Urban Meyer questions why Ohio State is playing Texas to open 2025

Coming off of a national championship, Ohio State is set to open next year with a potential top 10 opponent as it will host Texas in Week 1. It’s a matchup that will surely garner plenty of attention, especially after the Buckeyes and Longhorns faced each other in a College Football Playoff semifinal this season.

It is one of three nonconference games for Ohio State with the others coming against Grambling and Ohio. Given the strength of the teams it will face in the Big Ten, that’s quite the challenging slate.

Former Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer questioned current coach Ryan Day on the decision to play Texas during an episode of The Triple Option podcast.

“You’re opening with Texas next year. Why?” Meyer asked. “Other than it’s great for the game, it’s good for the fan, it’s good for the players. But you’re evaluated on one thing, not good. You’re evaluated at the end of the season. So I’m worried that these teams play these just God-awful schedules, horrific schedules, and no one’s talking about that.

“There’s got to be some kind of analytics about to say, ‘This game is worth this,’ so you play it. Boise State and SMU can solve all those problems. They can go and schedule the big dogs and there will be no more conversation about, ‘Are they worthy?’ Same with maybe an Indiana. They all had great years, but go play Tennessee and the (Michigan) Wolverines and whoever. Texas.”

Meyer seemed to imply that perhaps a team that finished with a better record but didn’t play as strong of a schedule as Ohio State could potentially steal a playoff spot from the Buckeyes. Of course, that would only happen if Ohio State were to lose against Texas and also fall in at least two other Big Ten games.

The Buckeyes were the No. 8 seed in the most recent College Football Playoff after losing to Oregon and Michigan in the regular season. They were one of four teams from the Big Ten to make it, the most of any conference.

If the league again remains that strong, the committee may be willing to still put in a three-loss Ohio State team based on its strength of schedule depending on its quality wins. Day brought this up in his brief response to Meyer’s question.

“We play nine conference games in the Big Ten and then when you add Texas, you’re talking about 10 real games on the schedule,” he said. “That matters. One less loss from somebody in the league and the wear and tear of the season as well.”

It’s definitely a new era of college football, and it’s interesting to see the debates that teams now have to deal with. While strength of schedule has always been a key in the CFP era, the expansion from four to 12 teams this past season perhaps puts an even greater emphasis on the impact it can have.