The spotlight in Austin is hard to miss this Saturday. No.
5 Texas hosts No. 1 Ohio State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in what is being billed as one of the biggest games of the 2026 college football season.
It’s a rematch with plenty hanging over it. Ohio State beat Texas 14-7 in Columbus last season, and now the Longhorns get their shot at payback in front of their own crowd. Texas is 1-0 after rolling past Texas State 59-7, while Ohio State opened with a 56-3 win over Ball State.
The matchup brings some of the sport’s most recognizable names to center stage. Texas has Arch Manning and Cam Coleman. Ohio State counters with Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith.
On ESPN’s “First Take,” Paul Finebaum said he’s leaning toward Texas in this one.
"I feel good about Texas, and some of it is a double revenge game, and I don't think Texas can afford to lose it," Finebaum said on ESPN's 'First Take.' "Remember, they lost the last game of the previous season. They opened last season and lost to Ohio State.
That history gives Saturday a sharper edge for Manning, who is still carrying the memory of last season’s start as the full-time starter. In that game, he finished 17-of-30 for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Now he gets the same opponent, with a chance to flip the script in one of the biggest games of his career. A Texas win would do more than move the Longhorns to 2-0. It would hand them a top-five victory, erase last season’s loss to Ohio State and give their championship case an early boost.
Ohio State has plenty on the line, too. The Buckeyes are trying to protect the No. 1 spot and reinforce the idea that they’re still the team everyone is chasing.
That’s what makes this one so compelling. Finebaum may be backing Texas, but the Longhorns still have to go out and prove it. If Manning and company can get past Ohio State, they won’t just settle a score from last season - they’ll plant themselves right in the middle of the national title conversation.
Texas and Ohio State kick off Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
In Other News...
Arch Manning Showed Texas Fans Something Bigger Than His Viral Fall
Before Texas even got to the opening kickoff, Arch Manning had already given Longhorns fans a moment they were not expecting when he was knocked down by a bystander in the tunnel before the first game of the season. The scene spread quickly online and became one of those viral pregame clips that seemed destined to overshadow everything else, but Manning handled the moment with humor in his media availability and then turned the focus back where Texas wanted it.
Once the ball was in his hands, Manning showed the bigger takeaway for Texas was never the stumble itself. He settled in and delivered a strong performance, completing 20 of 27 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns, a response that mattered far more than the replay circulating on social media. For a fan base watching closely, it was a reminder that the noise around Manning can be loud, but his play on the field can still speak the loudest. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Gives Texas An Edge Money Usually Complicates
Arch Mannings name carries its own kind of gravity, and at Texas that now extends well beyond the huddle. Reported to have a $2.5 million contract for the current college football season, the Longhorns quarterback is still operating in a space where multiple NIL endorsement deals can add to his profile without turning him into the most expensive player in the sport.
For a program like Texas, that matters because money can so often become a source of noise, especially when revenue sharing and roster expectations are part of the conversation. Instead, Mannings setup may give the Longhorns a cleaner kind of edge as they get ready for No. 1 Ohio State, with the focus staying on the field rather than on the usual complications that can follow a high-priced quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Must Answer One Costly Question In Ohio State Rematch
Last seasons matchup with Ohio State offered Texas a reminder that good stretches of offense do not always add up to enough. The Longhorns moved the ball at times but left with a blank in the most important part of the field, and head coach Steve Sarkisian has pointed to that issue as one of the biggest lessons carried forward into this years rematch.
There is more confidence around the offense now, with Cam Coleman added at receiver and Arch Manning showing more pocket presence and decisiveness. Even so, the challenge remains the same for Texas in a game of this size: turn opportunities near the goal line into points, because against Ohio State the margin for error figures to be razor thin again. [Read more 🡒]