Texas defeats Ohio State in narrow college football nonconference contest

Texas beat Ohio State 24-23 on Saturday, Sept. 12, in a marquee college football nonconference matchup hosted in Austin. The game remained competitive until the final minutes, drawing praise from ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit. Following the result, Herbstreit used the game as a platform to advocate for more high-profile intersectional scheduling between national contenders. He explicitly contrasted the caliber of this matchup against games featuring lower-profile opponents like UTEP or Texas State. Herbstreit argued that programs should continue to prioritize challenging games against elite opponents over easier nonconference contests. His comments reflect an ongoing industry debate regarding strength of schedule and its role in the expanded playoff framework.

• 6:07 AMYahoo Sports — Herbstreit: Why play UTEP when you can get Texas vs. Ohio State?