Overview

• No. 1 Texas visits No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday at noon ET at Ohio Stadium, airing on FOX, in a rematch of last season’s College Football Playoff semifinal.
• Ohio State will start freshman Julian Sayin, with Ryan Day’s directive to him being “just win,” and Day praised Manning’s arm, accuracy and poise while preparing a defense with eight new starters.
• Texas coach Steve Sarkisian told Manning he need not do anything “superhuman,” a message echoed by ESPN’s Chris Fowler, who urged the first-year starter to ease into the role.
• ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the prevailing NFL view that Manning is expected to remain at Texas for multiple seasons and most likely enter the 2027 draft.
• Betting markets list Ohio State as a slight favorite (DraftKings: Buckeyes -2.5, -135 moneyline), and predictive models lean to OSU, even as Manning says Texas is hunting opponents with a “red dot on everyone else.”