College football’s most consequential game on the Week 2 schedule is yet to even be played, but the one thing we do know is that whoever wins should be named the No. 1 team in the country in the updated rankings.
A year ago, Texas was the top ranked team in America before losing to Ohio State, who promptly took that ranking away from them. A year later, Texas has a chance to repay the favor in the rematch at home. You can book it, according to Matt Barrie.
Not only will the Longhorns beat the Buckeyes and take the top spot in the AP poll. They’ll do so with relish, the SEC Network host said in a daring projection.
Texas Will Take Down the Buckeyes
“Ohio State and Texas, to me, is going to be the game that shapes the first half of the season. Why is that? Because last year, Texas went in No. 1. They didn’t deserve to be No. 1, but they did because of the star power,” Barrie said.
“I think not only is Texas going to win this game, I think they’re going to win it convincingly, because Ohio State lost so much defensively. They got to go on the road. Arch and his weapons? I think Texas makes a statement at home, plants their flag. They’ll be the No. 1 ranked team in the country.”
Longhorns Have the Firepower
Arch Manning gets most of the attention around what Texas does or doesn’t do, good and bad, and once again he’ll be the focus of attention whatever happens on Saturday.
It was his lousy play in last season’s opener that dictated the narrative around the Longhorns, and it could be the progress he’s made since then that will be the story this time around, improving dramatically over the second half of the 2025 campaign.
And he has plenty of help. Texas was aggressive in the transfer portal this offseason, bringing on former five-star Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman, ex-Arizona State tailback Raleek Brown and his 1,141 yards of production, and added NC State rusher Hollywood Smothers, who had 7 yards per attempt last week.
Questions Around Ohio State
Jeremiah Smith, considered the best wide receiver in college football, is back again for the Buckeyes, and Heisman finalist quarterback Julian Sayin is under center, too, in what should be another potent vertical attack that leads OSU back to the playoff.
But Barrie’s point about Ohio State’s defense is more than valid. A ton of those blue-chip tacklers, eight of them in total, are out of the picture now as they formulate a strategy to go after Manning before he finds all that SEC speed. America’s No. 1 ranking is on the line.
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