Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is leaning on a blend of old-school study and in-game adaptability as his No. 3 Texas Longhorns prep for a high-stakes trip to Columbus to take on Matt Patricia’s revamped Ohio State defense. The matchup sets up like a chess game: Sarkisian’s offense against a Buckeyes unit that has shifted under a new coordinator who brings decades of NFL experience to the college gridiron.
The prep approach borrows a page from Sarkisian’s past. In 2005, when he was USC’s quarterbacks coach, he faced Hawai’i’s exotic, gap-and-pressure style led by first-year coordinator Jerry Glanville. Glanville’s defense leaned on aggressive man-free looks behind Bear fronts, a scheme Sarkisian said he studied by reviewing Glanville’s Falcons teams and Deion Sanders’ role within them. USC responded with a sharp opening sequence—an early interception returned for a touchdown—then methodically stretched the field and controlled the pace, finishing with a dominant 63-17 victory and 518 total yards.
Today, the Longhorns’ prep is anchored in marrying Patricia’s NFL roots with the Buckeyes’ recent success under last year’s coordinator, Jim Knowles. Sarkisian noted that while Patricia isn’t a familiar college figure, he’s the standout new face in an otherwise steady OSU staff. “It’s a new coordinator, it’s a new play caller, and you’re going to have to execute at a high level and probably make some in-game adjustments as we go,” he said.
Past meetings may offer only limited direct guidance, given the different contexts and eras, but Sarkisian’s broader strategy remains clear: study what Patricia and the Buckeyes do on defense in the NFL and college alike, then blend it with what Knowles emphasized last season. The aim is to create a plan that can evolve on the fly as OSU’s game plan unfolds.
Key elements in the OSU defense to watch include the hybrid look Patricia has favored in both the NFL and college-adjacent concepts, coupled with a stable staff that retained many pieces from a year ago. Expect to see Cover 3 and Cover 5 looks with robber elements, and a versatile role for star safety Caleb Downs, who can square off against multiple formations. On the front, the Buckeyes’ line and versatile linebackers are primed to twist and stunt in ways that test a protection scheme designed to adapt.
For Sarkisian, the challenge is twofold: execute what his offense does best while anticipating how OSU will respond to refreshes in alignment, pressure, and disguise. The job is to stay ahead of the curve, adjust when needed, and keep the offense moving against a defense that blends NFL flavor with college execution.
What to watch for in this matchup:
– How Texas distributes the ball against a mixed cover-and-blitz approach that can morph from play to play.
– How the Longhorns’ quarterback and receiving corps handle pre-snap shifts and post-snap movement as OSU disguises coverage.
– How Caleb Downs and the Buckeyes’ defensive front deploy hybrid tactics to challenge Texas’ protections and run game.
– The pace of in-game adjustments, a area Sarkisian underscored as crucial against a new coordinator who arrives with a wide-ranging playbook.
In the end, this game is a test of whether a 2000s NFL-influenced preparation can translate into a modern college showdown. Sarkisian’s philosophy—prioritize execution, stay adaptable, and draw on a wide spectrum of coaching experiences—offers a hopeful path for Texas as it faces one of the sport’s most storied programs in a top-tier environment.
Summary takeaway: Sarkisian is leveraging a multi-era strategic approach, combining NFL-inspired adjustments with college-level execution to navigate a complex OSU defense, while keeping the Longhorns’ offense flexible and poised to respond to in-game changes. A positive, growth-focused outlook centers on adapting quickly and exploiting opportunities as the game unfolds.