Biggest winners and losers from the Texas football season-opening loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes
Texas is now 0-1. It’s over. We can stop talking about it. Well, one more time. Let’s discuss the best and the worst from Saturday’s contest at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.The final score was 14-7 but it wasn’t all bad. There were some positives to take away from this game despite it being such a […]
Texas is now 0-1. It’s over. We can stop talking about it. Well, one more time. Let’s discuss the best and the worst from Saturday’s contest at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
The final score was 14-7 but it wasn’t all bad. There were some positives to take away from this game despite it being such a huge letdown after looking forward to it all offseason.
Let’s dive into the winners and losers from last weekend’s game.
Winners
DB Graceson Littleton
The true freshman was outstanding in this one – tasked with covering Jeremiah Smith. The best player in college football didn’t find the end zone and had several drops. A lot of this was thanks in large part to the job Littleton did in coverage. He was great in man-to-man – staying step-for-step with Smith and was also a sure tackler in space when in zone coverage. He was graded as the highest true freshman cornerback (83.3), per Pro Football Focus.
LB Liona Lefau
The Robin to Anthony Hill Jr.’s Batman was a dude on Saturday. He was a focal point of the defensive gameplan and mad several key stops to keep the game close for the offense to try and muster a comeback. He finished with nine tackles and one tackle for loss. Hill gets a lot of attention, and for good reason. But, people need to recognize Lefau and just how good he can be.
DL Cole Brevard
Brevard showed just why he was such a hot commodity in the transfer portal Saturday. He took on double, triple and sometimes quadruple teams and changed the line of scrimmage. Brevard will need to do this more and more in 2025 to help Lefau and Hill run free and have chances to make plays at or behind the line of scrimmage. At 6-foot-3 and close to 340 pounds, he will be counted on to anchor a rebuilt defensive line.
TE Jack Endries
Endries is expected to be the next Gunnar Helm. Fair or not, he has the skill set and playmaking ability to come close. On Saturday, he certainly looked the part. Manning looked to him several times when Ohio State dropped seven and eight to defend the downfield shots. I think Manning and Endries will become good friends as the chemistry continues to improve and they both get more and more comfortable in the offense.
Losers
HC Steve Sarkisian
I was expecting a lot more, to be honest. I wanted to see more zone read, more designed runs for Arch Manning, and more in the screen game. Now, Matt Patricia and Ohio State did a fine job Saturday – confusing Manning at the line of scrimmage and taking away the deep ball. But, for such a hyped game I thought Sarkisian was going to be in his bag in this one. He was not. Could be a lot to do with a new quarterback who was a bit rattled. But, I still expected more.
QB Arch Manning
Speaking of a rattled quarterback, Manning did not look like the confident quarterback we all thought we’d see. I didn’t think Arch would stroll into the Horseshoe and throw for 300 and four scores, but I was shocked at just how bad the mechanics were at times and the flustered body language. It’s just one game and I am not writing Manning off by any means. But as the quarterback (and he did in the post game) it’s your team and you have to be the driving force. With that said, I expect to see Manning come back this week on a mission as Texas has three weeks to get ready for Florida in the Swamp.
DL Maraad Watson
Watson had a day to forget Saturday. There were several occasions he was put on skates by the Ohio State offensive line. Sure, some of the time they were double teams, but he didn’t even hold his ground. Now, he did flash at times in the middle and again, like Manning, I expect Watson to bounce back and be a big part of this front seven. But, Saturday wasn’t his best. And that’s okay.
