Ohio State Buckeyes vs Texas Longhorns: 4 Bold Predictions for Ohio State @ Texas
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One of the most highly anticipated college football games in 2026 takes place in Week 2, with the Texas Longhorns hosting the Ohio State Buckeyes at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. It is a matchup that carries massive College Football Playoff implications and features some of the best college football players right now who will go on to become NFL stars.
Let’s dive into our bold Ohio State vs Texas predictions.
Jeremiah Smith Erups for 100+ Yards, TD
Texas did an outstanding job keeping All-American wide receiver Jeremiah Smith in check last year in the regular-season opener, limiting him to 43 receiving yards on six receptions. With that said, it came in a low-scoring game in which Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin completed just 13-of-20 attempts with his No. 1 receiver responsible for most of those completions. On Saturday night, we think Smith will get the best of this Longhorns secondary. He’ll make a big play downfield for 35-plus yards and make a contested catch in the end zone, coming out of this game with over 100 receiving yards and a score.
Arch Manning Puts Up 3 Total TDs, 300 Total Yards
There was an absurd amount of hype surrounding Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning entering last season. It was a media train that got out of control and generated expectations that were wildly unfair, naturally ending with a flat performance in Week 1 against the Buckeyes defense. He’s far more experienced now and goes from having a modest receiving corps to the outstanding duo of Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo with one of the best offensive lines in the nation protecting him. We were tempted to pick Manning to put up more rushing yards than teammate Hollywood Smoothers in Week 2, but we’ll instead say the Texas quarterback puts up 260-plus passing yards with another 40-plus on the ground and he accounts for at least 3 scores.
Related: Heisman Watch After Week 1, including Ohio State and Texas Stars
Jermaine Mathews Jr. Snags an Interception
While Manning has made significant strides as a passer since his last meeting against Ohio State, he will take some chances with the football. After throwing an interception last Saturday against Texas State, Manning now has a pick in seven of his last 13 regular-season games. Ohio State’s secondary will be tested 30-plus times in this one and when interior pressure forces Manning to throw a bit off-balance, impacting the distance on his throw, Buckeyes cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. will snag it to grab his first interception of the season.
Cam Coleman Finds the End Zone
These are the types of matchups that Texas brought in Cam Coleman for. Standing at 6-foot-3, his combination of size and athleticism makes him one of the most difficult covers in college football. Ohio State didn’t have too many issues matching up with the Longhorns’ receivers last season, but they didn’t have a difference-maker on the field like Coleman who commands added attention. Even if you game plan for him and can limit his explosive plays, doing so likely means that Ryan Wingo is going to beat you as he just did last week to Texas State. While Coleman won’t crack 90 receiving yards against Ohio State, he will make a fantastic grab in the end zone for his third touchdown of the season.
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