Something changed inside the Ohio State locker room coming out of November's loss to Michigan, a setback that ignited a historic run through the expanded College Football Playoff en route to a national championship.

Texas is facing a tough challenge right out of the gate in the 2025 season, as they’re set to travel to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. This game will be a rematch of the Cotton Bowl, which the Buckeyes won during their College Football Playoff run.

College Football Playoff marked the first year of the 12-team format, with six teams making their postseason tournament debuts. These six teams are eager to prove their success last season was not a fluke and that they can become regular contenders in the years to come.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off a national championship in 2024, but they didn't enter the College Football Playoff as one of the best four teams.

Those seeking parity during college football's 2025 season have come to the right place -- at least glancing at under-the-radar games with the potential of playoff-altering upsets. There's more than a dozen non-conference matchups early this fall that could move the needle nationally depending on the result before league title races commence in October.

I don’t know if Oregon would have beaten Ohio State if their College Football Playoff clash had come in the national championship game instead of in the Rose Bowl. Based on what we saw in Pasadena, I’d say probably not.