Week 2 may already have one of the best games of the season on tap for the entire college football campaign as No. 4 Texas Longhorns host the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Sept. 12 in Austin at 3:30 p.m. ET. This is a rematch of a great game from a year ago, which the Buckeyes won in Columbus 14-7. OSU wound up making the College Football Playoff while this loss was a big one for Texas, which went 9-3 and missed the CFP. Both teams have been ranked in AP top 10 in all six previous matchups, including Saturday's game. 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.
Ohio State vs. Texas betting odds (via FanDuel)
Ohio State vs. Texas money line:Ohio State +104, Texas -122Ohio State vs. Texas Over/Under:49.5 (Over -115, Under -105)Ohio State vs. Texas spread: Texas -1.5
Ohio State vs. Texas betting preview
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. The junior threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns in the opener after putting up 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2025. Star receiver Jeremiah Smith is back and opened the season with eight catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns after posting 1,243 yards and 12 TDs last season. Devin McCuin had six catches for 97 yards and a score against Ball State. Running back Bo Jackson, who rushed for 1,090 yards last season, and Ja'Kobi Jackson each rushed for 83 yards last week. OSU amassed 671 yards in the rout.
The Buckeyes averaged 33.4 points per game last season (26th in FBS) and allowed a minuscule 9.3 points to lead FBS. Texas scored 30.5 points per game (70th) and gave up 20.3 (28th). The Buckeyes have some holes to plug on defense after losing key pieces like Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs and Kayden McDonald to the draft. While they weren't playing a dangerous team like Texas last week, they did hold the Cardinals to just 165 total yards and Ball State converted just three of 14 third-down attempts. Epi Sitanilei had the team's only sack in Week 1, and Tarvos Alford had an interception. The Buckeyes' only blemish was nine penalties, and Day will be sure to try to clean that up before the big game. Use the BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS to get up to $1,500 in bonus bets when wagering on Ohio State-Texas and more college football games:
It was a tough start to the 2025 season for Manning and the Longhorns, and they're hoping to avoid an early hit to their playoff hopes, this time on their home turf. Texas is 22-11 against the spread at home under coach Steve Sarkisian since 2021 and 14-10 ATS in non-conference games over that same span. Manning came in with almost unprecedented hype given his talent and pedigree, but the pressure of the moment (and the OSU defense) made it a tough way to begin a season. The then-sophomore loosened up late in the game and went on to throw for more than 250 yards in three of the next four games. He finished the season with 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He threw for 305 yards with four TDs and one pick against Texas State last week.
Manning is 9-0 as a starter at Memorial Stadium, and his 40 career total TDs at home are tied for most by an FBS player since 2024. The Longhorns put up 516 yards in Week 1, getting 156 on the ground behind Hollywood Smothers (70 yards) and Raleek Brown (34 yards, two TDs). Receivers Ryan Wingo (121 yards, one TD) and Cam Coleman (70, two TDs) lived up to expectations in the opener, and Smothers and Brown combined for 39 receiving yards. Seven Longhorns pass-catchers had at least 25 yards. Wingo was the team's top receiver last year with 834 yards (15.4 per catch) and seven TDs.
The Texas defense had some problems against the run against Texas State, yielding 161 yards on the ground, but it had two sacks and three takeaways. Colin Simmons led the team with 12 sacks in 2025 and is back to anchor a strong defensive front. The defense has seen some turnover, but interceptions leader Jelani McDonald is back in the secondary, and several top recruits are preparing to step in. Will Muschamp is back to run the unit after working the past five years at Georgia after head coaching stints at Florida and South Carolina. The unit was subpar by UT standards in 2025, allowing 339 yards and 20 points per game. Linebacker Ty'Anthony Smith is a playmaker, Pitt transfer Rasheem Biles causes havoc all over the field and another transfer -- 6-foot-5, 378-pound Ian Geffrard from Arkansas, -- gives the Longhorns an immovable anchor up front.
Ohio State vs. Texas picks, prediction
Ohio State +1.5
Both teams have a lot of key pieces to replace on defense but both also have the resources to reload, so it should be a tight battle similar to last year's. Add in that Manning and Sayin both come in with more experience under their belts and there should be a little more scoring this time around.
The Buckeyes beat the Longhorns twice in the 2025 calendar year, knocking them off in the College Football Playoff semifinals on their way to the 2024-25 title last January and opening last season with the victory in Columbus. Texas has been snake-bitten over the past two decades in a lot of its biggest games, but if Manning plays the way he did the second half of last season, the Longhorns will be in a good spot. I don't trust Texas much until it gives me a reason to, so I'm sticking with OSU while leaving open the possibility that UT will eke out the home victory. I do believe the Buckeyes will prevail in a tight game, so I'm playing it a little safer, but getting plus-money on the nation's No. 1 team is tempting.
