Report card: Ohio State's defense wins the day in victory vs. Texas

Following the program's ninth national championship, No. 3 Ohio State entered the 2025 season with one goal in mind for Week 1: to start the season 1-0. Unfortunately, that was made more difficult by playing No. 1 Texas.

While many national talking heads expected Texas to come to Ohio Stadium and spoil the celebrations that continued from last January, that was not the case. The Buckeyes handled business, holding on late after dominating much of the game for a 14-7 win.

Mission accomplished.

The Scarlet and Gray got a marquee win that they can carry throughout the season -- as the Longhorns looked the part of a top-five team despite the loss -- and made a statement that, despite losing 17 key contributors from last year's team, this is still one of the best teams in the country.

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It wasn't a pretty performance, but given how many players Ohio State had to replace, the Buckeyes didn't need to be.

Let's look at how the Scarlet and Gray players and coaches performed in this game in this Week 1 Report Card.

OFFENSE

Grade: C+

It's important to remember that this grade reflects this game and not the potential of this offense. After losing about seven starters from last year's offense, some growing pains were expected, but there are reasons to be hopeful.

Ohio State finished the game with 203 total yards of offense, which is less than the Buckeyes' previous low of 252 yards against Michigan last year.

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