Saturday’s mammoth matchup between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State is the biggest regular-season college football game in at least a decade.
That’s what my pal Colin Cowherd thinks of the game that will pit Arch Manning against the defending national champions. In the most recent episode of my podcast, “The Joel Klatt Show,” Cowherd and I dished on several college football topics ahead of the new season, such as Bill Belichick’s debut at North Carolina, Lincoln Riley’s status at USC and, of course, the Texas-Ohio State game.
As I’ll be on the call for Saturday’s game (noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app), here’s a snippet of my conversation with Cowherd.
(Parts of this conversation were edited for clarity and brevity).
Joel Klatt: What are the one or two things you’re most interested in for the college football season?
Colin Cowherd: “My primary complaint has been, for years, we don’t have enough great games. Too many people are gaming the system. They’re ducking big games. And this year it’s like, nope, Texas-Ohio State Werek 1. Last year, it was Oregon-Ohio State in Autzen. The system is not as punitive. The storylines will last longer. I think we really saw it last year. I thought Ohio State losing to Michigan, and I know Buckeyes fans will disagree, was great for the sport, because Ohio State, as a 20-point favorite, lost, still got into the playoff and won the natty.
“The other thing, and I think everybody’s looking forward to this, is the Arch Manning story. I can’t wait to watch him play. I just think I get a Manning, but with mobility. I get the brains and the high school-college arc, which all the Mannings had. He’s a pretty special athlete. Very rarely, I guess [Tim] Tebow and Vince Younger had this, the place you’re like, ‘Oh wow, I can’t wait to observe that quarterback play.’ That’s the NFL.”
Klatt: Yeah, let’s sit on that. I’m so fascinated to see how Arch offers with the expectations. He’s by no means been a full-time starter. He’s the Heisman Trophy favourite. His workforce is ranked No. 1 within the preseason. His expectations are mainly perfection.
I am extremely to see how he simply offers with it. From all of the experiences and each interplay that I’ve had with Arch or his coach, Steve Sarkisian, he is extremely even-keeled and might deal with issues like that. However we will discover out in an enormous manner simply this week.
Cowherd: “Of all of the Mannings that I do know – Eli, in all probability the very best of all, Cooper – they’re all self-deprecating. And what does that imply? All of them have a really sturdy sense of self. They don’t seem to be insecure. They’re self-deprecating. They will chuckle at themselves. So meaning, in his life, he is in all probability had individuals poke him within the ribs. It may very well be his granddad, his dad. It is a very humorous household. All of the Mannings share that high quality of humility, they usually can chuckle at themselves. I feel when you may have that as a perform of your persona, that you simply’re not too uptight, you are not too inflexible. I imply, all of the Manning household dinners are an enormous occasion. Texas soccer apply appears like an enormous occasion. So, you say, ‘Oh, it’s the primary recreation towards Ohio State.’ Have you learnt what number of huge video games Arch has gone to that weren’t his?
Arch Manning headlines the third technology of Manning quarterbacks. (Picture by Kaitlyn Morris/Getty Photos for Elevating Cane’s)
“I fear about him being too assured and never sliding, as a result of he is actually athletic. There have been a few instances final 12 months the place I used to be like, ‘Bro, [watch out]! Get down, cease operating into linebackers.’ That is the one factor I fear about. He will be so amped up and so fired up. He is simply not going to slip, and he’ll do an Andrew Luck and provides anyone a shoulder. However I feel arch Manning will simply be prepared for the second.”
Klatt: The athleticism is one thing that I can’t wait to see. We noticed glimpses of it final 12 months. He performs much more like his granddad than his uncles. He jogs my memory lots of Trevor Lawrence when Lawrence was at Clemson, the place his A recreation continues to be going to be from the pocket as a result of he can threaten each blade of grass on the sector together with his arm and that is the place he can showcase his actual means. However he additionally has this further gear the place he can damage you as an athlete, and as each coach that can ever speak to you’ll admit, essentially the most harmful factor {that a} quarterback can do is damage you together with his legs. That is definitely one thing that in school soccer is extremely worthwhile.
To your level about sliding, how a lot will Sark expose him to that within the designed recreation or side of the sport plan, after which how a lot of that will likely be on Arch simply improvising? He will face a protection that I do not know if they’ve an actual good thought what they’ll see. Bear in mind, Matt Patricia is available in because the defensive coordinator for Ohio State. Jim Knowles is now gone. He went to Penn State. So, there’s an opportunity he is seeing issues that they’ve by no means ready for.
Cowherd: “I virtually really feel like I do know what Ohio State’s going to do. Texas has 4 new offensive line starters and Arch Manning hasn’t performed lots. If I am Matt Patricia, I am bringing lots of completely different appears. I am bringing nook blitzes. I will attempt to confuse the younger child. I am not going to make him much less cell. He is obtained a gorgeous arm. The one benefit Ohio State has is he does not have a ton of in-game begins. It is on the highway. He will not hear issues. So, I feel you are going to see a extremely aggressive Ohio State protection, a minimum of early. They’ll come after him, they’ll convey all kinds of pressures. And one other factor, Texas, I do not know if it is a weak spot, however Texas is younger up entrance. You don’t get preseason in school and an important unit on a workforce, by way of cohesion, is the offensive line.
Matt Patricia is coming into his first season as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator. (Picture by Jason Mowry/Getty Photos)
“I feel the best way to beat Arch Manning and Texas [is now] as a result of I don’t suppose you’re going to beat them late. They’re going to get higher and higher. They’re going to be susceptible within the first two to 3 weeks. I feel Ohio State sees that’s they’re coming into our place. It is loud, lot of appears and create confusion, as a result of by Week 5 or 6, Arch Manning’s going to have it dialed in.”
Klatt: He’ll definitely be extra ready and he’ll be significantly better mentally. However within the view of the Texas-Ohio State recreation, how huge of a recreation do you are feeling it’s for the narrative that we maintain speaking about in school soccer in regards to the energy of the Big Ten and SEC?
Cowherd: “I feel it is the largest school soccer regular-season recreation in a decade. I imply, Oregon-Ohio State, we knew was going to be good, however there was not a Manning at quarterback. And Texas, I imply, Oregon’s a really full of life model, nevertheless it’s Texas, Manning and the Buckeyes off a natty. It is a prize struggle. That is gigantic. So I feel it is a outstanding recreation.”
Joel Klatt is FOX Sports activities’ lead school soccer recreation analyst and the host of the podcast “The Joel Klatt Show.” Comply with him at @joelklatt and subscribe to the “Joel Klatt Show” on YouTube.
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