The price tag says plenty about what Ohio State and Texas are bringing to Austin in Week 2. As of Monday morning, the cheapest way in to see the Buckeyes and Longhorns square off was $522 for a single ticket, a number that matches the buzz around a Saturday night matchup loaded with playoff-level expectations.
This is the kind of early-season game that feels bigger than September. Ohio State is heading into another season with a roster built to chase a title, and the Buckeyes will try to back up last year’s lopsided win over Texas. That meeting in Columbus left the Longhorns scrambling from the start, and now Texas gets its chance to answer on its own field.
For the Longhorns, the setting matters almost as much as the opponent. They’ll have home-field advantage in Austin and a chance to make a statement against one of the sport’s top teams. Arch Manning only adds to the spotlight as he prepares to guide Texas into one of the most important games on its schedule.
The quarterback matchup gives this one extra juice, but it’s not the only reason the game has drawn so much attention. Both teams also feature elite receiver talent. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith is already a massive favorite, while Texas’ prized transfer portal acquisition Cam Coleman should put himself in te conversation this year.
With both teams ranked in the top five, Saturday night looks like much more than a routine Week 2 test. It has the feel of a College Football Playoff preview, and maybe even a glimpse of a possible rematch when the postseason arrives.
In Other News...
Texas Fixed One Problem But Sarkisian Still Saw Costly Mistakes
Steve Sarkisian spent the offseason trying to clean up one of Texas most frustrating habits, and the first glimpse of progress came in the opener against Texas State. The Longhorns were flagged four times for 35 yards, a noticeable step forward from last years penalty problems and a sign that the emphasis on discipline was not empty talk. Three of the flags came on offense and one on defense, which at least suggested a team that was more manageable than the one that spent too many Saturdays in self-inflicted trouble.
Still, the improved total did not mean the performance was spotless, and Sarkisian had reason to see the remaining mistakes as more than minor blemishes. Some of the penalties mattered more than others, and that is where Texas will be judged as the schedule stiffens. The Longhorns can point to a cleaner opener, but the bigger question is whether the new standard holds up when the moments get tighter and the margin for error gets thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Gets A Massive Early Chance To Prove Itself Against Ohio State
The first full week of the college football season barely moved the top of the rankings, with only No. 24 Louisville taking a loss, but Texas still came away with a bump after a decisive win over Texas State. The Longhorns now sit higher in the AP Poll and are staring at one of the biggest measuring-stick games on the schedule, a home date with No. 1 Ohio State that will say plenty about where this team really stands.
It is the kind of early showcase that can shape a season long before conference play takes over, especially with the rest of Texass 2026 opponents also beginning to show their own early-season form. The updated AP and Coaches Polls offer one snapshot of where the Longhorns belong right now, but the Ohio State game is the one that will matter most when it comes to credibility, momentum, and the national conversation around Texas. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Faces One Huge Chance Against Ohio State In Austin
Texas got a clean opening act in Week 1, showing enough on both sides of the ball in a win over Texas State to leave the bigger questions for a far tougher stage. Ohio State handled Ball State in its opener, and now the matchup that has been circled since the schedule came out arrives in Austin, where Texas has a real chance to measure itself against one of the sports standard-bearers in front of its own crowd.
Matthew McConaughey already put a spotlight on the setting by calling it a chance for the Buckeyes to come to Texass house next, and that kind of build-up only adds to the weight of the game. The Longhorns know the details will matter, from how they handle key matchups to whether their offense and defense can carry over the promise from Week 1, because this one is less about surviving an early test and more about seeing what Texas looks like when the stakes rise on its own field. [Read more 🡒]