The anticipation has been brewing since last year’s dud of a game in Columbus. The rematch is set for Saturday night in Texas, as Ohio State makes the 1,234 mile trek to Austin for a rematch with the Longhorns.
But more importantly, Steve Sarkisian will have his ‘semifinals aren’t good enough’ mantra tested by a Buckeyes team looking to make another Big Ten statement in what is now “SEC Country.”
While the offseason has been filled with questions surrounding whether this is the year Arch Manning takes the next step in becoming one of the best quarterbacks to come out of Austin, the bigger question is whether both Texas and Ohio State can justify spending over $40 million on their 2026 roster.
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In reality, the storylines write themselves when it comes to what happens on the field. Will this turn into a shootout in Austin, or will both defenses rise to the occasion to limit both Manning and Julian Sayin?
Either way, we’re in for a show on Saturday night.
And, there will be thousands of Ohio State fans in town to witness the next chapter of this convenient rivalry. It didn’t take very long for the first Buckeyes to be seen, at least by me, on their way to Austin for this Top-5 showdown.
Sitting at the gate inside the Nashville airport, waiting to board my flight to Austin, the trash talking had already begun.
“Look, I know you’re headed to Austin, but I just wanted to tell you all ‘Go Buckeyes’ and I hope the ride back is a bit longer,” a Southwest gate agent said over the intercom.
What more could you ask for? Trash talking by the guy who is scanning our plane tickets is the perfect way to get this weekend started.
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In all honesty, the more entertaining part came on the actual plane. Sitting two-seats over from a fan donning an Ohio State pullover, the Buckeye started explaining how much it was costing him for this college football adventure that would have him meeting up with four of his friends a little later than expected, thanks to a three-hour delay in the Music City.
How much was this Airbnb that would become their Buckeye fortress over the next three days?
“In all, it was around $22,000 for the entire house,” the Ohio State fan told me while sitting in the 23rd row of a Southwest airline flight. “Add on another $3,000 for tickets, and we darn sure better be headed home with a win.”
He was only half-kidding, most likely questioning his financial decisions if Ohio State left Texas with a loss, or somehow the ridiculously expensive housing turned into a nightmare. I will say, judging by the rentals I then had to look up on the site following his oddly truthful explanation of expenditures, his group would at least have a nice Alaska king to sleep on over these next three days.
I’ll enjoy my sleep at the $237 a night hotel that the company luckily procured through some fantastic booking tactics on my part.
Think of the party scene in this town as a tamed Bourbon Street, though I did my best to stay away from the raucous environment that I was told was coming after the 11 p.m. CT hour on both nights.
Sorry, I’m at the age where the body starts shutting down around 8 p.m., and my brain had already hit a wall around two hours earlier. I just can’t keep up with these kids nowadays, and I have zero shame in admitting that.
But, from the bustling music to the strong smell of marijuana pumping from the streets, it was pretty obvious as to why this town is such a tourist attraction. The restaurants were one of a kind, though we usually don’t give out free advertisements around here.
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Though, you don’t come to Texas without trying some of this BBQ that would make you wanna slap your mama. No, don’t hit your mom, it’s just a phrase us southerners use when describing a stellar food choice.
There had to be a stop at Terry Black’s BBQ, where we were joined by a plethora of Ohio State fans who had made the trip to Austin. Some of them must have came straight from the airport, carrying their luggage into the local establishment, which is also known as a BBQ cathedral.
But, past all of the love of pork and ribs, the distaste for their opponents wasn’t hard to find. That even included the ‘team up north’, according to a few Buckeyes.
“F— Michigan,” one Ohio State fan yelled through the sweet haze of BBQ smoke.
It certainly doesn’t get much bigger than this, especially for an early season game.
Arch Manning versus Julian Sayin.
Jeremiah Smith on one side, Cam Coleman on the other.
A Texas defense looking to create its own noise versus an Ohio State offense, that are both talented enough to help each team play for a national championship.
For an entire year, we’ve waited on this rematch in Austin. We all know that both squads have spent the money needed to field a championship-winning team. Now, it’s time to prove it on the field, with over 100,000 fans watching inside DKR Stadium, and millions tuning in at home.
It’s the Longhorns vs. the Buckeyes. The SEC versus the Big Ten.
We are in for a show tonight in Texas, with plenty of college football fans wondering if Arch Manning can take the next step in this journey to have fans proclaim ‘Texas Is Back’.
Obviously, we’ve got a long way to go in the 2026 season, but tonight we see just how good each one of these contenders really are.
Or, maybe we leave Austin with one team looking like a pretender.
Either way, the BBQ was delightful.
