A year ago it was the Texas Longhorns making the trip to Columbus; fast-forward a year and Ohio State will make the trip to Austin for Saturday’s big-time college football matchup. 

Ohio State is the top-ranked team in the country and they’ll take on No. 4 Texas in what could be the game of the regular season in college football. 

Ahead of Saturday night’s huge game, the A to Z Sports college football staff has gotten together to dish out some predictions for this game. 

Texas 27, Ohio State 23

Ohio State and Texas both took care of business against inferior opponents in Week 1, but it was a nice ramp-up for what awaits on Saturday. I expect much more offense in this game than a year ago when these teams combined for 21 points. We’re going to get Julian Sayin and Arch Manning both looking to open it up a bit more. Still, I think these defenses are going to be solid, and it’s going to come down to whichever one is playing at the highest level in the fourth quarter. Texas has been able to keep Jeremiah Smith in check in past matchups. Whether they can do so again or not will be a big storyline. 

I have the Buckeyes losing a tough one on the road. But it’s a game I believe Texas needs a whole lot more, and I’m going to take the home team early in the season. Steve Sarkisian is finally going to get one against Ryan Day. – Brandon Little 

Texas 33, Ohio State 30

I haven’t been this hyped for a regular-season college football game in some time. I truly believe the best two offenses in the sport will be on that field on Saturday night, and we could be in for some fireworks. Both teams boast top-10 picks at WR via Jeremiah Smith and Cam Coleman, both of whom showed off their skill set against lesser competition in Week 1. 

But this game is going to come down to the quarterbacks. Both Julian Sayin and Arch Manning looked improved (albeit in Week 1 and outside of Manning’s INT), and I’ll be interested to see if Colin Simmons and Co. can wreck the game, or if Matt Patricia has Manning in a blender the way he did last year. Either way, I’m expecting a high-scoring, close game, where the team that avoids the final mistake comes out on top. – Rob Gregson 

Ohio State 17, Texas 14

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns are playing each other in a top-five matchup. The Buckeyes enter as the top-ranked team, and Texas is No. 4. This time last year, the two met, and Ohio State walked away victorious at home. Arch Manning played pretty poorly, and we know the rest of the story. Now, both teams are seeing each other again. Both rosters are stacked, and Texas is at home. Both teams have good quarterbacks, good receivers, and strong trenches. What’s going to affect Texas is whether they can run the ball or not. If they can manage a decent ground game, it will open everything else up. The line of scrimmage is the name of the game. Ohio State walks away from this one once again with a win. – Justin Churchill 

Texas 27, Ohio State 13

This matchup is an interesting one for a multitude of reasons. Last season, it was Arch Manning’s first start of his first season as the starting quarterback and it was Week 1. With both teams having gotten Week 1 behind them this year, we’ve seen both teams get comfortable heading into this key matchup.”

What I’ve seen is simple: Texas is very balanced and explosive without many holes, but I have concerns about Ohio State, especially on defense. I think the Longhorns will be able to attack vertically on the Buckeyes and win the game semi-convincingly. – Tyler Forness

Texas 23, Ohio State 21

I’m taking Texas to finally get over the hump against Ohio State, 23-21, in what should be one of the most competitive games of the season. The Buckeyes have won the last two meetings, including a 14-7 victory over the Longhorns last season, but this time the game is in Austin, where the atmosphere should be electric. I expect Arch Manning to look much more comfortable in this matchup, especially after opening the season with 305 yards and four touchdowns against Texas State. 

Ultimately, I think this comes down to a defensive battle in the fourth quarter. Ohio State has the talent to make enough explosive plays to stay in it, but Texas’ defense makes one or two critical stops late, allowing the Longhorns to avenge last year’s loss. With Ohio State and Texas ranked inside the top-5 teams in the country, this has all the ingredients of a classic — and I’ll take the Longhorns 23-21 in a dramatic finish. — Ryan Roberts 

Ohio State 31, Texas 27

The game of September, if not the entire season, pits a trio of Heisman Trophy candidates in Austin on Saturday night in prime time. Last year’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 produced a close game, but a sloppy one that was not nearly as exciting as the seven-point Ohio State win indicated. The Buckeyes’ elite defense from 2025 has a lot of pieces in the NFL now, so it’s unlikely we see another low-scoring game of that ilk. 

Texas is getting a lot of SEC and national title love coming into the year, and with Arch Manning appearing to turn a corner in the second half of last year, it’s understandable why. But the Buckeyes still have the best player on the field in Jeremiah Smith, and he and Julian Sayin will connect early and often to carry the day for the Buckeyes. – Craig Smith