Ohio State walks into Week 2 with something Texas doesn’t have yet: a track record that makes people lean toward the Buckeyes when the lights get bright.
That doesn’t mean Saturday’s game in Austin is settled by reputation alone. But in a sport where coaching carries real weight, Ryan Day and Steve Sarkisian are not operating on the same level of trust. Day has already delivered two CFP championships for Ohio State since 2014, and that matters when the matchup looks this close on paper.
The gap shows up in the numbers, too. Sarkisian is 5-9 against top-10 teams as Texas’ head coach.
Day is 16-10 in those games. With both programs spending at the top of the sport and both stocked with talent, the edge in big moments can come down to leadership - and right now, Ohio State has the stronger résumé.
That’s the point noted by Fornelli, who sees the coaching success disparity as the difference-maker in Week 2 on the Forty Acres.
"(The Longhorns) are one of the most talented teams in the country, and even if they have lost to Ohio State each of the last two seasons, it's not as if the Buckeyes have blown the doors off them. Plus, this game is in Austin, which certainly plays to Texas' favor. It's just, at this point, in games like this, Ohio State has inspired more trust than Texas has," Fornelli wrote.
At the same time, Ohio State’s road record against top-10 teams gives Texas a real reason to believe. Day is 3-3 in those games away from home, and that’s not nothing heading into a marquee nonconference showdown.
The most recent team to beat Ohio State in that kind of setting was Oregon in 2024. Like Texas now with Arch Manning, the Ducks had a quarterback headed for the NFL in Dillon Gabriel, plus a group of pass-catchers who also ended up getting drafted.
Even so, that one-point loss at Autzen Stadium stands out as the exception. Dan Lanning has lost only twice at Oregon, and the other two Ohio State defeats were tied to the 2,191 days the Buckeyes went without getting past TTUN.
Texas has its own problem to solve in these matchups. Sarkisian is 1-3 at home against top-10 teams, with losses to Georgia last year and to Alabama and TCU in 2022. The lone win came against Texas A&M last November.
Still, this Texas team looks different from the ones that stumbled in those spots. Sarkisian built a 2026 roster that appears better equipped for the kind of game Ohio State is bringing to town.
The offensive line and run game have improved dramatically, which gives Manning and his upgraded receiving corps more room to work. On defense, stronger second and third levels give Texas a better chance to slow Julian Sayin and keep the ball away from Jeremiah Smith, Devin McCuin, and the rest of Ohio State’s loaded receiver room.
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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 Heads To Texas With One Early Concern Looming
Texas opened the season with a win over Texas State and now turns its attention to a Week 2 home game against Ohio State, a matchup that already carries plenty of early-season intrigue. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, are coming off their own opener against Ball State and will be trying to settle in on both sides of the ball after making changes along the offensive line and defense.
One of the first things Ohio State will have to monitor in Austin is Texas health on defense and in the backfield. Running back Derrek Cooper is expected to miss the game after an ankle injury, and safety Yaheim Riley also did not dress in the opener, leaving the Longhorns with some uncertainty to sort through before the Buckeyes arrive. [Read more 🡒]