Texas hit with tough injury news ahead of Ohio State hosting the Longhorns to start the college football season

That’ll hurt Ohio State’s Week 1 opponent to start the season.

Brandon Little — Ohio State Buckeyes & Cleveland Browns News Writer
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Ohio State Buckeyes safety Sonny Styles (6) tackles Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo (5) during the second half of the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State Buckeyes host the Texas Longhorns tomorrow to kick off the college football season in a battle between the top two teams in the country.

There’s plenty of hype surrounding this matchup, with many viewing it as a potential preview for the College Football Playoff. A Cotton Bowl rematch featuring Arch Manning and Julian Sayin — both beginning new eras as starting quarterbacks — brings all the makings of a classic to open the season.

When Texas arrives in Columbus, however, they’ll be without one of their top playmakers at full strength.

Texas WR Emmett Mosley expected to be heavily limited against Ohio State

According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Mosley is “unlikely to start or play a significant amount of snaps” against the Buckeyes. The transfer from Stanford was projected to start at the Z-receiver spot for the Longhorns. In his place, Texas is expected to lean on redshirt freshman Parker Livingstone.

Mosley posted 48 receptions for 525 yards and six touchdowns as a freshman at Stanford. After transferring to Texas, he was expected to be one of Manning’s top targets. Of course, Ryan Wingo is set to be Manning’s primary weapon and the receiver that Ohio State will focus on most.

True freshman Jaime French Jr. — a player the Buckeyes recruited heavily — could also see more opportunities in Mosley’s absence.

Ohio State, meanwhile, is expected to be mostly healthy. Freshman defensive tackle Eddrick Houston missed time in camp with an ankle injury but has since returned. Unlike SEC programs, the Buckeyes don’t release weekly injury reports, so official statuses won’t be known until game day.

Mosley’s absence is a significant blow to the Longhorns’ offense, and his presence would certainly make life easier for Manning. Ohio State and Texas kick off their highly anticipated seasons at noon ET on FOX.

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