The Texas vs. Ohio State matchup last season was one of the most anticipated games on the college football calendar, with fans and analysts expecting a marquee showdown. However, it ultimately fell short of those lofty expectations.
Although the Buckeyes escaped with a 14-7 victory over the Longhorns, analyst Kaiden Smith believes neither Julian Sayin nor Arch Manning played up to their full potential, as it was the first season as the team’s starter for both quarterbacks.
During a conversation with J.D. PicKell on Thursday, Smith described the Texas–Ohio State showdown, set to take place on September 12, 2026, as the game expected to draw the most attention this season, particularly from NFL scouts eager to evaluate two of college football’s top quarterbacks.
“The storylines write themselves. I think both of these quarterbacks have grown so much since the first time we saw them play.” Kaidan Smith said. “They probably disappointed us a little bit as far as what we thought they were going to do in this game. This year’s edition, I think they’re both going to have a chip on their shoulder to prove that they’re better than the last time we saw them face up against each other. Ohio State has a new offensive coordinator. Excited to see that Arthur Smith’s offense goes up against a Will Muschamp defense.”
“I think the storylines, the players, we could maybe look back at this game and say, as far as NFL players go, there’s going to be a lot of them. I think NFL scouts will be clamoring for this game. I thinklast year’s game was just too too early. We were too early on that matchup. We were too early on the quarterbacks. Now they’re both settled in. Now both rosters, I think, are a little bit more settled in.”
Peyton Manning Shares Thoughts on Texas vs Tennessee Matchup in 2026
During last week’s Manning Passing Academy event, Peyton Manning shared that one of his kids asked him who he would be rooting for when Arch Manning’s Texas team takes on his alma mater, Tennessee, on 26 September, 2026.
Peyton said while his kid predicted that he would go for Tennessee, the former Super Bowl champ said nothing is more important to him than his family, hence he is going to pull very hard for his nephew on Saturdays for the 2026 college football season.
“So that’s pretty much a no-brainer that you’re pulling for your nephew to play well. But, as I said, everybody knows pretty strongly where my loyalties lie on all other Saturdays — with the University of Tennessee.” Peyton said.
Arch is heading into his second year as Texas’ starting quarterback.
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