Overview

• Kickoff is set for Aug. 30 at 12 p.m. ET at Ohio Stadium, with No. 1 Texas visiting No. 3 Ohio State in a rare top-two season opener.
• Texas coach Steve Sarkisian told Arch Manning to “just go be you,” while Manning said, “This is what I’ve been waiting for” after two years as a backup.
• Both teams turn to inexperienced quarterbacks, with Manning owning two prior starts and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin making his first college start.
• Sarkisian praised Sayin as a quick-release passer and better athlete than expected, as the Longhorns prepare for Jeremiah Smith and a retooled Buckeyes roster.
• Ohio State, which beat Texas in last season’s Cotton Bowl on the way to a national title, leaned into the rematch with an Instagram post referencing that win, and sportsbooks list the Buckeyes as a slight favorite.