The clock is ticking. Less than three weeks remain until the 2025 college football season begins, and the excitement is evident following Monday’s USA Today Coaches Poll, which ranked Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns as the preseason No. 1 for the first time in school history. Texas only just beat Ohio State, the defending national champion, who finished at No. 2 ahead of Penn State. A major matchup is now scheduled for August 30 at Ohio Stadium, where the Longhorns will attempt to live up to their high expectations.

Texas hasn’t won a national championship in the past two decades. The Longhorns will take a serious hit as they travel to Columbus without their starting right tackle, who sustained a season-ending injury only weeks before kickoff. The difficulty of slowing down an Ohio State front that is reloading. Although the stakes are high, a clear rift exists between Joel Klatt and Colin Cowherd, two FOX Sports personalities, as they argue over who deserves this victory more.

On the August 6 episode of CFB on FOX, Colin Cowherd stated,” Now we look at Sark, and Sark to me is this year’s Ryan Day…If they lose at Columbus, that next loss, with Arch Manning, Sark’s getting heat”. For Texas, it’s not only about football; it’s also about investment, image, and expectations. And those expectations have increased now that the program is starting its debut season in the SEC. “There are a lot of cooks in the kitchen. There’s a lot of money coming from a lot of places.”

Texas journalist Kirk Bohls claims that the Longhorns intend to invest $35–40 million in their football team in 2025. “And my take is the game is much bigger for Texas than it is for Ohio State,” Colin Cowherd suggested that, despite its championship history, Ohio State just has lower expectations than Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns. “The natty,” he continued. “ I don’t think Michigan will be as strong without Harbaugh as they were before.” Suggesting without Harbaugh, I don’t think Michigan will be as good as they were previously, suggesting that Ohio State’s potential might have dropped.

And let’s be honest: the Longhorns are carrying the burden of history into that game with 28 first-place votes in the Coaches Poll, ranking Texas No. 1 (beating out the reigning champion OSU). After two back-to-back trips to the CFP semifinals under Steve Sarkisian, Texas heads into the 2025 season with great expectations, but this year’s squad is very different, particularly offensively. Additionally, Arch Manning won’t have the same support as Quinn Ewers because several important linemen, Jaydon Blue and Matthew Golden, all left for the 2025 NFL Draft. When starting tackle Andre Cojoe tore his ACL and was sidelined for the season, things only got worse.

No more excuses for Texas

As Klatt states, “Texas fans remember what the desert was like? I mean, Colin, it was 15 years, 10 years, 15 years, where it was like, is Texas back? Is Texas back? They’re churning through coaches, and now all of a sudden they have solid footing.” The Longhorns endured mediocrity for years, going through coaches like Tom Herman and Charlie Strong with little to show. The tone has changed now that Steve Sarkisian has led the team to consecutive CFP semifinal appearances. Fans already perceive success; therefore, they’re not yearning for it. According to Klatt, this is the reason why “And so there’s some level of relaxed expectation because of that.”

Texas has finally arrived and is no longer a program trying to reestablish its identity. “They find themselves where they are a preeminent program not only in the sport but in the SEC. They know that Stark can do it. He’s recruiting at a high level year in and year out.” Given that the Longhorns finished the final CFP rankings at 13–3 the previous season, Steve Sarkisian’s influence is quite evident. He has been an excellent recruiter; according to 247Sports, Texas is presently ranked No. 1 in the 2025 cycle and placed in the top five in both 2023 and 2024.

So, surely, Texas is the center of attention because there are no more excuses. They have the quarterback, the coach, the money, and the top ranking. Indeed, there are roster gaps and serious concerns about how they will manage Ohio State’s aggressiveness without their main starters. However, this is the goal they have worked to achieve. The Longhorns are no longer snooping on anybody, whether it’s Sark demonstrating his ability to win the big ones or Arch Manning taking over. They are predicted to win, and the time has come to see if all the excitement is justified, beginning in Columbus on August 30.