Saturday night in Austin gives college football its first real Heisman proving ground of the season, and the Ohio State-Texas matchup puts three names right in the middle of it: Jeremiah Smith, Arch Manning and Julian Sayin.
Both schools are chasing trophy droughts that have stretched for years. Ohio State’s last Heisman winner was Troy Smith in 2006.
Texas last had one with Ricky Williams in 1998. If either program is going to change that in 2026, the road starts now.
And for all three players, this game matters. Just not in the same way.
Jeremiah Smith is the one who needs the biggest splash. The Ohio State receiver entered the season as a Heisman long shot, even with the best odds of any non-quarterback and a reputation as the sport’s best player over the last two years.
That’s the catch for a wideout: he can’t just be great. He has to be unforgettable.
Smith already gave a hint of how he’s approaching it. After an eight-catch, 151-yard, two-touchdown outing against Ball State, he hit the Heisman pose.
That wasn’t random. It was a signal.
He also hasn’t done much against Texas so far. In two previous chances to face the Longhorns, he has totaled only 46 yards on seven catches. Saturday is the kind of stage he needs to own, because every major moment matters more for him than it does for the quarterbacks in the game.
Arch Manning has a different burden. He’s not just trying to beat Ohio State. He’s trying to close the gap between the actual quarterback and the version of him that has lived in the public imagination for years.
That gap has been there ever since Manning became Texas’ starter. The hype has always moved faster than the production.
The idea was supposed to be a Heisman winner in 2025 and then the No. 1 pick in the draft. Instead, last year’s trip to Columbus brought a modest line - 17 of 30 for 170 yards and a touchdown - and the rest of the season never fully caught up to the expectations around him.
He needs Saturday because the noise around him has to become something concrete. He needs his play to match the billing, or else people will keep wondering how much of the Manning conversation has been about the name and not the player.
Texas, too, needs him to deliver. Steve Sarkisian is still trying to push the Longhorns from good to great, and the program has spent enough time knocking on the door without breaking through when the spotlight gets brightest.
This season feels like a turning point. Good isn’t enough anymore.
Julian Sayin may be in the best overall position, but he still has something to prove. He reached New York as a finalist last year, yet his national reputation hasn’t always matched that status. Ohio State’s losses to Indiana and Miami shifted the conversation, making it easier for people to wonder whether his success came from the system around him more than the quarterback himself.
That perception has to change. The Buckeyes can’t rely on the same formula they used last year, when an elite defense and a manageable schedule let the offense stay in the background. Not anymore.
Sayin has to go win games now. That means looking like the best quarterback on the field in moments that matter, and Sept. 12 is one of those moments. He was solid against Texas in last year’s opener - 13 of 20 for 126 yards and a touchdown - but solid won’t be enough if he wants to turn Heisman finalist into Heisman favorite.
For Sayin, this game is a chance to set a new tone. For Smith, it’s a chance to force his name into the conversation in a way nobody can ignore. For Manning, it’s a chance to make the player catch up to the idea.
In Other News...
Ohio State Gets Its First Real Title Test At Texas
Ohio State handled its opener the way a top contender should, rolling past Ball State 56-3 to get the 2026 season started on the right foot. Texas was just as efficient in its first game, beating Texas State 59-7, and now the Buckeyes are headed into a far more revealing Week 2 matchup in Austin.
With both teams sitting in the AP top four, Saturday at Texas Memorial Stadium already feels like an early measuring stick for the national race. It will also be the third straight season these programs have met, with Ryan Day and Steve Sarkisian again overseeing a matchup that should say plenty about where Ohio State really stands this fall. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Right Side Suddenly Faces Pressure Entering Texas
Ohio States offensive line left plenty to be sorted out after a shaky showing against Ball State, and the scrutiny has landed hardest on the right side as the Buckeyes turn toward Texas. The run game never fully settled in, the pass protection had its uneasy moments, and the questions now go beyond one rough afternoon to whether the current starting five is the best answer once the competition stiffens.
Phillip Daniels has been part of the conversation at right tackle, where every snap now carries extra weight with a bigger stage ahead. Coaches and analysts are also watching the depth behind the starters, especially after Joshua Padillas role was limited to center against Ball State, leaving the Buckeyes with less clarity than they would like as they head into a matchup that should say a lot about how ready the line really is. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Heads To Texas With Another Statement Chance
Hero Kanu has a rare perspective on the Ohio State-Texas matchup, having worn both jerseys and seen the pressure on both sides of a game that has quickly taken on real national weight. As the Buckeyes head to Texas, the meeting comes with plenty of recent baggage, even before anyone starts talking about rankings or October momentum.
The teams have already crossed paths in a pair of high-stakes games, and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has framed the rivalry-less rivalry as the kind of test that demands full attention without letting the season get hijacked by the moment. For Ohio State, it is another statement chance on a stage that has already produced some memorable finishes, with Kanus background adding one more layer to a matchup that still feels like it has unfinished business. [Read more 🡒]