“Stunning Start: Texas Longhorns Claim No. 1 Spot in Preseason Coaches Poll, Prepare for Epic Showdown with No. 2 Ohio State”
The 2025 college football season hasn’t officially kicked off yet, but the shockwaves are already rippling across the nation. In a stunning and historic development, the Texas Longhorns have been voted No. 1 in the USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll, signaling a seismic shift in college football’s power structure and setting the stage for one of the most anticipated seasons in recent memory. With the Longhorns perched atop the rankings and the Ohio State Buckeyes hot on their heels at No. 2, the early storyline couldn’t be more compelling—two storied programs seemingly on a collision course for gridiron supremacy.
Texas, long considered one of the bluebloods of college football, has endured a rollercoaster of highs and lows over the past decade. From struggling to remain nationally relevant to slowly rebuilding a championship-caliber team, the Longhorns’ resurgence has been nothing short of dramatic. The 2025 preseason poll serves as a crowning validation of years of recruiting excellence, smart coaching hires, infrastructural investment, and, perhaps most importantly, an unwavering belief in the program’s long-term vision.
Steve Sarkisian, entering his fifth season as head coach, is being heralded as the architect of this renaissance. When Sarkisian arrived in Austin, the expectations were sky-high, but so too were the challenges. What he inherited was a team rich in history but lacking in consistency and identity. Slowly but surely, Sarkisian began laying the foundation for something special. He focused on recruiting not just talent, but the right kind of leadership. He built a system that emphasized speed, physicality, and football IQ. Now, with the 2025 season on the horizon, it appears all of that work is bearing fruit in spectacular fashion.
At the heart of Texas’s rise is quarterback Quinn Ewers, the golden-armed signal-caller who has finally blossomed into the player everyone projected him to be. After transferring back home to Texas and navigating early inconsistency, Ewers has grown into a poised, confident, and dangerous leader on the field. His connection with returning wideouts Isaiah Bond and Johntay Cook II, both explosive playmakers with elite separation skills, gives Texas arguably the most lethal aerial attack in the country. Add in a bruising offensive line and a two-headed monster in the backfield led by Cedric Baxter Jr. and Jaydon Blue, and it’s clear this is not just a No. 1 ranking on paper—this is a team built to win now.
Defensively, the Longhorns are equally formidable. Anchored by a disruptive front seven and a secondary flush with experience and talent, Texas has the makings of a championship defense. The return of linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., a preseason All-American candidate, gives the unit a heartbeat. Combined with the emergence of safety Derek Williams Jr. and cornerback Malik Muhammad, this defense has speed, intelligence, and the ability to create turnovers at critical moments.
While the Longhorns are basking in the spotlight of their No. 1 ranking, the shadow of the Ohio State Buckeyes looms large. Ranked No. 2, Ohio State is no stranger to the pressure and scrutiny that comes with championship expectations. Under head coach Ryan Day, the Buckeyes have built a perennial powerhouse with a roster stacked at every level. Their quarterback battle between Devin Brown and Julian Sayin has been the talk of Columbus, and whoever wins the job will have a wealth of weapons at their disposal—including All-American wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and a deep stable of running backs.
Defensively, Ohio State may boast the most complete unit in the country. With Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau returning to anchor the defensive line, and Sonny Styles and Denzel Burke patrolling the back end, the Buckeyes are expected to field a top-5 defense capable of stifling even the most dynamic offenses. The potential showdown between Ewers’ Texas offense and Ohio State’s stout defense is already generating buzz among fans and analysts alike, with many circling a potential College Football Playoff matchup between the two programs as the game of the year—if not the decade.
Of course, the road to that dream collision is anything but smooth. Both Texas and Ohio State face daunting schedules filled with potential pitfalls. The Longhorns will face a tough SEC slate in their inaugural year in the conference, including battles with Georgia, LSU, and Texas A\&M. Every week will be a war, with little margin for error. Similarly, Ohio State must navigate the rugged terrain of the Big Ten, including matchups against Michigan, Penn State, and an up-and-coming Oregon squad.
But what sets both programs apart from the rest is their depth. Unlike in years past, when one injury could derail a season, these teams are now built with layers of talent—NFL-caliber backups ready to step in and perform. This level of roster construction is a credit to the coaching staffs and recruiting departments, who have made it clear they are building for more than just one good year—they are constructing dynasties.
The reverberations of Texas’s top ranking are being felt across the college football landscape. For rivals like Alabama and Georgia, who have dominated the polls in recent years, the Longhorns’ ascension represents both a challenge and a changing of the guard. For the Big Ten, Ohio State’s presence at No. 2 is a reminder that their time at the top isn’t over just yet. And for fans, this kind of shakeup is exactly what makes college football so thrilling—new faces, new rivalries, and the tantalizing unknown of what’s to come.
For Sarkisian and the Longhorns, the message is clear: the target is now on their back. No longer the hunter, Texas is now the hunted. Every opponent on the schedule will be looking to knock off the top dog, to make a statement, to prove the voters wrong. The challenge now becomes sustaining that level of excellence and consistency, week in and week out.
But if there’s one thing this Texas team has shown, it’s that they are up to the task. Gone are the days of fading under pressure or coming up short in big moments. This is a battle-tested, veteran squad that knows what’s at stake and has the tools to reach the summit. With the eyes of the nation fixed squarely on Austin, the Longhorns have embraced the moment, and they appear poised to turn preseason hype into postseason glory.
Meanwhile, in Columbus, the Buckeyes are taking a more quiet approach to their lofty ranking. There’s no panic, no envy—just a confident belief that when the dust settles, they will be standing tall. Ryan Day has instilled a businesslike mentality within his program, and his players have bought in completely. The goal isn’t just to beat Michigan or win the Big Ten—it’s to win it all. And to do that, they may have to go through the team currently sitting at the top of the mountain.
If college football fans are lucky, the 2025 season will deliver that epic Texas-Ohio State clash everyone is already imagining. Two powerhouse programs. Two elite rosters. Two coaching staffs with everything to prove. And one national title on the line.
Until then, every game, every snap, every Saturday will carry extra weight. The No. 1 ranking isn’t just a number next to a name—it’s a symbol of what Texas has become and a challenge to everyone else to try and take it from them. It’s a new era in college football, and it begins with burnt orange on top.
