Texas and Ohio State walk into Week 2 carrying the kind of momentum that usually makes for a heavyweight fight, but the Buckeyes arrive with an unfamiliar twist: they are not favored. That’s the first time in 33 games Ohio State has gone into a matchup without the edge from oddsmakers, and it says plenty about how tight this No. 1 vs. No. 4 showdown figures to be at DKR Stadium.
Both teams were ruthless last Saturday, piling up 105 combined points against overmatched opponents. That matters less as a résumé line and more as a reminder that neither side has spent the week nursing bruised confidence. The real separation in this game figures to come down to a handful of pressure points.
One of the biggest is Ohio State’s offensive line. Ryan Day has not been pleased with the group, and Tyler Bowen’s unit is still searching for answers.
Right tackle Phillip Daniels is in a shaky spot as a starter, and the depth behind him has not done much to inspire confidence either. Right guard Gabe VanSickle and center/right guard Joshua Padilla are also playing for their jobs.
Even the expected anchors had a rough opening act: Austin Siereveld, now back at his natural right-guard spot after starting on the blindside last year, and Luke Montgomery both drew PFF grades below 66 in Week 1. If that interior keeps leaking, Texas defensive tackles Hero Kanu and Maraad Watson could turn their strong opener into another disruptive night, both against the run and in the pass rush.
Texas has its own health concern up front, though. Left tackle Trevor Goosby has been dealing with a bone bruise since last month, and his ability to hold up is a major piece of the Longhorns’ plan.
He’ll be tested by Kenyatta Jackson Jr., the Ohio State edge rusher who came into the season expected to lead the way and backed that up in Week 1 while the rest of the Buckeyes’ pass rush lagged behind. If Goosby can stay upright and keep Jackson under control, that’s a big win for Texas.
The matchup on the outside may be just as tense. Ohio State’s secondary is staring at a tough assignment with Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley V in the picture, plus a group of young Texas receivers waiting for their moment in Burnt Orange.
Jermaine Mathews Jr. brings experience, but Devin Sanchez, a sophomore, and freshman nickel Jay Timmons are being thrown right into the fire. Against a receiver room that can hurt defenses in multiple ways with Arch Manning helping steer the attack, there’s not much room for hesitation.
Special teams could also swing things. Ohio State has a versatile piece in Legend Bey, and the early glimpse was dangerous enough: a receiving touchdown and 74 yards of offense against Ball State.
But he also had mistakes in the return game, and Day let him hear about it on the Big Ten Network broadcast. If Bey is at his best, Texas has another problem to solve.
If the miscues show up again, Day may not be the only one losing patience.
Then there’s the linebacker matchup, where Ohio State looks less imposing than it did a year ago. Matt Patricia and James Laurinaitis can coach up the group, but without Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, the Buckeyes may not have the same level of talent in the middle.
That creates an opening for Texas to get creative. Manning can lean on Hollywood Smothers as a pass-catching threat out of the backfield to keep the linebackers honest, and he can also work his slot receivers and tight ends in the hook and curl zones to move the chains and test the confidence of a young Ohio State group.
With both teams already showing they can overwhelm lesser opponents, Week 2 is about whether they can handle a real one. The smallest edges - in the trenches, on the perimeter, and in the return game - are likely to decide it.
In Other News...
Texas Softballs First SEC Path Just Raised The Stakes
Texas softball now has a clearer picture of what its first SEC season will look like, and the grind is immediate. The Longhorns announced a 24-game conference slate that packs in some of the leagues toughest names, with four home series set for Red and Charline McCombs Field against Florida, Alabama, Missouri and Mississippi State.
The road doesnt get any easier, either, with trips to Tennessee, Arkansas, LSU and Auburn shaping the middle and late portions of the schedule. Texas does get a conference bye in late April, but before that break arrives, the Longhorns will spend the spring measuring themselves against the standard that has long defined SEC softball. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Vs Ohio State Could Hinge On One Quiet Battle Around Arch Manning
The Arch Manning conversation tends to swallow everything around a Texas-Ohio State matchup, but this one may be shaped by the players who do not usually get the marquee billing. Texas freshman receiver Jermaine Bishop Jr., Ohio State sophomore defensive back Devin Sanchez, Texas offensive linemen Dylan Sikorski and Laurence Seymore III, and Buckeyes freshman back Legend Bey all sit in the kind of supporting roles that can quietly tilt a big September game when the pressure starts to climb.
For Texas, the most interesting layer is up front, where the Longhorns are still working through how to piece together their left side and keep Manning clean against a defense that will test timing and communication. Ohio State, meanwhile, has its own young talent waiting for a spotlight, and the Buckeyes know a first start or a first big snap can change the way a game feels in a hurry. The matchup may be framed by the stars, but the first real edge could come from whichever of these lesser-known pieces handles the moment best. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Women Face An Early Test That Will Shape Everything
Texas womens basketball now has a road map for a season that will ask plenty of it from the jump. The program released its complete 2026-27 schedule, and it is packed with the kind of games that should tell a lot about where the Longhorns stand, from a home opener against Fairleigh Dickinson on Nov. 4 to a loaded run that also includes the SEC/ACC Challenge against Louisville and a trip to the Players Era Showcase in Las Vegas.
There is already plenty of anticipation around the season, too, with the school announcing a record 7,100 season tickets sold. Add in exhibition tuneups and a slate full of key SEC matchups, and the early part of the year looks less like a warmup than a proving ground. The real question is how Texas handles the pressure of that kind of schedule before conference play even settles in. [Read more 🡒]