Game Preview: No. 1 Ohio State versus No. 4 Texas

Texas welcomes Ohio State to Austin for a top-five matchup and one of the most anticipated games of the season. These teams know each other well. Saturday marks their third meeting since January 2025, and Texas has been on the wrong side of two close ones. This time, the Longhorns get them at home.

This is a legacy game for Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning as a duo at Texas. Sarkisian’s résumé already includes wins over Oklahoma and Texas A&M last season, and that shouldn’t go unnoticed. But Texas lost to the two best teams it played in 2025: Georgia and Ohio State. Sarkisian brought the program back from the dead, and Texas fans should never take that for granted.

That being said, championships are the expectation in Austin. No championship will be won on Saturday, but if Texas loses, one narrative will follow the Longhorns out of the stadium: Sarkisian is 0-6 against Ryan Day and Kirby Smart and can’t win the big game. The second narrative, fair or not, will be that Manning can’t beat elite teams. Texas needs this win more than Ohio State does, and the pressure sits squarely on the home sideline.

Muschamp’s Fingerprints Will Be All Over the Outcome

Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will shape this game one way or another. The defense has not been the problem against Ohio State in the previous two meetings, with the Buckeyes averaging just 17.5 points in those games. That number isn’t likely to hold, but it’s on Muschamp to keep Ohio State from scoring in bunches.

Pete Kwiatkowski rarely gambled with his calls. He wanted a bend-but-don’t-break defense, and he usually got it. Muschamp could not be more different. He wants pressure coming from everywhere, with the quarterback guessing where the next blitz originates. The problem is that Muschamp doesn’t have the secondary talent Texas had under Kwiatkowski, which makes every blitz a bigger risk.

Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith has just seven catches for 46 yards and no touchdowns in the last two meetings against Texas. That is almost certainly not happening a third time. Smith is arguably the best non-quarterback in the country for a reason, and Texas cannot afford to leave a defensive back on an island against him. If the Longhorns do, Smith will make them pay. Muschamp’s pressure calls have to be timely, and the players behind them have to execute. Anything less turns into an explosive play for Ohio State.

The Offensive Line and Running Game Get Their First Real Test

Texas invested heavily in the offensive line and the running back room this offseason, and Saturday is the first real look at the return on that investment.

The Longhorns ran the ball better than expected against Ohio State last season, but there was still plenty of room for improvement. The 2024 matchup was worse, and the running game left a lot to be desired. Texas responded by adding running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown through the transfer portal, then signing starting right tackle Melvin Siani along with Dylan Sikorski and Laurence Seymore, who are splitting reps at left guard.

The line and the run game capped the offense’s ceiling last season. With this much money and roster capital pushed into both spots, Texas should be better in both.

Both units looked improved in the opener, but this week will tell the real story. There’s no need to revisit the short-yardage nightmares Texas fans have watched against Ohio State the last two years. Simply put, the Longhorns didn’t have a running back who could get a yard when they needed one. That excuse is gone now, and the offensive line has to do its part.

If Texas wants to win this game, it has to be far better in short-yardage and red-zone situations. If that doesn’t happen, beating Ohio State becomes close to impossible. And if Manning is throwing the ball 40-plus times Saturday, that’s not a winning recipe.