All eyes are on Texas this weekend as the biggest game of this early 2026 season unfolds in Austin. No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas is the kind of blockbuster contest missing from the Week 1 slate, though Ole Miss-Louisville, Western Michigan-Michigan and others did their best to entertain us. It's a rematch of last season's opener in which Arch Manning struggled in his starting debut and the Buckeyes held on for a 14-7 win.
There have been significant changes on both sides since Week 1 of 2025. For Texas, there are new offensive weapons (Cam Coleman, Hollywood Smothers), an improved offensive line on paper and a new defensive coordinator in Will Muschamp. Ohio State has a new important face, too, in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who gets to dial up plays for Ohio State's talented offensive duo of quarterback Julian Sayin and receiver Jeremiah Smith.
The stakes feel higher for Texas, especially with the game at Darrell K. An early nonconference loss, knowing what's to come in a challenging SEC slate, would only add more pressure on Arch and Steve Sarkisian in what feels like a title-or-bust season. Elsewhere, No. 11 Oklahoma at Michigan (noon ET) may be the second-most anticipated game of the Saturday slate, even with the Wolverines falling out of the top 25.
The big question: Can Bryce Underwood hold up against Brent Venables' defense, or is he on the path to being benched? At that same time, No. 6 Oregon shouldn't have much trouble with Oklahoma State, but it will give NFL scouts a look at high-profile quarterbacks Dante Moore and Drew Mestemaker. There are two potentially sneaky good games in the 3:30 p.m.
ET window -- No. 12 Alabama at Kentucky and Arizona at No. 15 BYU. First-year Kentucky coach Will Stein is hoping for a raucous environment, encouraging fans to bring in flasks and yell at the Crimson Tide. If you want an alternative to Texas-Ohio State, you can turn to the annual Cy-Hawk rivalry game between No. 21 Iowa and Iowa State.
The Hawkeyes are 14-point favorites over the Cyclones. Three top-25 teams — No. 23 Missouri, No. 24 Louisville and No. 25 Virginia — kick off Friday night. After Kansas released what may be the wildest college football hype video ever, the Border War game is especially intriguing.
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