Ohio State vs. Texas (2005 Preview)

Burnt Orange and White & Scarlet and Gray
Longhorns & Buckeyes
Texas & Ohio State

These two storied programs have played over 1,500 games and won ten national titles, yet with all this tradition and history they have never once played each other. On September 10, 2005 at 8:00 PM that will all change as they step onto the Ohio Stadium grass to do battle.

People all over the country have been eagerly anticipating this game since it was announced a few years ago and I'm sure they won't be disappointed with the result. Both teams are loaded with talent and speed. So much so that Ohio State comes in to the game ranked fourth in the nation while the Longhorns are the consensus number two…insert your own joke here.

That said, the trick to keeping him off the field comes down to one position for the Buckeyes: quarterback. It's no secret that Troy Smith gives the Buckeyes the best chance at sending the 'Horns back to Austin with a loss, but how much will he play? Also, if he plays, how effective can he be after going nine months without game experience, then jumping back into the fire against a team like Texas? Sure, he's been practicing, but game-speed is completely different. Especially when you're playing a team with as much speed as the Longhorns.

To put this into perspective, imagine drinking one bottle of beer a week for nine months and then attempting to suck down an entire bottle of 90-proof alcohol in one sitting. You're going to have a rough time with it, right? Odds are good you're not going to be able to finish the bottle, and you might even end up getting sick at some point. That's what it could be like for Smith in this game. If practice is the beer, the Longhorns are a big bottle of Southern Comfort. Timing is a huge factor in how successful a quarterback can be and it takes a while to get back into sync with an offense. If it takes too long, Ohio State is in trouble, because I honestly don't feel they're winning this game with Zwick at the helm.

As far as talent, both teams are nearly equal. So this game is going to come down to three things: turnovers, special teams, and coaching. The turnovers are a crap shoot. You never know what's going to happen during a game. Special teams, however, are something else entirely. Texas has blocked 40 punts in the last eight years, so watch for them to get heavy pressure on a few kicks. The Texas kicking game, on the other hand, is not exactly the best in the nation. In fact, their kicker missed three extra points in their first game against Louisiana Lafayette.

That leaves the coaches. Looking at their overall records, it's difficult to find a difference between the two. Jim Tressel is 41-11 (.788 win %) while Mack Brown is 71-19 (.789 win %). However, Brown's teams consistently struggle against top tier opponents. In fact, in his eight years coaching the Longhorns, Texas is 15-14 against the top 25, 4-3 in bowl games, and 0-2 in Big 12 title games, plus he hasn't beaten Oklahoma since the Democrats were in office. It seems that Mack Brown is to Texas what John Cooper was to Ohio State back in the '90s. Yes, he brings in the best players. Yes, his winning percentage is excellent. Yes, his teams are always successful. The only problem is, his teams tend to lose big games. In the world of college football, that's a pretty big friggin' problem.

Furthermore, all you have to do is look at the two coaches and it's obvious which is superior. Need proof? Imagine there are two minutes left in the game and the score is tied. At that moment, ABC cuts to a shot of Jim Tressel calmly pacing the sidelines - the consummate professional. A moment later, they show Mack Brown staring at a referee like he's one bad call away from climbing a bell tower with a sniper rifle. Who would you rather have as your coach? I rest my case.

Added to all of this is the fact that Ohio State has not lost a non-conference home game since USC in 1990. They've also never lost a night game in Ohio Stadium. I don't think they're going to lose this one, either.

Prediction: Zwick throws an interception and Texas scores quickly to make it 7-0. The next series the offense fails to put points on the board and Tressel sends Smith into the game for the third series as the crowd erupts. Smith falters at first but eventually finds his groove and the Buckeyes go on to win, setting the stage for another national title run.

Ohio State 31 - Texas 20