Who else is excited for the blockbuster 2025 opener? That Week 1 matchup between Texas and Ohio State. It’s a playoff level blood feud in August. And this time, it’s personal. Last season, the Buckeyes had the last laugh with a 28-14 win in the Cotton Bowl semifinal that ended the Longhorns’ season. But now, Steve Sarkisian is coming back with a loaded roster to kick off the new Arch Manning era in Austin. And that QB may already have the edge. 

While Buckeye Nation still debates who their starter should be, Julian Sayin or Lincoln Kienholz, Texas legend Mack Brown dropped a truth bomb as posted by THE STAMPEDE on X on August 6. “CoachMackBrown sees quarterback as one area where the Longhorns have an advantage over the Buckeyes in Week 1,” the caption read. “I’m an Arch believer,” he said in the video. Why? Because he’s got more meaningful snaps than either of Ohio State’s QBs. “Arch played in (last) year’s Ohio State game. Arch has been in a playoff game,” Brown said. And that’s just facts. 

Let’s talk about reps and reality. Arch Manning didn’t just ride the bench behind Quinn Ewers last season. He got his chance and stared down the same Buckeyes, and got real snaps in real pressure moments. In his limited reps, he threw for 939 yards and nine TDs. The stat line isn’t eye-popping but the exposure is invaluable. For him, the fog of playoff chaos isn’t new. But for whoever wins OSU’s QB1 spot, it could be suffocating. And that brings us to the Buckeyes’ biggest concern.

Uncertainty. Ryan Day can no longer boast about the now NFL player Will Howard who was last year’s title hero. No clear QB1 as of now. Julian Sayin has elite mechanics and Lincoln Kienholz brings dual-threat grit. But neither has proven it when the lights blind and the noise deafens. As Mack Brown predicts, “That poor guy going to be real nervous when he goes out there against the Texas defense on national TV at noon for the first time in his life.” And he isn’t being cruel, he’s just being honest. 

“That’s where I think the advantage goes to Texas. Ohio State’s got great players, they got a great team. They’re at home. You would think that everything is Ohio State,” Brown added. “The quarterback’s the most important position in this game. He touches the b— every time and the quarterback that plays the best is the team that wins. I’m an Arch Believer.” Buckeye fans can talk talent, talk home-field advantage, talk tradition but if your quarterback’s seeing ghosts, none of that matters. And this could go to Arch Manning’s benefit. 

Arch Manning’s patience might finally pay off

Arch Manning, a 5-star prodigy and the No. 1 recruit from the Class of 2023, could’ve bolted from Austin. But no, he waited, learned, got bruised, and got better. And now, with Quinn Ewers in the NFL rearview, the stage is his. And what a stage. The same one where legends break through or break down. Kirk Herbstreit isn’t brushing it off either. “I think just the expectations on Arch Manning, he probably has the most pressure,” he told The Escapist. And he’s right. This isn’t a ‘win or you’re done’ game. 

The Week 1 game is a tone-setter, a perception shaper. One misstep from Arch Manning becomes national news. Meanwhile, Ohio State’s losses are hard to ignore. Defensive monsters like JT Tuimoloau and Tyleik Williams are gone. Offensive cornerstones like Emeka Egbuka and Quinshon Judkins also left for the big league. The Buckeyes reloaded for sure. But Texas reloaded and restacked the shelves landing the No. 1 class in the country in 2025. This roster wasn’t built for the future. Rather, it’s for this game.

So when the horn sounds on August 30, it won’t just be the start of a season. It could be the start of a new narrative. One where Arch Manning goes from hyped legacy to certified QB1, and where Texas flips the script in enemy territory. And if Mack Brown’s right, it’s the Buckeyes, not the Longhorns, who might be playing catch-up before the first whistle blows.