The most anticipated nonconference game of the season highlights Saturday's Week 2 college football slate, as No. 1 Ohio State travels to No. 4 Texas for what could be considered a must-win for both teams. Considering that a team with three regular season losses has yet to reach the 12-team College Football Playoff, whoever drops this one only gets one more guaranteed mulligan if they want to be chosen on Selection Sunday. The Longhorns are narrow favorites (the spread is 1.5 at DraftKings), but that's mostly a reflection of their home field advantage.
These are arguably the two most talented teams in all of college football. As such, the margins are slim when you go position-by-position to try and decipher who has the edge. Ohio State and Texas both cruised to easy Week 1 wins against overmatched opposition.
While those blowouts offered some insight into the composition of these two heavyweights, the full picture will come into focus during this matchup. A year ago, defense ruled the day on both sides as Ohio State squeaked out a 14-7 win in a game that featured just one score over the first three quarters. It could be different this time around.
Both quarterbacks are seasoned, and there are questions to answer in both secondaries. So who has the edge at each position? Both quarterbacks are seeking redemption.
Manning played a dud against the Buckeyes last season in a painful beginning to his tenure as the Longhorns' full-time starter. Nothing came easy, and he looked lost for most of the game. Sayin's lackluster ending to 2025 overshadowed an otherwise great campaign.
Ohio State's Big Ten Championship Game loss to Indiana and CFP quarterfinal loss to Miami marked two of his worst performances of the season. He needs to prove that he can deliver on a big stage away from home. Edge: even Ohio State's slight edge comes from the best skill player in college football, junior receiver Jeremiah Smith.
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