We are less than two months away from the Buckeyes kicking off the 2026 season. They will start out in Week 1 against Ball State, which should be a blowout. They are more worried about playing Texas in Week 2 in Austin. That will be a tough test very early in the season.
Initially, the Longhorns were expecting to have to replace Cole Hutson in the starting lineup. Hutson has been a starting guard for Texas. Last season, he started five games at guard and five games at center. Now, he will be able to play college football for them again after successfully suing the NCAA.
Cole Hutson ruling has major implications for Ohio State vs. Texas
Hutson won his temporary injunction against the NCAA, granting him another year of eligibility. That is massive for the Longhorns, as they will now have another starting lineman back. That is bad news for the Ohio State Buckeyes, as they were hoping to feast on a less experienced lineman.
With Hutson back in the lineup, the middle of the offensive line will be stronger in 2026. Part of what Matt Patricia wants to do is put pressure up the middle of offenses. That has become a lot harder for the Buckeyes now that Hutson will be back in the starting lineup for this game.
Ohio State still feels confident that it will be able to get pressure on them. Last season against the Longhorns in Week 1, Ohio State was able to sack Arch Manning only once. They need to up those numbers this time around if they want to win on the road at night.
Hutson will have this game circled on his calendar now that he knows he will be able to play. Both teams have cupcake games to start out their schedule, which is different than how last season began. Both teams will have a nice warm-up game before this mighty clash.
Ohio State has a chance to end Texas hype early once again
This will be the third straight season that the Buckeyes are playing the Longhorns. They have won each of the first two games. They fully expect to win this game and end the Arch Manning hype early on. If they do that, they will have a big buffer for possibly dropping some games later on.
Ohio State is fully focused on making the College Football Playoff for the third straight season. They want to win their second national championship in three years. If they are able to accomplish that, they would become the new college football dynasty.
Ryan Day will tell you he's not focused on any of that. He will tell you that he is currently just focused on winning the first game of the season against Ball State. He will tell you that, in the short term, he just wants the team to get better once practice starts.
Practice will determine who the final members of the starting lineup will be on both sides of the ball, as well.
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