No. 1 Ohio State will look to continue its recent winning ways over No. 4 Texas when the two college football powerhouses meet on Saturday evening in Austin in the marquee matchup of the early season.
The Buckeyes (1-0) solidified their spot atop the AP poll with a 56-3 home win over Ball State Sept. 5, while Texas moved up one spot to fourth in the rankings after a 59-7 dismantling of Texas State, also at home, on that same day.
Ohio State beat the Longhorns 14-7 last season in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes also eliminated Texas 28-14 in a 2024 College Football Playoff semifinal in Arlington, Texas to advance to the national championship game.
All that will mean little in the searing Central Texas heat on Saturday in a game that will come down to a battle of wills between teams loaded with talent and carrying national title aspirations. A loss by either team won’t eliminate it from that chase but a win will carry a lot of clout as each team battles through difficult conference campaigns.
“The biggest common thread in both games was we essentially played behind,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday about the last two meetings with Ohio State. “And that’s an uncomfortable feeling when you feel like you’re having to play catch-up. You have to take a few more risks.”
Arch Manning threw for 305 yards and a career-high-tying four touchdowns in 2 1/2 quarters of action for the Longhorns in their win over Texas State in their opener.
Texas’s running back tandem of Hollywood Smothers (70 yards on 10 carries) and Raleek Brown (34 yards on 11 carries with two TDs) combined for 104 yards on the ground, wide receiver Ryan Wingo caught seven passes for 121 yards with a touchdown, all in the first half, and Cam Coleman hauled in two of Manning’s TD throws as the Longhorns were hitting on all cylinders.
Now Manning is ready for a rematch with the Buckeyes.
“It’s not all the time you get a second chance to play another team after a rough loss,” Manning said Monday. “We’re all excited for the opportunity. I think we’ve all grown mentally and physically.”
In the Buckeyes’ win over Ball State, quarterback Julian Sayin passed for 320 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair to Jeremiah Smith, and ran for a fourth score. Smith finished with eight catches for 151 yards, while Ohio State’s running Jacksons (Bo and Ja’Kobi, not related) each produced 83 yards and a TD on the ground.
Ohio State had three scoring drives of 90 or more yards in the win and limited Ball State to just 165 total yards.
Buckeyes coach Ryan Day echoed Sarkisian’s excitement about Saturday’s clash.
“It will sort of give you some real feedback on where you are, and I think it’s great for college football,” Day said Tuesday. “This is going to be an unbelievable atmosphere down there … everybody in the country will be watching.”
Day said both Sayin and Manning have improved over the past year since they faced off in the 2025 season opener.
“When you think about that game last year between Julian and Arch, that was really their first games, to where they are now?,” Day added. “Two totally different players in my opinion.
“We know that there’ll be a plan to stop Jeremiah (Smith). Identifying that and having contingency plans is important. Julian is going to be a big part of that because he’s got to recognize what’s going on and then respond from there.”
Ohio State is the fourth No. 1 team to play the Longhorns in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium following games against Alabama in 2022, Ohio State in 2006 and SMU in 1950. The Longhorns beat SMU and lost the other two games.
