AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Ahead of a high-stakes matchup between the #4 Texas Longhorns and the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes, sports writer and owner of OrangeBloods.com Geoff Ketchum joined Talk 1370 to discuss the broader implications of the game for the Longhorns’ season and national championship aspirations.
The game of the year has sports analysts questioning whether Texas is ready to break into the elite tier of college football and Ketchum addressed the mounting pressure surrounding Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and his program ahead of the game in Austin. With expectations set high for the Longhorns, Ketchum noted that the program faces a critical test.
"I am going to wait until they win one of these games before I give them the benefit of the doubt at this point," Ketchum said. "I don't feel like that's misplaced caution. It's a big moment for Texas football."
Ketchum highlighted that the outcome of the game will significantly shape the perception of the team's season, noting that a loss early in the schedule could severely limit their margin for error moving forward.
"If this team loses this game, that's failure," Ketchum said. "This program can't afford, I think, to take an L this early in September, any more than last year it proved that they could really afford to take an L."
Discussing what it will take for Texas to secure a victory against a tough opponent, Ketchum pointed to individual performance from key playmakers, comparing dynamic talent like Texas receiver Cam Coleman and Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. He emphasized that the Longhorns need their top players to step up in high-magnitude moments.
"In this game, this is about big-time players making big-time plays," Ketchum said. "At some point Texas, in order to win one of these types of games, has to have some guys that we show up next week to talk about what the aftermath of this game was and it's like, 'Oh man, Cam Coleman looked like a first-round draft pick.'"
Ketchum added that Texas needs a majority of its star players, including the quarterback, to outperform their opponents if they hope to change the narrative surrounding the program's big-game capabilities.
