We are barely three months from the college football season’s one of the biggest Week 1 games– Texas Longhorns vs Ohio State Buckeyes. The two last met in the CFP semifinals last year where Ryan Day’s squad crushed Steve Sarkisian and Co.’s national championship hopes 28-14. But this time around, the tables have turned. The Ohio State locker room exits took a toll on Day’s offseason efforts to bolster a 2025 roster. On the other hand, Texas has only gotten deeper and stronger on both sides of the field. On3’s Ari Wasserman even predicted their possible CFP matchup where “Texas finally gets over the hump and knocks off the Buckeyes.” In fact, she has them winning it all after two rough decades. Of course, it begins with the August 30 opener against the Buckeyes. But there’s a slight problem.

The marquee matchup is set to take place in Columbus on Saturday, August 30, on FOX. But even after a week and a half since the scheduling, the network has not yet announced the kickoff time. Given other details, everyone has assumed that the game is set to be part of “Big Noon Kickoff.” However, Ohio State is not on board. Patrick Murphy of 247Sports announced earlier, “Ohio State has approached the network about airing the game during a later timeslot or moving it from Saturday, Aug. 30, to primetime on Sunday, Aug. 31.” There are two likely reasons for the move for Ohio:

• One, Ohio fans want the big matchup to match the big vibes, that can only happen if the game is played on a primetime slot.
• Two, Ohio State loathes a noon game. To the point that Ohio Rep. Tex Fischer, a Republican from the Youngstown area, recently proposed a bill that would prohibit any Ohio State games from starting before 3:30 p.m. ET if the game features another state university or an AP top 10 opponent. 

But as it stands right now, Steve Sarkisian has apparently stood up against the request of the time slot change and while the Ohio fans, of course, do not like the decision, the Longhorns fans cannot be more in awe of their head coach on his way to continue to bring more glory to Austin.

When Texas, led by Steve Sarkisian, shut it down with no lights and no shifts, the tension took off. For Ohio State supporters—used to marquee matchups in the late afternoon or under the lights—it’s a hard pill to swallow. Add in the West Coast fan base who’ll be dragging themselves out of bed at 9 a.m. local time, and you’ve got a fan base boiling over. Last season alone saw OSU locked into five noon kickoffs. Big games, massive stakes—all served with brunch. And FOX? 

They love the noon window. It owns the ratings early and anchors their entire Saturday. But for Buckeyes fans and even lawmakers, enough is enough. But Steve Sarkisian? He’s not sweating it. When Ohio State pushed for the move, Sarkisian and Texas stood firm. They had no interest in handing the Buckeyes a more favorable atmosphere in front of a raging night crowd in The Horseshoe. From a tactical standpoint, it made sense. Keep it daytime. Control the tempo. Cut the chaos. Makes sense! For Ryan Day, this is not the only fire he needs to handle. 

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Despite leading the Buckeyes to a national title, Day still can’t shake the ghosts of Michigan. On May 23, ESPN released its top ten college football coaches list. Day landed at No. 2—but not without baggage. Analyst Andrea Adelson said it plainly: “I think he should be docked for having a poor record against Michigan, the most important game on the schedule every year. He is 1-4 against the Wolverines and lost last season as a prohibitive favorite.

“You might be thinking the national title is reason enough to have Day ranked higher. But in any other season, that Michigan loss would have ended the Buckeyes’ season. They got a second chance only because of the newly expanded 12-team playoff.”

In their fourth loss over an unranked Michigan, the No. 2 Buckeyes entered as 20.5 point favorites. But lost 13-10 at home. However, OC coach Chip Kelly had his HC’s side. “He understands the gravity of what his position is. He understands how everybody feels about Buckeye football and rightly so. He feels the same exact way. I don’t think anybody took the loss to The Team Up North harder than he took the loss. That’s the type of person he is.” But the Buckeyes fans are arguably one of the most critical ones in the college football world. So even after a natty? The Game still looms.

As for Steve reportedly dismissing the time slot move has some critics scream fear, others saw strategy. After all, Texas isn’t short on national exposure. Their schedule post-OSU features San Jose State, UTEP, and Sam Houston—three games that amount to tune-ups. The Longhorns didn’t need the extra eyeballs. They needed to manage week-one chaos.

So, Sarkisian made a move that didn’t bow to TV or tradition. He prioritized his squad’s rhythm over ratings wars. And not everyone hated it.

Support for Steve Sarkisian grows amidst the trolls

The online noise came fast. Sark had his defenders pointing out the logic. “Why would Texas voluntarily choose to play a night game on the road against the defending champs lol. Ohio State surely didn’t think that ever had a chance right?” said one comment. But a Buckeyes fan joked, “Scared of the Shoe at night lol. 😂😂😂.” 

As critical as Buckeyes fans can be, they can make a visiting team cry if the game is played in their most favorable time. And understandably, Steve simply didn’t want that. Another weighed in with, “SUNDAY primetime slot. Nobody wanna play on a Sunday.” It’s not just about the crowd; it’s about routine. For many programs, the Sunday shift messes with prep, rest, and rhythm.

Then came the numbers game. Moving the showdown would have meant battling Notre Dame vs. Miami on ABC. Two giant brands are fighting for the same ratings turf. Sure, it would’ve been a spectacle—but it also would’ve split viewers and risked overshadowing both matchups.

Even fans admitted it would’ve been risky. “Props to OSU for trying to get a night game in the Shoe that everyone wants to see, but also W for keeping a top premiere matchup on a Saturday slate. The real villain is Big Noon and no one else at the end of the day.” In the court of public opinion, Sark’s no-nonsense refusal struck a chord.

This latest denied request—trying to set the stage for a lights-out home opener—now adds to the pattern. Some see it as Day getting stiff-armed yet again. Others see it as a smart strategy from Sarkisian. But all of it adds to the narrative that Day, even at the top, can’t quite control the chessboard.

To neutral observers, it was clear. Sarkisian wasn’t ducking a fight—he was playing it smart. As one fan summed up: “Why would Texas agree to that? That’s an automatic extra point against the spread they gotta face by moving it to a night game on the road lol. I’d keep it daytime too. First game of the season, anything to decrease the chance of starting off 0-1.”

Another added, “Texas has a game 1 week later why would they waste basically 2 days of prep and rest to give Ohio State what they want? Seems pretty easy to me—Texas is right.” Then came the zinger that tied it all back to Michigan. “Ohio State’s last loss to Michigan? Noon kickoff. So maybe Sark wasn’t ducking the lights—just sticking to what makes sense.”

In the end, fans aren’t mad at Texas. They’re mad at Big Noon. And at Ryan Day, for not yet burying his biggest ghost. The primetime lights might be off for Aug. 30, but the fire underneath this matchup is burning brighter than ever. Sarkisian made his move. Day made his case. Now all that’s left is to kick off. Noon or night, this one’s personal.