The preseason AP Poll was released Monday, and the Ohio State Buckeyes will begin the 2026 season at the top.

Ohio State is the No. 1 team in the country in both the AP and Coaches polls, setting the stage for what could be the biggest game of the regular season when the Buckeyes travel to Austin in Week 2. The Buckeyes are followed by Oregon, Georgia, and Notre Dame, with Texas rounding out the top five.

The SEC’s No. 5 Texas Longhorns will host the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes on Sept. 12 in a prime-time showdown featuring two of the nation’s premier programs, two Heisman hopeful quarterbacks, and two coaches with championship expectations.

Julian Sayin vs. Arch Manning, Ryan Day vs. Steve Sarkisian, and Ohio State vs. Texas. It doesn’t get bigger than this nonconference collision between these two brands on the back leg of a home-and-home. Day is 2-0 against Sarkisian, with both victories coming in high-profile matchups. Ohio State defeated Texas in the 2024 College Football Playoff semifinal on its way to a national championship before beating the Longhorns again last season, 14-7, in the Horseshoe.

The latter was a defensive slugfest in which Ohio State bottled up Manning and the Texas offense for much of the afternoon. Now, Texas gets its opportunity in Austin, where this game means a lot to the Longhorns.

More Pressure on Texas?

Manning enters his second season as Texas’ starting quarterback with a talented supporting cast around him. The Longhorns added former Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman through the transfer portal, giving Manning another explosive weapon alongside Ryan Wingo.

For Texas, this is an opportunity to reverse the trend against Ohio State and make an early statement in the SEC and national championship picture. The pressure, however, will be significant for the Longhorns in front of a home burnt orange crowd.

Ohio State and Texas have two of the most difficult schedules among the teams expected to contend for the national championship. Both programs will navigate a gauntlet throughout the season, which makes their Week 2 meeting particularly important.

A victory will go a long way toward strengthening the winner’s College Football Playoff resume. Whereas a loss would not be detrimental in September, it would shrink the margin for error moving forward.

Both Teams Replace Key Players

Ohio State has to replace a significant amount of production on defense. The Buckeyes believe they have the depth necessary to do it, but there is a difference between having talent and having experience playing together. Those factors will be put to the test immediately.

Ryan Day on evaluating Ohio State’s defensive depth:

🗣️ “Who’s going to make the play? Who’s going to be the guy that we’re counting on when it matters the most?”

Which Buckeye do you want to see step up as a playmaker? pic.twitter.com/5hasRk9xVh

— Blake T. Biscardi (@BlakeBiscardi) August 16, 2026

Who steps up? Who makes the critical plays? How quickly does the new-look defense gel? Those questions are central to Ohio State’s chances in Austin.

The Buckeyes will have to find a way to slow down Coleman and Wingo while once again limiting Manning. Ohio State will also have to contend with a Texas rushing attack that could create problems if the Buckeyes cannot establish control up front. At the same time, Ohio State’s defensive line needs to find ways to generate pressure on Manning, which is one of the biggest matchups of the night.

However, Texas has questions of its own along the offensive line, and Ohio State will have an opportunity to test a unit that lacks continuity. On the other side of the ball, the question for Texas will be whether it can expose Ohio State’s inexperience playing together on defense.

The Longhorns have the talent to stress the Buckeyes at every level. If Ohio State’s defense gets forced into miscues, Texas has enough playmakers to make it pay.

Will Jeremiah Smith Make an Impact?

An unexpected storyline is Jeremiah Smith, but not for the reason you may think. Smith has not had an impactful statistical performance against Texas in either of the previous two meetings. That could make this matchup particularly meaningful for the Heisman hopeful.

Texas has to find a way to contain him for a third consecutive year, which is easier said than done. Smith is capable of taking over a game in a variety of ways, and if Ohio State can consistently get the ball in his hands in space, the Longhorns will have a difficult assignment on their hands.

There will be NFL talent littered across the field, elite coordinators on both sidelines, and two of the nation’s premier quarterbacks leading the way. But more than anything, this will be an early test of whether Ohio State is capable of replacing what it lost, whether Texas has closed the gap, and which program is better positioned to navigate the gauntlet schedule ahead.

In less than one month, No. 1 Ohio State will visit Austin on Sept. 12 for a prime-time showdown against Texas, and it will be one of the defining games of the 2026 college football season. We’ll have plenty more coverage on the Buckeyes vs. Longhorns over the coming weeks, including another edition of TSB LIVE to break it all down. Stay tuned.

Join Us for TSB LIVE at DICK’s House of Sport’s Tailgate Takeover

Join us at DICK’s House of Sport in Polaris, OH, on Saturday, August 29, from 12-3 pm for a Tailgate Takeover to kick off football season! TSB LIVE returns for an on-site show with special guests previewing Ohio State’s 2026 season. You do not want to miss this event! Register here

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