It's never too early for a "game of the year", and we get one in college football Week 2 action when the No. 4 Texas Longhorns host the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Sept. 12 in Austin. Both teams have their sights firmly set on the College Football Playoff and a chance to play for the title. The Buckeyes lost to Miami in the quarterfinals last year after going 12-1 in the regular season, while the Longhorns went 9-3 and had to settle for a victory in the Citrus Bowl.
The teams met to kick off their 2025 seasons, with OSU taking a 14-7 home victory to improve to 3-2 in all-time meetings. Both teams have been ranked in AP top 10 in all six matchups, including Saturday's game. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
ET at Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. Bet on Ohio State vs.Texas and more college football games with the FanDuel promo code to receive $350 in bonus bets: Texas is a 1.5-point home favorite in the latest FanDuel Sportsbook odds, and the Over/Under for total points scored is 49.5. Both teams cruised in their 2026 college football season openers, with the Longhorns beating Texas State 59-7 and the Buckeyes routing Ball State 59-3.
If you're interested in betting on college football matchups such as Ohio State vs. Texas at the best betting apps, you need to see our picks for this matchup and what SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model have to say. The Buckeyes are the top-ranked team in the nation and will look to avoid the Longhorns' fate after UT entered last year's game on the road as the No. 1 team and lost.
Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin threw for just 126 yards in his first start but avoided mistakes, and the defense held up as OSU won despite being outgained 336-203. The Buckeyes forced one turnover and made two big stops in the red zone as Texas quarterback Arch Manning struggled before coming to life in the fourth quarter. The Longhorns scored their only TD with 3:28 left in the game and were 1-for-5 on fourth down.
The much-discussed Manning threw for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Ohio State lost significant players like receiver Carnell Tate and pass rusher Arvell Reese to the NFL, but coach Ryan Day and his staff have reloaded. Having an experienced Sayin this time will help.
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