Overview

• Sportsbooks list Texas as the national title favorite (+450 at BetMGM) with Arch Manning the Heisman frontrunner at 6-1, according to the Associated Press.
• ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Texas a 53.3% chance to win at Ohio State on Aug. 30, a game that will feature first starts for Manning and Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin.
• The Athletic’s statistical model projects Texas to finish 9-3, ranks the Longhorns ninth, and assigns a 64% chance to make the College Football Playoff.
• Evaluations note uncertainty around Texas’s offense after the departures of receivers Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond and running back Jaydon Blue, coupled with Manning’s limited starting experience.
• A separate forecast from Sports Illustrated projects Texas to reach the national championship game but lose to Penn State, underscoring the split between betting enthusiasm and model-driven outlooks.