the Texas 25 after touchback on the opening kickoff. Texas crossed the 50-yard line and faced fourth-and-short for the second time in the dive. The Ohio State defense got the stop up the middle to give the Buckeyes the ball at their 42. Julian Sayin, making his first collegiate start, took control of the offense for the Buckeyes at quarterback. The Texas defense then got the stop on an Ohio State fourth-and-short at the Texas 49, turning the ball over to the Longhorns with 8:29 left in the opening quarter. The Longhorns, hampered by a false start penalty, were stopped at the OSU 47, forcing a Texas punt.
Ohio State took over at the OSU 8 after a 39-yard Jack Bouwmeester effort. Sayin found receiver Jeremiah Smith for a 6-yard reception before finding tight end Max Klare for 11 for a first down at the Ohio State 26. Ohio State then punted it away from their 25 to the Texas 25 following a 50-yard boot by Joe McGuire. The Longhorns gave the ball right back to the Buckeyes after being stopped at the UT 28. Bouwmeester delivered a 52-yard kick to the OSU 20. After a James Peoples rush for 3, Sayin connected with Smith for 16 yards. The quarter ended after a 5-yard rush by CJ Donaldson to the OSU44.
Second Quarter
No. 3 Ohio State 7, No. 1 Texas 0
Ohio State opened the quarter with a first down after a Peoples gain of 6 to the 50. Ohio State was aided by a Texas facemask penalty before the Longhorns were called for holding for another first down at the UT18. Donaldson carried twice to the Texas 6 for an OSU first down before a 2-yard gain by Peoples to the UT4. Ohio State called timeout after another short gain by Peoples on second down to the UT 2. Two plays later, Donaldson scored up the middle for a 1-yard touchdown rush for a 7-0 lead for the Buckeyes after a Jayden Fielding kick. The scoring drive covered 80 yards on 15 plays over 8:01.
Ohio State’s defense, after a sack of Manning at the UT48, forced a punt, giving the ball back to the Buckeyes after a 52-yard kick to the OSU2. Receiver Carnell Tate gave the Buckeyes some room to work after a catch for 9 to the OSU 18. A Smith grab for 5 moved the ball to the OSU23 on third down. After a break for the two-minute timeout, McGuire punted it away to the UT47 after a 30-yard effort. Ohio State called timeout with the Longhorns facing fourth-and-2 from the OSU45 after a Manning pass for 6 yards. Texas lined up but called a timeout of their own with 35 seconds left. The Longhorns then elected to punt, a 42-yard kick to the OSU 3. Ohio State ran out the clock to lead 7-0 at the half.
Third Quarter
No. 3 Ohio State 7, No. 1 Texas 0
Ohio State opened the second half with the ball at its 25 after a fair catch. Sayin went right to Smith for a gain of 6 but the Buckeyes were forced to punt. Texas took over after a McGuire kick of 43 yards to UT 29. Manning rushed for a gain of 15 yards before Texas posted another first down on a pair of rushes to the OSU36. Another rush by CJ Baxter for 8 yards gave the Longhorns another first down before a Manning pass of 9 yards to DeAndre Moore Jr. put Texas at the OSU11. Manning then rushed for 5 to the OSU 4. Texas got to the OSU 1 after a CJ Baxter rush of 2 yards but the Ohio State defense stopped a Manning rush up the middle on fourth down to take over on downs with 6:40 on the clock.
The Buckeyes rushed for a short gain and after offsetting penalties, Ohio State rushed up the middle for no gain. Donaldson then got to the OSU 8 after a gain of 6. McGuire came in and delivered a punt of 42 yards to give the Longhorns the ball at the 50. Texas was called for holding on its first play, moving the ball back to the UT45. Two plays later, the Buckeyes got the ball back after Ohio State’s Jermaine Mathews Jr. intercepted Manning at the OSU 27 and returned it 5 yards to the OSU32 with 3:01 left in the quarter. On the next Ohio State possession, Sayin found Smith on third down for a gain of 7 to the OSU 45 for a first down. Donaldson then caught a pass for a gain of 9 to the Texas 46 to end the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
No. 3 Ohio State 14, No. 1 Texas 7
Three plays into the final quarter, Sayin found Tate down the left side for a 40-yard touchdown to give the Buckeyes a 14-0 lead. The drive covered 68 yards on eight plays over 4:53. Ohio State nearly intercepted Manning again on the Longhorns’ next possession after Matthews deflected a pass that was nearly caught by Ohio State’s Lorenze Styles Jr. After review the play was ruled incomplete. Texas then drove deep into Ohio State territory before an Ohio State timeout with 8:02 left and the Longhorns facing fourth-and-3 from the OSU9. The Buckeyes forced an incompletion after the break to take over on downs securing the 14-0 lead with just under eight minutes to play.
Ohio State stayed on the ground for gains of 5 and 6 yards on consecutive rushes by Donaldson to open its next possession. After a holding penalty pushed the Buckeyes back to their 10, the Longhorns called timeout with Ohio State facing a fourth-and-15 with 4:16 to play. McGuire then punted it away, a 40-yard kick to the Texas 40, with 4:10 to go. After an Ohio State timeout, Manning completed a pair of passes down to the OSU 27. After an incompletion and a false start penalty, the Longhorns found the endzone on a completion to Parker Livingston for 32 yards to the right back corner of the endzone to make it 14-7 Buckeyes with 3:28 showing on the clock. The drive covered 60 yards on four plays while using 42 seconds.
Starting from the OSU 25 after a fair catch, Ohio State was stopped and forced to punt from the OSU 30. Texas took over after a 55-yard McGuire punt to the Texas 15 with 2:26 to go. After an incompletion, Manning found Jack Endries down the left sideline for 30 yards to the UT45. The play led to the two-minute timeout. Following a 5-yard rush, Manning through a pair of incompletions forcing fourth-and-5 from the 50. The Ohio State defense held after a 3-yard Manning completion came up short to give the Buckeyes the ball with 1:27 to go at the OSU 47. The Buckeyes then ran out the clock to secure the 14-7 win.
Team Stats
TEX 0, OSU 7
OSU - Donaldson Jr,CJ 1 yd run (Fielding,Jayden kick), 13 plays, 80 yards, TOP 08:01
TEX 0, OSU 14
OSU - Tate,Carnell 40 yd pass from Sayin,Julian (Fielding,Jayden kick) 7 plays, 68 yards, TOP 04:53
TEX 7, OSU 14
TEX - Livingstone,Parker 32 yd pass from Manning,Arch (Shipley,Mason kick) 4 plays, 60 yards, TOP 00:42
