Save the date! August 30 will witness the grand face-off between Ryan Day’s Ohio State and Steve Sarkisian’s Texas. Here’s a heads up. Day’s Buckeyes have won 23 straight season openers. On the other hand, Sarkisian’s Longhorns won 11 straight road games, the longest active streak in the FBS. This game is taking place less than 10 months after Texas and Ohio State played in the Cotton Bowl. Day and co. beat the Longhorns 28-14. While debate looms on who is going to be the winner for the upcoming face-off, the analysts at Cover3 have made their choice.

The majority vote came for Day’s Ohio State. When it comes to NCAA FBS program valuation projections, the SEC giant, Sarkisian’s Texas, stands at the top, generating an average football revenue worth $183 million with a projected price of $2.38 billion. On the other hand, the $1.9 billion worth Ohio State, with a projected revenue worth $116 million, has won the analysts’ trust. The reason? Day’s Ohio State is lucky to have a crucial factor. 

On the August 26th episode of the Cover 3 Podcast, host Chip Patterson came up to his mates, Danny Kanell and Bud Elliott, and asked about their take on the winner between Texas and Ohio State. Kanell replied, “I might have already given it away. I’m going Ohio State as the defending national champion. And I do think home field matters so much. The one, unknown is Julian Sayin. And it could be bumpy. It’s been bumpy in the past for some of their younger quarterbacks early out of the gate.”

Day named Julian Sayin as his QB1 after having a tough call with Lincoln Kienholz. On top of that, he is now fighting a major curse. Here comes a blunt reminder. Over the last 20 years, quarterbacks making their very first career start have lost every single game (0 wins, 18 losses) when facing a team ranked #1 in the nation at the time of the game. But looks like somebody is going to help him survive the two decade challenge, and that’s none other than Jeremiah Smith.

He is the one who makes Kanell hopeful about Day’s squad. He continued, “But I do feel like having the most difference, the biggest difference maker on the field, and Jeremiah Smith potentially. I think Colin Simmons might have a say about the defense, who’s the biggest difference maker, but Ohio State does have Caleb Downs, too. I’m going to lean towards Ohio State. I’m going to pick them.” 

This was doubled down by Elliott. Even he is Team Day and Buckeyes. And the reason is also the same, Smith and his position have gained all the trust. “I’m going to go to Ohio State as well because of Jeremiah. There’s certainly a possibility that Arch[Manning] just balls out and plays at a level that Sayin can’t get to,” said Elliott. “Maybe that Texas edge rushers just give Ohio State problems all day. But I’m going to make Texas stop Jeremiah again. Going to Ohio State because of the receivers and the pass catchers.”

ESPN ranked the top 10 receivers in college football. In the first position, they placed Day’s WR Smith. Rarely do incoming freshmen generate as much hype as Smith did, and then actually exceed it. And how is Smith coping with the pressure?

Ryan Day’s WR runs high on energy as pressure looms for back-to-back wins

Day and his boys are expected to protect the Natty as the defending champions. Smith is aware of what he and his mates need to bring to the table to let magic happen twice. On The Triple Option podcast, Day’s wide receiver sounded passionate about facing whatever comes his way. He shared, “I think we want to be the first team to ever do that in the Big Ten. It hasn’t been done since, I think, the 1960s. I think the last team that did was Michigan State. So, I feel like it’s very pressure that we’re trying to go back-to-back.”

This would require Day’s Buckeyes to break the streak of Michigan State’s name as they were the last ones to win back-to-back in the Big 10 with co-wins in 1965 and 1966. And we have seen how a bit of trust in your mates can take the program a long way. Smith then sheds the spotlight on Day’s receiver weapons. 

He said, “I feel like this year they’re going to shock a lot of people, especially Carnell (Tate). I mean, that guy there, he could do any and everything that you ask him to do. Very smooth right runner, could block, could do it all. Brandon (Inniss), the same way. He got that dog in him. So I feel like this year, I mean, our room is very special.”

Amidst all this pressure, Ryan Day is ensuring to hold the reins tightly. The head coach resorts to the strategy of pulling band aids off old wounds. The Buckeyes had a cold start against the Tennessee Volunteers in the playoffs last season. On the Pat McAfee Show, Day shared, “That first playoff game against Tennessee, our backs were against the wall and we came out swinging… We need to have the same mentality when we walk out of the tunnel this Saturday.” Time to find out if Ohio State buries Texas or if the Longhorns deliver their long-awaited revenge.