Saturday, 2026-09-12 | 6:30 PM CT | DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX | ABC
DraftKings snapshot: TEX -1.5 | Over/under: 47.5 [S1]
What’s at stake
Ohio State won last season’s meeting 14-7 in Columbus and now takes a 3-2 series lead into Austin. Both playoff contenders opened with comfortable wins, but this rematch is the first result that will shape the national résumé of either team. [S2/S3/S4]
The opener numbers were enormous—Ohio State gained 671 yards and Texas scored 59—but both came against overmatched opponents. This game will show whether Julian Sayin’s efficient start and Arch Manning’s four-touchdown afternoon hold up when every throwing window gets smaller. [S2/S3]
Three things to know
- Ohio State’s downfield combination arrived immediately: Julian Sayin threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns, while Jeremiah Smith caught eight passes for 151 yards and two scores. Texas allowed 188 passing yards to Texas State and now has to defend a receiver who accounted for nearly half of Ohio State’s passing production. [S2/S3]
- Texas was better on third down than it was protecting the run: The Longhorns converted 11 of 15 third downs and scored 59, but Texas State still rushed for 161 yards. Ohio State ran for 237 yards and had two backs reach 83, so Texas cannot rely on Manning winning a shootout if its front keeps allowing efficient runs. [S2/S3]
- The turnover margin can swing a rematch this tight: Ohio State threw one interception but forced one; Texas also threw one interception but forced three turnovers. Last year’s meeting produced only 21 combined points, so one short field could matter far more than the opener scores suggest. [S2/S3/S4]
Stat comparison
| Metric | Ohio State 2026 | Texas 2026 | Ohio State 2025 rank | Texas 2025 rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 56.0 (No. 19*) | 59.0 (No. 13*) | No. 27 | No. 55 |
| Points allowed per game | 3.0 (No. 10*) | 7.0 (No. 25*) | No. 1 | No. 38 |
| Yards per game | 671.0 (No. 3*) | 516.0 (No. 35*) | No. 26 | No. 70 |
| Yards allowed per game | 165.0 (No. 18*) | 349.0 (No. 76*) | No. 1 | No. 40 |
| Passing yards per game | 434.0 (No. 3*) | 360.0 (No. 14*) | No. 23 | No. 44 |
| Passing yards allowed per game | 120.0 (No. 34*) | 188.0 (No. 67*) | No. 1 | No. 97 |
| Turnover margin | 0 (No. 60*) | +2 (No. 12*) | No. 44 | No. 6 |
*The 2026 ranking is based on the 131 teams who had played by Saturday night. We did not wait on the Sunday and Monday college football games to publish the majority of our previews. [S9]
Players to watch
- Ohio State — Jeremiah Smith: He caught eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns against Ball State. He remains the matchup Texas must solve first. [S2/S7]
- Texas — Ryan Wingo: He caught seven passes for 121 yards and a touchdown against Texas State. He gives Manning a proven answer when Ohio State pressures. [S3/S8]
Looking for a prediction?
I make final predictions on my TikTok/YouTube/Instagram/Facebook pages @uthinkuknowsports.
Sources
- S1: ESPN Ohio State–Texas game page and DraftKings feed
- S2: ESPN Ball State–Ohio State final box score
- S3: ESPN Texas State–Texas final box score
- S4: Ohio State official 2026 schedule announcement and Texas series history
- S5: Ohio State official 2026 football media center
- S6: Texas official 2026 football game center
- S7: Ohio State official 2026 football roster
- S8: Texas official 2026 football roster
- S9: SportsDataverse/ESPN 2025 team-summary source
Full disclosure: I use AI tools to format my research into an article encompassing all of the information.
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