2005 Texas vs. Ohio State football game

First football game between Texas and Ohio State
Texas Longhorns Ohio State Buckeyes
(1–0) (1–0)
Big 12 Big Ten
25 22
Head coach: 
Mack Brown		 Head coach: 
Jim Tressel
APCoaches
22
APCoaches
47
1234 Total
Texas 10339 25
Ohio State 01660 22
DateSeptember 10, 2005
Season2005
StadiumOhio Stadium
LocationColumbus, Ohio
RefereeRandy Christal

The 2005 Texas vs. Ohio State football game, played September 10, 2005, was the first-ever meeting between the University of Texas at Austin and Ohio State University in a college football game. The two teams came into the game ranked No. 2 and No. 4, respectively. It was the second game of the 2005 season for both teams. Schools had become increasingly conservative in scheduling non-conference opponents of a high caliber, so a meeting of two top-five teams in the country was unusual this early in the season.[1] For either team, winning the game would boost their chances of ultimately playing in the BCS National Championship Game while the loser likely faced the end of their national championship hopes.

According to observers such as USA Today, the game between the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes was one of the most-anticipated games of the 2005 season.[2][3][4][5] Due to the high level of anticipation, ESPN chose the game for the location of its weekly College GameDay broadcast.[3] ABC Sports’s pregame crew was also on site for the game.

The 2005 Texas Longhorns football team (variously "Texas" or "UT" or the "Horns") was coached by head football coach Mack Brown and led on the field by quarterback Vince Young. The 2005 Ohio State Buckeyes football team (variously "Ohio State" or "OSU" or the "Bucks") was coached by Jim Tressel. Justin Zwick and Troy Smith shared time as quarterback due to disciplinary measures enforced against Smith. The game was a back-and-forth affair which was ultimately won by Texas, 25–22. The game's attendance was 105,565, which set the then all-time attendance record for Ohio Stadium.[6] The game was televised nationally on ABC and drew 9.9 million viewers.[7]

ESPN and College Football Rivals, were among the observers who named the game one of the best football games of the season.[8][9][10] Texas' win kept them near the front of the national championship picture. They ultimately finished the season unbeaten, snaring the Big 12 Conference and NCAA championships. Ohio State finished the season with ten wins and two losses and ranked No. 4 in the nation.

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