There’s no shortage of land mines on Texas’ 2026 schedule, and that’s exactly why Steve Sarkisian has been so vocal about it. The Longhorns are dealing with the SEC’s nine-game slate and a non-conference date with Ohio State, so this fall is loaded with games that can turn sideways fast.
If you’re ranking the toughest matchups by actual difficulty instead of simply leaning on poll position, the Red River Rivalry has to be near the top. Oklahoma isn’t just Oklahoma, either.
John Mateer is back after the hand injury that had him operating from behind in last year’s 23-6 Texas win at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, and the Sooners bring back plenty of the defensive core that helped them finish No. 6 in total defense last season. They also made the CFP last December, which only adds to the sense that this is a more dangerous Oklahoma team.
Texas doesn’t get bumped down the list here because the game comes after the bye week. In fact, the Longhorns should be rested and locked in for their most consistent rival.
The first road test of the year could be sneakier than it looks. Texas heads to Tennessee in Week 4 for its SEC opener on Rocky Top, and if Josh Heupel settles the quarterback situation, the Volunteers could be good enough to ambush somebody.
The bye week comes right after that, with the Red River Rivalry waiting on the other side, which makes this the kind of spot where a trap game can hide in plain sight. If Texas is going to get caught by a surprise loss somewhere along the way, Tennessee has the feel of that game.
Ohio State is the matchup everyone already has circled, especially after the Buckeyes beat Texas 14-7 in a defensive battle last year in the “Shoe.” But this one gives the Longhorns a better setup than the last meeting.
Ohio State will be breaking in a revamped defense without generational safety Caleb Downs, freak EDGE Arvell Reese, and Sonny Styles in the middle at linebacker, and this time the Buckeyes have to do it in a hostile environment. Matt Patricia is still running the defense, and he could absolutely get another rebuild right.
Still, with Arthur Smith making his road play-calling debut against what should be an elite Texas defense, this matchup looks a little more manageable on paper than the usual buzz suggests.
Texas A&M is another one that can swing wildly depending on how the season is going. The Longhorns have won two straight Lone Star Showdowns, and that could make it harder to get fully dialed in this November if bigger prizes are sitting ahead on the schedule.
If Texas is in the mix for the SEC Championship Game and the CFP, this trip to Kyle Field could feel like a distraction. But the reverse is just as possible: the Aggies could be the team treating it like a season-saver.
Mike Elko said at the 2026 SEC Football Media Days that Texas A&M has had to internalize its lack of success, and that adds another layer to a game whose stakes could be very different from what they look like now.
Then there’s LSU, which might be the most intimidating of them all. If the Tigers’ pricey transfer portal class hits, Death Valley becomes a brutal place to survive.
And if LSU and Texas are both top-10 teams by November 14, this one could land in the night slot, which would only crank up the pressure. Tiger Stadium at night is a different animal.
Texas already learned plenty about playing under the lights in 2025, when its biggest loss, a 35-10 defeat to UGA, and a narrow 16-13 win over Kentucky both came after dark. LSU could be the toughest opponent on the schedule, and in the right circumstances this could be one of the most hostile road environments any SEC team sees in years.
Manning played high school football in NOLA, but he passed on the Tigers for Texas, and that only adds to the weight of what could be the most pressure-packed game of his season.
In Other News...
Texas Landed A Transfer Whose NIL Value Is Turning Heads Nationwide
Texas has become part of a national NIL arms race that keeps widening, and one of its newest additions is right in the middle of it. David Punch, a Texas native who transferred in after two seasons at TCU and was ranked the eighth-best available transfer by 247Sports, is projected to be one of the biggest college basketball earners in the country as the Longhorns continue building around high-end talent.
The broader picture is even more striking for Texas, because Punch is not the only player on the roster drawing that kind of attention. Spears, a former top prospect, is also being mentioned as a potential major NIL earner before he becomes NBA draft eligible, which only adds to the sense that Texas is operating in a different financial lane than most programs. The numbers attached to both players are eye-opening, and they raise the obvious question of just how far this roster can go if the on-court production matches the off-court investment. [Read more 🡒]
Texas And Baylor Are Bringing Back A Rivalry With New Stakes
Texas basketball is heading back to San Antonio for a matchup that carries more history than your average nonconference date. Texas Athletics announced the Longhorns will face Baylor on Sunday, Nov. 15, at the San Antonio Hoops Showdown inside the Frost Bank Center, giving the program a chance to play in the city for the first time since the 2003 NCAA Tournament.
The opponent only adds to the weight of it. Baylor has been Texas most frequent foe in program history, and the schools spent generations together as conference rivals before Texas moved on to the SEC after the 2024-25 season. Even with the conference landscape changing, this one keeps a familiar edge, and it comes with a setting that should feel a little different for both sides. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Fans Wont Believe Sarkisian Is Already In This Conversation
Steve Sarkisians name is already getting pulled into a bigger conversation than most Texas fans would expect this early, and it starts with the kind of outside speculation that tends to follow any high-profile program after a rough stretch. Michael Bratton raised the idea of what a failed season could mean for Texas, using James Franklins firing at Penn State as a reminder of how quickly expectations can shift when a team falls short of the standard.
Chris Del Contes track record suggests Texas has not been quick to panic with its coaching hires, which makes the chatter feel more theoretical than immediate. Even so, the fact that Sarkisian is being mentioned at all says plenty about the pressure that comes with the job, even if the current read is that he is not being pushed into a must-win corner this season. [Read more 🡒]