Matthew McConaughey made it clear Ohio State is walking into a loud one.
With the No. 1 Buckeyes headed to Austin to face No.
4 Texas, the longtime Longhorns fan spoke with Scott Van Pelt on ESPN and painted the kind of atmosphere that awaits Saturday night. He didn’t sound like someone expecting a quiet backdrop.
“It will be electric,” McConaughey said. “It will hit into a volume frequency that [will make you] look down and wonder if your heels are still on the ground, even if you wear the heavy boots like I do.”
The matchup brings together two teams that opened the season with wins - Ohio State over Ball State and Texas over Texas State - and gives Texas a shot to answer last season’s Week 1 meeting, when the Buckeyes held serve at home. This time, the setting flips to Austin, which could tilt things toward the Longhorns.
Both programs have playoff aspirations, so this one carries obvious weight. The fan bases have been fired up all week, and McConaughey leaned right into that energy while describing what Saturday night should feel like.
“We're ready. We've been looking forward to this.
It will be 102,000 strong. It will be lit from the turf to the stands to the sky.
It will be a night game, so everyone will be properly lubricated and ready to get it on with the burnt orange in the stands. It'll be the hell of the 12th man that we'll have.
The whole weekend will be great, but Saturday night, that will be the place to be on the planet,” McConaughey continued.
Ohio State will have plenty to deal with beyond the noise. The Buckeyes bring a talented offense led by quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, but they’ll need to keep themselves from making mistakes if they want to quiet a Texas crowd that expects to be a major factor.
In Other News...
Former Buckeyes Are Already Making Ohio State Fans Look Twice
The early weeks of the college football season always bring a little extra curiosity when former Ohio State players turn up in new uniforms, and this latest update has plenty for Buckeyes fans to track. Lincoln Kienholz made his first career start at Louisville, while Hero Kanu has started to settle in at Texas and Malik Hartford has been part of the rotation at UCLA, giving each of them a chance to show what kind of impact they can have away from Columbus.
For Ohio State followers, the appeal is less about nostalgia than about seeing how these transfers are fitting into bigger roles elsewhere. The weekly check-in includes production and Pro Football Focus grades from recent games, a useful snapshot of who is thriving and who is still finding a rhythm as the season moves along. It is the kind of roundup that can make fans do a double take, especially when a familiar name starts showing up as a real contributor in another programs lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State May Have Found The Weapon Jeremiah Smith Needed
Ohio States receiving room kept looking for the right kind of complement to Jeremiah Smith, and Devin McCuin has quickly made a case that he can help fill that role. The three-star recruit from Jacksonville, Texas, spent three seasons at UTSA before transferring to Columbus, bringing a veteran feel to a group that already had plenty of high-end talent. Ryan Day took notice after watching McCuins work against Texas A&M, pointing to the traits that tend to earn trust fast from a quarterback and coaching staff.
McCuin backed that up in his Ohio State debut against Ball State, catching six passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. It was the kind of opening act that suggests there may be more here than just a useful depth addition, especially for a Buckeyes offense still sorting out how its pieces fit together. If McCuin keeps showing the same speed, route running and toughness Day praised, Ohio State may have found exactly the kind of target Jeremiah Smith can lean on. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Freshman Is Pushing For A Bigger Role Faster Than Expected
Khary Wilder wasted no time getting on the field in his Ohio State debut, and not just in one spot. The freshman defensive lineman logged 17 snaps in the opener against Ball State, rotating between defensive end and defensive tackle while showing the kind of versatility that can get a young player noticed early in the season. He was around the action often enough to help create pressure on the quarterback, and he even found a role on kickoff coverage.
For a depth chart that is always being sorted out in September, that kind of early workload matters. Coaches and teammates have already pointed to Wilders energy and upside, and the path forward is straightforward enough: the more he keeps making plays, the more opportunities he is likely to earn. Whether that translates into a steadier role will be worth watching as Ohio State moves deeper into the schedule. [Read more 🡒]