Coaches like to pontificate that what happened last season has no bearing on the upcoming campaign because a new season brings different players and storylines.
While it is hard not to view the massive season-opening matchup in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday afternoon between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State as a rematch of the Jan. 10 national semifinal won by the Buckeyes 28-14 that led to their winning the national championship 10 days later against Notre Dame, a look at the current quarterbacks suggests that indeed there are major changes to both sides.
The game in January featured Texas three-year starter Quinn Ewers vs. the Buckeyes’ fifth-year senior Will Howard in the QB showcase.
Enter the much-ballyhooed redshirt sophomore Arch Manning, with two career starts, against redshirt freshman Julian Sayin making his first start.
“We’re excited for him,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said of Sayin, who threw for 84 yards and a touchdown last season. “You’re seeing him every day get more and more confident and more and more comfortable in what we’re trying to do. But we’ve got to get on the field and play. It’s about time.
“The message is just win. Find a way to win.”
Manning, the nephew of Super-Bowl winning quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning and the grandson of former New Orleans Saints QB Archie Manning, last season had 939 passing yards, nine touchdown passes and two interceptions in 10 games.
“It’s not about me, it’s about the whole team,” Arch Manning said. “We have to play the situations well, not give them short fields, and take care of the ball. It should be a fun one. I just have to trust my training, the coaches, the practice plan.”
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Manning is ready.
“He’s practiced well, and he’s been in these environments,” Sarkisian said. “It’s not like we didn’t put him in the game in the semifinals (last season) — we played him at Texas A&M (Nov. 30), and now he just gets to play more snaps. I know he’s excited about that.”
In all, 26 players (14 from Ohio State) who played in the semifinal were selected in April’s NFL draft. But Day had stern words about Saturday’s clash.
“We’re not defending anything,” he said. “They can’t take the trophy away. We’re looking to attack and win a championship with this team.”
Subplots aren’t lacking. Texas (13-3 last season) must replace four starting offensive linemen, the same number of departing defensive linemen for the Buckeyes (14-2).
Manning will face All-America safety Caleb Downs, who many pundits consider the second-best player in the country to. … Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who as a freshman last season made 76 catches for 1,315 yards (17.3-yard average) and 15 touchdowns.
However, he had just one catch for 3 yards against the Longhorns.
As good as Smith was, Texas defensive end Colin Simmons was voted the national freshman of the year after he compiled 48 tackles, nine sacks and an interception.
While Texas is the underdog for Saturday, the Longhorns have won 11 straight true road games, and the introduction of the 12-team College Football Playoff last season means the loser won’t sustain a knockout blow.
“I don’t think either us or Ohio State, for that matter, is going to get punished for playing in this game from a CFP standpoint,” Sarkisian said.
