All eyes are on Texas this weekend as the biggest game of this early 2026 season unfolds in Austin.
No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas is the kind of blockbuster contest missing from the Week 1 slate, though Ole Miss-Louisville, Western Michigan-Michigan and others did their best to entertain us. It's a rematch of last season's opener in which Arch Manning struggled in his starting debut and the Buckeyes held on for a 14-7 win.
There have been significant changes on both sides since Week 1 of 2025. For Texas, there are new offensive weapons (Cam Coleman, Hollywood Smothers), an improved offensive line on paper and a new defensive coordinator in Will Muschamp. Ohio State has a new important face, too, in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who gets to dial up plays for Ohio State's talented offensive duo of quarterback Julian Sayin and receiver Jeremiah Smith.
The stakes feel higher for Texas, especially with the game at Darrell K. Royal-Memorial Stadium. An early nonconference loss, knowing what's to come in a challenging SEC slate, would only add more pressure on Arch and Steve Sarkisian in what feels like a title-or-bust season.
Elsewhere, No. 11 Oklahoma at Michigan (noon ET) may be the second-most anticipated game of the Saturday slate, even with the Wolverines falling out of the top 25. The big question: Can Bryce Underwood hold up against Brent Venables' defense, or is he on the path to being benched? At that same time, No. 6 Oregon shouldn't have much trouble with Oklahoma State, but it will give NFL scouts a look at high-profile quarterbacks Dante Moore and Drew Mestemaker.
There are two potentially sneaky good games in the 3:30 p.m. ET window -- No. 12 Alabama at Kentucky and Arizona at No. 15 BYU. First-year Kentucky coach Will Stein is hoping for a raucous environment, encouraging fans to bring in flasks and yell at the Crimson Tide.
If you want an alternative to Texas-Ohio State, you can turn to the annual Cy-Hawk rivalry game between No. 21 Iowa and Iowa State. The Hawkeyes are 14-point favorites over the Cyclones.
Three top-25 teams — No. 23 Missouri, No. 24 Louisville and No. 25 Virginia — kick off Friday night. After Kansas released what may be the wildest college football hype video ever, the Border War game is especially intriguing.
Michigan vs. No. 11 Oklahoma
Noon on Fox, fuboTV (try for free): If we're going on Week 1 results with a limited sample size, Oklahoma could roll in this one. But that adage that teams improve the most from opening weekend to their second game carries weight in this instance, especially after the Wolverines were nearly embarrassed at home as a multi-touchdown favorite against a MAC opponent. Brent Venables is licking his chops in hopes of getting after Bryce Underwood. First, the Sooners will have to shut down Michigan's rushing attack and make the Wolverines one-dimensional. This is a strange spread given how both teams looked their first time out, but it's too juicy to pass on taking the Sooners to cover. Pick: Oklahoma -5.5 -- Brad Crawford
Arizona State vs. No. 10 Texas A&M
Noon on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): Texas A&M's defense looked fantastic in a 50-0 Week 1 beatdown of Missouri State, but its offense sputtered some early. The Aggies still have some kinks to work through on that side of the football amid the coordinator transition from Collin Klein to Holman Wiggins. Scoring on A&M won't be easy for anyone this year, but Arizona State flashed some pop in a Week 1 drubbing of FCS foe Morgan State as quarterback Cutter Boley passed for six touchdowns. The Sun Devils may not have A&M's resources, but it's insulting to suggest they can't stay within two touchdowns of the Aggies. Pick: Arizona State -14.5 -- David Cobb
Mississippi State vs. Minnesota
3:30 p.m. on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium: Don't be surprised if this winds up being a breakout performance for Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor. The sophomore owns a cannon of an arm, and he's also great at making plays with his legs. Taylor's off-script ability will help ensure the Bulldogs get points on the board. Does Minnesota have enough pop to keep up? The Gophers will need to force some turnovers or create havoc with special teams to keep up with the Bulldogs. Pick: Mississippi State -1 -- Cobb
No. 12 Alabama vs. Kentucky
3:30 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): It might get a little bumpy, and it might look a little ugly, but I still like Alabama to cover on the road against Kentucky. There's a calmness to quarterback Keelon Russell that belies his inexperience and should come in handy in what will likely be a loud road environment. I don't think this will be a particularly high-scoring game, but something like Alabama 28, Kentucky 17 feels possible and would be enough to cover. Pick: Alabama -10.5 -- John Talty
No. 13 Texas Tech vs. Oregon State
7:30 p.m. on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium: Texas Tech needed a tune-up game to get ready for primetime, but the Red Raiders will come out motivated on the road. The defensive line will cause issues for breakout Oregon State quarterback Braden Atkinson, and Texas Tech's offense will lean heavily on its run game. It will be a late cover, but a cover nonetheless. Pick: Texas Tech -26.5 -- Shehah Jeyarajah
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Texas
7:30 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): Arch Manning was thrown into the fire in Week 1 last season. He improved as the game progressed, prompting questions about whether he would have beaten the Buckeyes later in the season. Now he has more weapons, including receiver Cam Coleman, a better understanding of how to lead the offense, and the support of 100,000-plus fans at DKR. Texas covers and beats Ohio State. Texas -1.5 -- Brandon Marcello
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