As the weekend inches closer, so does the expectation. One of the highly anticipated college football clashes between Ohio State and Texas makes its appearance at the Horseshoe. It’s not just about the powerhouses clashing against each other, but also two Heisman contender QBs trying to make a splash. Julian Sayin‘s roster is against the Arch Manning-led offense. While the 2025 season technically kicked off last week, as Iowa State edged out Kansas State in Ireland, Week 1 has not even started. But it’s already making noise…

So, who are the announcers? Both College Game Day and Big Noon Kickoff will come to the box, with Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt making their appearance, and Jenny Taft will be providing fresh insights from the sidelines. While Fox is the official media partner. For those who are still clueless about these personalities, let’s take a quick look at their professional careers.

Joel Klatt is regarded as one of the trusted voices in college football and hosts his own podcast, called The Joel Klatt Show. A former Colorado quarterback, he transitioned to broadcasting, announcing Friday night high school football games in the Denver area in 2006 for Fox Sports Rocky Mountain. Over his two decades of experience, he covered the Pac-12 Championship game on Fox and the U.S. Open Championships, among others. Earning the fandom’s trust, he established himself as one of the highly regarded voices in the CFB. “There’s never been a bigger opener in our sport,” said Klatt in conversation with Throwbacks.

Moving on to Gus Johnson, he is one of the best in the broadcasting industry, who also has a documentary made on him, called ‘Back to School with Gus Johnson’. A career dating back to the 1990s, he worked as a play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports, Madison Square Garden Network, Fox Sports, and others. His roll tide? “It’s about time to get the party started.” Jenny Taft began her broadcasting career in 2011 with Fox Sports North and has covered football, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and was also a sideline reporter for the WNBA Minnesota Lynx.

Predictions for the Texas-Ohio State matchup

With both programs, losing significant potential to the NFL, fresh talent is scooped up to the frontlines, but do not be mistaken, both are stacked with talent. Both quarterbacks are inexperienced and will make their first splash as the leader of the offense.

As per Fox, the reigning national championship winner, the Ohio State Buckeyes, are slightly favoured to clinch the victory, with (-1.5). The point total for the contest is set at 47.5. Next, we take a look at the pre-season rankings. As per the US LBM coaches poll, the Buckeyes ranked No.3, while in the Associated Press poll, they ranked No. 2. Meanwhile, the Longhorns ranked No. 1 in both these polls.

The three analysts of the Columbus Dispatch have predicted the Buckeyes’ win.

1. Bill Rabinowitz: Buckeyes State 31, Texas 28
2. Joey Kaufman: Ohio State 24, Texas, 21
3. Rob Oller: Ohio State 28, Texas 24

The highlight will be on the Longhorns, but college football will also keep tabs on the Manning legacy. He hasn’t thrown his first snap as the QB1. Yet, he is on the Heisman list, and his roster has been ranked No. 1 in the pre-season polls. “I’m incredibly interested to see how he just deals with it,” Klatt said in a conversation with Colin Cowherd. “From all the reports and every interaction that I’ve had with Arch or his coach, Steve Sarkisian, he’s incredibly even-keeled and can handle things like that. But we’re going to find out in a big way just this week.”

Let’s see what the 2025 season brings to the Horseshoe Stadium.