COLUMBUS — Ohio State and Texas will meet for the second time in 232 days in Saturday’s season opener at Ohio Stadium.
The stakes won’t be nearly the same as they were the last time they played, last season’s College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl. The rosters have changed as well, though in similar ways that make this matchup of the No. 1 and No. 3 teams in the country all the more interesting. Texas lost 12 players to the NFL Draft. Ohio State lost 14. Both signed 11 transfers in the offseason. Each is prepping for a former five-star high school phenom to take over at quarterback.
Acknowledging what’s changed, there are still lessons to be learned from Ohio State’s 28-14 win back in January. Let’s dive in.