Overview
- Kickoff is set for noon ET Saturday at Ohio Stadium, with Fox’s Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt on the call and Jenny Taft reporting from the sidelines.
- Ohio State’s Julian Sayin makes his first college start against top‑ranked Texas, as Arch Manning leads the Longhorns in his first road start; first‑time starters are 0-16 vs No. 1 teams since 2010, per Fox.
- Betting markets shifted toward Texas all week after opening Ohio State -3, with a consensus near Buckeyes -1 to -1.5 and Circa briefly listing Texas as a 1-point favorite; if the number holds, Texas would be a rare preseason No. 1 listed as an underdog in its opener.
- Former NFL coordinator Matt Patricia debuts running Ohio State’s defense, which ESPN notes finished among the nation’s best last season, and safety Caleb Downs publicly endorsed Patricia’s experience against Steve Sarkisian.
- Ryan Day said Ohio State aims to involve WR Jeremiah Smith more after Texas held him to one catch in last season’s meeting, while stressing that other receivers must capitalize if the Longhorns focus coverage on Smith.