No. 4 Texas gets its first real measuring stick of the season when No. 1 Ohio State comes to Austin for a primetime rematch that already carries plenty of baggage.
The Longhorns opened the 2026 campaign by taking care of Texas State, and Arch Manning had Texas looking sharp in its season debut. Now the focus shifts quickly to a Buckeyes team that has beaten Texas in each of the last two seasons. This time, the stage changes: the game is in Austin, and the matchup has a little more juice for both sides.
Texas enters the week with a few personnel questions, though the program does not release injury reports unless it is facing a conference opponent. Still, one absence appears likely.
Running back Derrek Cooper suffered an ankle injury against Texas State and, according to Sarkisian, will be in a boot for the "foreseeable future." Safety Yaheim Riley also did not dress for the opener.
Ohio State arrives after a comfortable week one showing of its own, rolling past Ball State 56-3. The Buckeyes looked settled on defense, but the offense’s line play is already under the microscope. Replacing departures up front will be one of the key issues in this game, especially after some struggles in the opener.
Even by Ohio State’s standards, this is a roster in transition. The Buckeyes are in a reloading year and return less than 40 percent of last season’s production. There’s no shortage of talent, but the bigger question is how quickly that group can get up to game speed in a road test like this one.
In Other News...
Ohio State Fans Will Want To See Yetis New Buckeyes Gear
Ohio State fans looking to add a little scarlet and gray to their everyday carry now have a new option from Yeti. The company has rolled out a limited-edition 26-ounce Rambler water bottle in Buckeyes branding as part of its Collegiate Fandom Collection, giving supporters a chance to rep the program with a familiar piece of gear built from stainless steel and double-wall vacuum insulation.
The bottle comes with Yetis TripleHaul Handle and Chug Cap, and it is dishwasher safe, with an optional straw cap sold separately. It is one of 12 college football designs in the collection, but the Buckeyes version is not a permanent run, since it will be discontinued once current inventory is gone. [Read more 🡒]
Urban Meyer Sees Ohio State Texas Coming Down To One Big Play
Urban Meyer isnt treating Ohio States trip to Texas like a heavyweight mismatch. The former Buckeyes coach called the Week 2 showdown a coin toss after both teams opened the season in impressive fashion, and he pointed to the quarterbacks as the center of it all, with Julian Sayin and Arch Manning expected to carry much of the spotlight when the game kicks off on ABC.
Austin adds another layer to a matchup that already feels like it could swing on a single mistake or a single burst of execution. Texas has been tough at home, and Meyer made clear that the environment will matter, which only raises the stakes for Ohio State as it heads into one of the biggest early-season games on the calendar with little separating the two teams. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces One Big Jeremiah Smith Question Against Texas
Ohio State has already seen what happens when Jeremiah Smith is held in check against Texas, and it has still found a way to win those matchups anyway. Even so, the Buckeyes are treating the upcoming meeting as a chance to change the script, with Ryan Day and quarterback Julian Sayin both acknowledging how much Smith can tilt a game when he is featured properly. With new coordinators on both sides, there is at least some expectation that the chess match will look different this time around.
For Smith, the challenge is familiar: Texas has made life difficult, and Ohio State has not yet gotten the kind of sustained production from its star receiver that it would prefer in this series. The Buckeyes know they cannot keep leaving that part of the offense to chance, especially with the stakes rising and the defense across from them still built to limit explosive plays. The question now is whether Ohio State can finally get Smith rolling early enough to make Texas pay for focusing elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]