Ryan Day on High Alert as Bold Steve Sarkisian Prediction Puts OSU’s Major Upset in Motion

They say revenge is a dish best served cold, but Steve Sarkisian might just bring the heat to Columbus in late August. After that soul-snatching collapse in the 2025 Cotton Bowl—where Quinn Ewers fumbled away both his college career and Texas’ national title dreams—you’d think Steve Sarkisian was finished. But instead of packing it up, Sarkisian reloaded, retooled, and now? He’s coming for blood. Ohio State, you might’ve won the battle (and natty), but Texas? They’ve had eight months to plot the war. Boy, the Longhorns aren’t just coming for Ryan Day‘s Buckeyes—they’re coming for everybody.

Back in January, the Longhorns had Ohio State on the ropes. Down 21–14 with just over two minutes to go, Texas drove to the Buckeyes’ 1-yard line. You could already hear “Texas Fight” warming up in the band section. First-and-goal. Sark called a power run—stuffed. Second down? A toss play that looked like it came from the Madden playbook’s “do not attempt” section. Loss of 7. Third down? No Arch Manning, no misdirection, no creativity. Just banged up, ankle sprain Quinn Ewers in a shotgun shell, seconds from disaster. FYI: The Longhorns low-key ranked 95th in the red-zone. All thanks to Quinn Ewers legendary mobility.

It’s time Steve Sarkisian gets his due.

Only coach in America with consecutive playoff appearances & Texas will spoil Ohio State’s title party in the opener.

That would mark #HookEm‘s 12th straight road win, too.

— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) May 17, 2025

And disaster showed up in No. 33. Jack Sawyer—Ewers’ old roommate—blew through the line, popped the ball loose, and took it 83 yards to the house. Game. Season. Era—over. The memes wrote themselves. Texas fans were left in stunned silence. Ohio State moved on and won natty. But Steve Sarkisian? He wrote that play down in permanent ink. He heard the noise and critics. The red zone jokes. The Arch Manning demands. And that “same old Texas” whispers. And now, he’s got the same opponent on the schedule, Week 1, under the lights in Columbus, with a brand new QB and a whole lot of receipts.

On May 17th, according to 247Sports’ Brad Crawford, “It’s time Steve Sarkisian gets his due. Only coach in America with consecutive playoff appearances & Texas will spoil Ohio State’s title party in the opener.” And if Texas does walk into the Horseshoe and snatch the soul out of Ryan Day’s defense, that would mark Sark’s 12th straight road win. Not bad for a HC that they said was done in 2021.

The Longhorns aren’t just pulling up with vibes either. Sarkisian cooked in the portal this offseason—snatching Cal’s Jack Endries, the No. 2 tight end in the country, to fix red-zone woes. He brought in speed to replace Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond. The defense? Upgraded. And let’s be real, Arch Manning is flat-out better than anything left in Ohio State’s QB room. Julian Sayin? Maybe in 2026. Lincoln Kienholz? Respectfully, nah. The 247Sports literally have Texas Longhorns as the No.1 team in their post-spring ranking and BetMGM got Arch Manning as Heisman favorite with 600+ odds.

Ohio State, on the other hand, waved goodbye to 14 NFL-bound starters. That’s not a typo. No more Will Howard. Emeka Egbuka gone. The dynamic duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins? Gone. And that vaunted D-line with Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau? Gone too. It’s not a rebuild—it’s a reload with duct tape. That’s why folks are circling August 30th like it’s the real national championship preview. “Two of the richest programs in the country, playing in a rematch of a down-to-the-wire CFP semifinal,” ESPN teased. “Is it even possible to have a bigger opening-week showdown?”

Oh, it’s big. It’s bigger than big. This ain’t just a game—it’s a grudge match dressed in five-star suits and billionaire boosters.

J.D. PicKell Predicts Arch Manning Hate on Week 1 Against the Buckeyes

Here’s the thing with Arch Manning. That last name? It gets you in the door. But it also makes you the main course at every haters’ BBQ. The kid could throw for 300 yards and still get asked if he’s coasting on Peyton’s shadow. But throw for 195 and an interception? Man, Twitter’s gonna eat like it’s Thanksgiving.

On3’s J.D. PicKell is already bracing for the post-game chaos. “A lot of the narrative with Arch Manning will be tied to how Steve Sarkisian decides to call the offense,” he said Thursday on The Hard Count. Translation? How Sark dials up the game-plan might shape the entire year’s narrative for the kid.

And don’t expect Sark to unleash Arch like he’s Caleb Williams. PicKell laid it out: “I would not be surprised even a little bit…if this game plan is semi-conservative. ‘Hey, we’re gonna try and hold the ball…run the ball…test this front seven of Ohio State. Try to take a lot off Arch’s plate.’” So yeah, Sark might ease him in.

PicKell even threw out a flashback: Matt Barkley in 2009. USC pulled off an 18–15 win in Columbus, and Barkley finished 15-of-31 for 195 yards and a pick. Ugly box score, huge dub. Sark would sign up for that in a heartbeat.But let’s not pretend the internet will be chill if Arch posts those same numbers. “Is Arch Manning the best Manning in his family?” PicKell joked. “To…‘Should Texas go in another direction without Arch Manning as their starting quarterback?’” The wild takes are coming either way.

That’s just the burden of the crown. Arch knew this gig wasn’t just about football—it’s about legacy, lights, and loud opinions. And the bigger the stage, the louder the noise. Even if Arch goes 17-for-25 with 210 yards and a touchdown, folks will still nitpick. Was it elite? Was it “Manning-level”?

But here’s the kicker: if Texas walks out of Columbus with a win—even an ugly one—nobody’s going to remember Arch’s stat line. They’ll remember who closed out the revenge tour and took the first step toward the natty. Texas doesn’t need a Heisman run from Arch just yet—they need poise, clock control, and a dub. And if Sark pulls it off? That man better not pay for a single brisket in Austin for the rest of his life.

Because let’s be real: Texas fans aren’t just hoping for a bounce-back year. They’re expecting rings. After back-to-back Playoff runs, the next step is obvious. Get. To. The. Natty. And August 30th in Columbus? That’s not just a season opener. That’s a statement game. A street fight in shoulder pads.

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