Sept. 12, 2026, 7:04 a.m. ET
It’s one of the top matchups all season, and it’ll take place between the No. 1 and No. 5 ranked teams in the country: Ohio State and Texas.
The Buckeyes, a slight underdog at the moment, will head into Austin looking to take some of the major lessons it learned a season ago in big games and put them to the test in the early parts of the season. It doesn’t hurt to have Heisman candidates in Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin, but it hasn’t always been easy for the Buckeyes’ offense against Texas, despite two wins in the last two matchups. What does Ohio State need to do offensively to come out on top?
Let’s take a look. Jeremiah Smith Needs To Be Jeremiah Smith for Ohio State This seems like a no-brainer … but when it comes to Texas, the Longhorns may be the only team in the country that knows how to shut down the talent that is Jeremiah Smith. Smith, who has been nearly unstoppable in every matchup throughout his career, has had two of his four lowest-yardage games come against the Longhorns. In his two matchups, Smith has combined for just seven receptions for a whopping 47 yards. Smith was held to one reception for three yards in the 2024 College Football Playoff matchup and had six catches for 43 yards a season ago. This is a different offense with Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator, and Ryan Day made it known this week that while there is a balance in forcing the ball to Smith and letting the game come to them, he’s an All-American and future top-5 draft pick for a reason.
Unleash Legend Bey — Or At Least Give Him More Touches vs. Texas Sure it’s just one game in, but it’s clear that Legend Bey is a real threat with the ball in his hands, and he needs to be involved early and often. He not only can open the playbook up for someone like Jeremiah Smith, but he can allow the Buckeyes to get the ball out early and counter a strong Texas pass rush. Bey had two receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown, and six carries for 37 yards in the opener, and is a true Swiss Army knife for this Buckeyes offense.
Julian Sayin doesn’t necessarily need to get ‘settled in’ to this matchup, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to get some quick completions under his belt to someone like Bey, and let the athleticism and speed get some quick yardage against some potential linebackers of Texas, arguably the weakest part of the defense. Offensive Line Play Must Be Top Notch for Ohio State The Ohio State offensive line was nowhere near good enough in the season-opener against Ball State, and that’s a concerning trend considering how the Buckeyes ended their season last year against Indiana and Miami. Now, Ohio State heads into a matchup with a Texas front, led by elite rusher Colin Simmons, that is much more in line with that of the Hoosiers and Hurricanes, not Ball State. While the Longhorns have a new defensive coordinator this year, the Buckeyes struggled against Texas a season ago and ran for just 2.3 yards per carry for 77 yards. This is Joel Klatt’s key to the game, and there’s no secret that it’s going to be the deciding factor — not only in the run game, but in the passing attack. If Ohio State’s offensive line can’t allow for a balanced attack through the air and on the ground, it’s going to be a long day for the Ohio State offense and one that will likely result in issues all year.
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