Ohio State coach Ryan Day said an early-season trip to Texas will provide a valuable measuring stick for the top-ranked Buckeyes.
“It certainly gives you some early feedback on where you are,” he said, adding that the matchup is great for college football. “Everybody in the country will be watching. This is why you come to Ohio State.”
Day spoke Tuesday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center as No. 1 Ohio State prepared to visit No. 4 Texas on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Eastern at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and will be televised on ABC.
The Buckeyes opened with a 56-3 victory over Ball State on Sept. 5. Texas answered with a 59-7 win over Texas State the same day. Both teams remain unbeaten and carry national title expectations into the Week 2 showdown.
Ohio State received 46 of 69 first-place votes in the latest Associated Press poll. Texas moved up one spot to fourth and received two first-place votes.
The programs have met in each of the past two seasons. Ohio State won 14-7 in last year’s season opener in Columbus. The Buckeyes also beat Texas 28-14 in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Cotton Bowl following the 2024 season.
Ohio State leads the all-time series 3-2. Saturday will mark only the second visit by the Buckeyes to Austin. Ohio State won 24-7 there in 2006.
Day called the atmosphere awaiting his team “unbelievable” and said games of this magnitude are a primary reason players choose Ohio State and Texas.
Julian Sayin will start at quarterback for the Buckeyes after a standout 2025 season in which he threw for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns while completing 77 percent of his passes. He finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting.
Texas counters with Arch Manning, who passed for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns last season and added 399 rushing yards and 10 rushing scores.
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, regarded as one of the nation’s top players, has been held in check in the previous two meetings with Texas. He combined for seven receptions and 46 yards across those games.
Day said the Buckeyes will look to get Smith more involved while recognizing Texas will have a specific plan to limit him. Sayin’s experience from last year’s meeting should help him diagnose coverages in real time.
The game is the 45th time in Ohio State history that both the Buckeyes and their opponent have been ranked in the top five. Day has emphasized that a difficult nonconference test in September helps prepare his roster for a demanding Big Ten schedule that includes road games at Iowa, Indiana and USC.
Texas opened as a slight favorite. Temperatures in Austin are expected to reach the high 90s, adding another variable for a night game.
Both programs have loaded talent across the roster. Ohio State’s defense, coordinated by former NFL head coach Matt Patricia, faces an improved Longhorns passing attack that includes transfers and returning playmakers.
Day has described the entire offseason as being built around winning games of this type on the road. After a one-sided opener against Ball State, the Buckeyes now face a far sterner examination.
The result will supply the early feedback Day mentioned. It will also draw a national television audience to one of college football’s marquee early-season stages.
