“I thought what a great advantage” – Former Texas head coach Mack Brown believes Ohio State is already behind the sticks against the Longhorns

When Mack Brown speaks about college football, people listen. The former Texas Longhorns head coach has long been regarded as one of the more thoughtful and insightful figures in the sport. With a career spanning decades, including a national championship win in 2005 and numerous appearances in major bowl games, Brown has seen nearly every scenario play out on the field. So when he recently weighed in on the much-anticipated matchup between Ohio State and Texas, his words carried significant weight. And what he said might surprise some—he believes that the Buckeyes are already playing from behind, even before the opening kickoff.

“I thought what a great advantage,” Brown said, reflecting on the current state of the two programs and the circumstances surrounding the upcoming game. He wasn’t speaking out of bias or nostalgia; rather, he was offering an assessment rooted in decades of experience. For Brown, the factors that contribute to winning and losing go far beyond raw talent or even week-to-week coaching. They’re embedded in culture, continuity, preparation, and the momentum that programs carry into these high-stakes encounters. And in this case, Brown sees Texas as holding a distinct edge.

To understand why Brown feels Ohio State is already behind the sticks—a football term meaning they’re starting a series of downs at a disadvantage—it helps to take a step back and examine where both teams currently stand. Texas is riding a wave of resurgence. Under head coach Steve Sarkisian, the Longhorns have been rebuilding their program from the ground up, and it’s starting to pay off. They’ve recruited well, developed key players, and adopted a culture that’s beginning to mirror the swagger and confidence of Brown’s own glory days at Texas. The team has begun showing signs not just of potential, but of actualized talent and grit—something that’s harder to measure, but easy to recognize when it shows up in big games.

On the other side of the field, Ohio State is still undeniably a powerhouse. The Buckeyes have been consistent in their dominance within the Big Ten and across the national stage. They’ve produced elite talent year after year, sending countless players to the NFL and winning titles under the leadership of coaches like Urban Meyer and Ryan Day. Yet even with all their success, there’s a feeling—perhaps subtle, but present—that the team is in the middle of a transition. Key positions are in flux, the quarterback situation has raised eyebrows, and the Buckeyes’ recent struggles in major games have led some to question whether their trajectory is as solid as it once seemed.

This is where Mack Brown’s perspective becomes especially interesting. In his view, Texas has the advantage not simply because of personnel or coaching, but because of the psychology and the timing. The Longhorns are playing with house money, so to speak. They’ve been counted out before. They’ve been in the wilderness, and they’ve had to claw their way back. That kind of hunger creates a different kind of team. It forges players and coaches who approach the game with urgency and intensity—traits that Brown believes are especially crucial in early-season matchups or marquee non-conference showdowns like this one.

Brown also highlighted the significance of confidence—both internally and externally. Texas has spent years being told they weren’t “back,” that the glory days were behind them, and that they were a shadow of their former selves. But with the direction the program is now heading, and especially with the results they’ve been delivering, there’s a collective belief forming in Austin. The fans feel it. The players feel it. The coaches certainly feel it. And Brown believes that kind of momentum isn’t just emotional fluff—it’s something that translates directly onto the field.

Contrast that with Ohio State, a team that is used to being the favorite and carrying the weight of expectation. When you’re expected to win every game, especially against a perceived “up-and-coming” program, the pressure can be immense. Any slip-up gets magnified. Any sign of weakness is seized upon. Brown knows all about that pressure, having led Texas through years where anything less than a national title felt like a failure. He recognizes the emotional toll it can take on a team, particularly when they’re dealing with uncertainty at key positions or facing an opponent with something to prove.

The Buckeyes certainly have weapons. No one disputes that. They’re deep at nearly every position, their coaching staff is sharp, and their strength and conditioning program is among the best in the nation. But as Brown implied, none of that matters if the foundational elements aren’t firmly in place. Football is as much about mentality as it is about physicality, and in his estimation, Texas has the edge where it counts most right now. That doesn’t guarantee a win, of course—nothing in sports is guaranteed—but it does suggest that the Longhorns are better positioned to seize the moment.

There’s also the matter of preparation. Brown pointed out that the way teams prepare for these kinds of games can vary wildly. Some programs treat early-season matchups as tune-ups, a chance to work out the kinks before conference play begins. Others treat them like playoff games, using them as a benchmark for where they stand on the national stage. From what he’s seen and heard, Brown believes Texas is in the latter category. They’ve circled this game on the calendar. They’ve studied the film. They’ve built their offseason around making a statement, and Brown believes that level of focus can’t be underestimated.

Ohio State, by contrast, might find themselves in a more complicated position. Their schedule demands attention elsewhere. Their internal storylines—who will start under center, how the defense will hold up, whether the offensive line can gel—have pulled focus away from a singular game-plan mindset. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it can mean the difference between coming out of the tunnel ready to dominate and coming out still trying to find your rhythm.

Brown also understands what it means to play in a high-pressure environment, and he knows that Texas, when it’s playing at its best, can turn any stadium into a cauldron. The fans are passionate. The band plays loud. The energy on the sidelines is palpable. All of these elements contribute to what Brown calls “football gravity”—the invisible force that seems to pull things in favor of one team when everything is aligned just right. And right now, he thinks that gravity is leaning Texas’ way.

It’s not about disrespecting Ohio State. Brown made it clear that he has enormous respect for what the Buckeyes have accomplished and the consistency they’ve shown. He knows how hard it is to build and maintain a program at that level. But respect doesn’t equal fear. And in this case, he sees Texas as a team on the rise, not content to play the underdog role anymore, but ready to assert itself again on the national stage. That, in Brown’s eyes, is a dangerous combination for any opponent.

So when he said, “I thought what a great advantage,” he wasn’t speaking casually. He was identifying something deeper—something that goes beyond schemes or rosters. He was identifying a shift in mindset, a shift in momentum, and perhaps even a shift in the balance of power. Whether that shift will be realized on game day remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Mack Brown sees a Texas team that’s not just hoping to win, but expecting to. And for Ohio State, that could mean the difference between playing from ahead and, as Brown put it, already being behind the sticks.