Week 2 provides college football an early preview of two playoff-caliber teams when No. 4 Texas and No. 1 Ohio State face off in a rematch from last year's season opener. The Longhorns host the Buckeyes this time. Both programs are coming off blowout wins over overmatched Group of Six opponents, but we learned a lot about Texas' new additions, especially receiver Cam Coleman.
The Buckeyes also debuted their defense with eight new starters. One might assume Ohio State would have some question marks after losing offensive coordinator Brian Hartline to a head coaching gig and 11 players to the NFL Draft in the offseason, but the reload seems to be on schedule, and it's buoyed by the return of quarterback Julian Sayin and superstar receiver Jeremiah Smith. Ohio State defeated Texas 14- 7 in the season opener last season in Columbus.
It took Arch Manning quite a bit of time to get warmed up, but he gave the Longhorns a chance in the final minutes. The Longhorns return at least 13 starters across the offense and defense and enter Saturday as a slight favorite. Let's break down the showdown in Austin.
Texas' new faces: The Longhorns added several skill players on offense through the portal. The star of the class was Auburn receiver Cam Coleman, a former five-star prospect who the Tigers never fully utilized. They also added Arizona State running back Raleek Brown, who rushed for 1,141 yards last season, and snuck in to steal NC State running back Hollywood Smothers away from Alabama.
Smothers averaged 7 yards per carry in the season opener last week. Former Pittsburgh linebacker Rasheem Biles intercepted a pass and also recorded five tackles last week. Something has to give at QB: Both quarterbacks have been reliable in certain settings during their careers.
Ohio State's Julian Sayin is 5-0 in five road starts in his career, and Texas' Arch Manning is 9-0 in home starts. Manning has thrown 40 touchdown passes at home, the most by any FBS player since 2024. Sayin has the best completion percentage (78.5%) on the road by any FBS quarterback with at least five starts this century.
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