Picking the Schedule: Predictions for Texas’ future opponents

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College football is finally here.

After a long and dramatic offseason, we will finally have a full slate of games to discuss rather than spending our time breaking down legislation and court filings. The No. 5 Texas Longhorns take on the Texas State Bobcats in a tuneup before hosting Ohio State, and many of their future opponents have similar lopsided expectations heading into Week 1. We dive in on a few of the biggest favorites according to FanDuel and exciting matchups for the Longhorns’ future opponents.

Ball State (+50.5) @ No. 1 Ohio State

There’s a reason Ohio State is the top team in the country and the current favorite to win the national championship. They return their quarterback, running back, and leading receiver from one of the most efficient offenses in the country. It makes sense that they would be a huge favorite against a Ball State team with eight new starters on defense. That being said, Ohio State eclipsed 50 points total just once last year — a 70-0 win over Grambling — and Ryan Day is not usually the one to risk injury to run up the score. Especially with Texas looming, I don’t expect Ohio State to go crazy in this one, so I grit my teeth and take Ball State with a seven-touchdown cushion.

No. 8 Texas A&M (-40.5) vs Missouri State

As much as it pains me to say anything nice about the Aggies, I don’t expect them to have any trouble in this one. Missouri State honestly had a pretty successful first year in the FBS in 2025, with a 7-5 regular season and a bowl appearance. That being said, I would be shocked if Mike Elko and the Aggies didn’t come out and make a statement after a bitter pair of losses that ended their 2025 season. I could see them letting Marcel Reed air the ball out to try and get into a rhythm with his new receivers and get on a roll quickly with some tough games scheduled before the end of the month.

No. 9 Ole Miss (-6.5) vs No. 24 Louisville

This is probably the game I am the least confident in going into the weekend. On one hand, Ole Miss returns the engine and pilot that created a fun and explosive offense a year ago. On the other hand, the one who charted the course is no longer on the sidelines. I think Jeff Brohm and his squad will be good, but this is another game where I wouldn’t be shocked to see Mississippi come out and try to show people that it wasn’t all about Lane and that the offense will be just fine without him.

No. 10 Oklahoma (-41.5) vs UTEP

Another one that pains me to pick, but I would be lying if I didn’t say that Oklahoma should field one of the country’s best defenses in 2026. They legitimately could see eight players drafted at the end of the year, including an essential first-round lock in David Stone. I am still a John Mateer truther and don’t think the muscle will make him a more accurate passer in the long term. I also want to know if they have a running game outside his feet. I could see their defense contributing at least a couple of scores in this one, meaning the offense only has to manage four touchdowns to make this feasible.

No. 20 Tennessee (-48.5) vs Furman

No shade to the Furman Paladins; they are a solid FCS program that routinely competes for titles, but there’s a reason why Tennessee is paying them $500,000 for this game. True freshman Faizon Brandon won the starting job for the Volunteers, and he is the type of quarterback that thrives in Josh Heupel’s system. They’re a relatively young offense, but it’s a very player-friendly system. I expect them to put up big numbers in this one.

No. 11 LSU (-10.5) vs Clemson

Despite all of the legal junk we’ve had to deal with this week, it doesn’t take away from what I think Lane Kiffin and LSU can be this year. Kiffin is a lot of things, some good, some bad, but one of the good ones is an offensive mind that finds great joy in frustrating defensive coordinators. There’s a reason Sam Leavitt was the top transfer player in the portal, and I think Kiffin will make it a point to get people talking about the on-field product rather than all of the courtroom drama. I am just not impressed with what Dabo Swinney is seemingly doing to try and fix what ails his team; going back to names from the past in a new era of college football doesn’t seem like the magic bullet he thinks it will be.

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