Ohio State is heading into its showdown with Texas in better shape than the Longhorns, and that could matter right away in a game already packed with star power.
The Buckeyes will be fully healthy for the first time this season, a welcome development after Week 1 forced them to sort through new roles against Ball State. That opener gave Ohio State a first look at several fresh faces, including freshman Legend Bey, while also leaving one newcomer on the shelf. Qua Russaw, the transfer from Alabama, did not play in the first game, but he is expected back for Week 2.
Texas, meanwhile, may be down one of its more intriguing offensive pieces. According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, freshman running back Derrek Cooper is listed as a game-time decision after suffering an ankle injury in the season-opener against Texas State. Cooper carried the ball twice for six yards in that game, and his status now hangs over one of the biggest matchups on the schedule.
The Longhorns brought Cooper in as a four-star recruit in the 2026 recruiting class, and they were planning on giving him a meaningful role this season. Texas values his power and wants to get him the ball in space where he can build speed downhill. In that way, he offers a different kind of threat than Bey.
If Cooper can’t go, Texas loses an option it was counting on as part of its ground attack. That would put even more pressure on Arch Manning and the rest of the offense to keep pace, especially with Ohio State expected to have its defensive side intact.
The Buckeyes should have an easier time being fresh this early in the year. Ball State didn’t exactly push them to the edge, and that allowed Ohio State to rotate players throughout the game on both sides of the ball. Texas has its own injury concerns beyond Cooper, too, since offensive lineman Trevor Goosby is not 100 percent.
A win in Austin at night would send a loud message. It would tell the rest of college football that Ohio State belongs at the top, while also giving the Buckeyes some cushion later in a brutal schedule.
Ohio State is set to face five top 25 teams this season. It was six before TTUN’s gifted win knocked them out of the polls entirely. This matchup is either the hardest or second-hardest game on the Buckeyes’ slate, with the Indiana game being the only other one that can really compare.
Both teams will be trying to leave this one without adding to the injury list. It’s still early, and neither side can afford to lose a key player now. Ohio State has handled injury setbacks well over the past couple of years, but it would rather not have to test that again this season.
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Ohio State Faces One Preseason Basketball Concern Fans Can't Ignore
Ohio States offseason has brought an interesting addition in Jared Sullinger, who is back around the program as Director of Player Development and now can help in practices under a recent NCAA rule change. It is the kind of move that gives the Buckeyes another familiar voice in the gym, and it also serves as a reminder that the staff is still sorting through the details of how this group will come together before the season gets rolling.
Even with the extra help, there is still a question hanging over the roster that fans are not likely to ignore, especially around the center spot where depth looks like the most obvious concern. On the brighter side, there is also growing belief that Justin Pippen could be good enough to earn All-Big Ten recognition, which would give Ohio State a much-needed high-end presence if the rest of the frontcourt picture settles the way the Buckeyes hope. [Read more 🡒]
Urban Meyer Sees Ohio State Texas Coming Down To One Big Play
Urban State Ohio and Texas are set up for one of the marquee games of Week 2, and former Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer sees it as the kind of matchup that can be decided by a single snap, a single drive or a single mistake. Both teams rolled in their openers, and the quarterback spotlight is already bright on Julian Sayin and Arch Manning as the game heads to Austin, where Texas has long made life difficult for visitors.
Meyer framed it as a true toss-up, which fits the way this one feels going in, even if the Buckeyes still get the nod in his eyes. With ABC carrying the game and a charged road atmosphere waiting at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Ohio State is staring at a test that should tell a lot about how real its early-season momentum is. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State's Playoff Path Suddenly Looks Better Than Fans Expected
Ohio State left no doubt in its latest outing, rolling past Ball State and looking every bit like a team that can control its own place in the national conversation. With the Buckeyes doing what they were supposed to do and a few other contenders showing some early-season wobble, the playoff picture has already started to tilt in a way that feels a little friendlier in Columbus than it did a week ago.
There is still plenty of September left, though, and the road ahead is crowded with games that could reshape the bracket-watch entirely. Matchups like Missouri against Kansas, Oregon against Oklahoma State, Oklahoma against Michigan, Alabama against Kentucky and Arizona against BYU all carry some weight in the broader race, especially with coaching changes and preseason expectations hanging over several programs as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]