Head coach Ryan Day before the Ball State game. Ohio State beat Ball State 56-3 on Sept. 5, 2026. Credit: Cassandra D’Angelo | Sports Photo Editor.
For the third consecutive season, the Buckeyes and Longhorns will clash on the football field.??
Unlike the last two matchups, Ohio State will now be the visitors, traveling to Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium for just the second time in program history.
“This is going to be an unbelievable atmosphere down there against a great opponent,” head coach Ryan Day said. “Everybody in the country will be watching.”?
Saturday’s game marks the 45th time in program history that the Buckeyes and their opponent have been ranked in the top five.?
Here are three takeaways from Day’s Tuesday press conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.?
Importance of playing a highly-ranked nonconference opponent?
Ohio State’s game against Texas marks the fifth time in the six past seasons that the Buckeyes will play a ranked nonconference opponent.?
Day emphasized the importance of playing those games ahead of Big Ten play.?
“It certainly gives you some early feedback on where you are, and I think it’s great for college football,” Day said.?
Day emphasized the magnitude of the matchup.?
“This is why you come to Ohio State, this is why you go to Texas, to play in games like this,” Day said.?
Facing Texas for a third time in three seasons
The Buckeyes ended the Longhorns’ season in the 2024 College Football Playoff semifinal, and defeated them in the season opener in 2025.?
Despite the familiarity between programs in recent seasons, Day emphasized how Ohio State and Texas have changed from previous meetings.
“Those teams are very different, we have different coordinators now, they have a new defensive coordinator,” Day said.?
Ohio State has had a different offensive coordinator in each of the last three seasons, with Arthur Smith now in his first year with team. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was with the Buckeyes for their 14-7 win over Texas last season, but was not with the team for their 28-14 win over the Longhorns in the 2024 College Football Playoff.
Texas brought in a new defensive coordinator this season, Will Muschamp, who was the head coach for Florida from 2011-14 and South Carolina from 2016-20.
Yet, the coaching staff is not the only thing that is different between the teams.?
“When you look at the transfers that have come and gone on both teams, different personnel and some different schemes,” Day said.
Both Ohio State and Texas return nine starters from last season’s season-opening matchup. Only three starters from either team from the 2024 College Football Playoff semifinal game are still on the same team: Ohio State offensive linemen Luke Montgomery and Carson Hinzman and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.?
Depth highlights key takeaway from Saturday’s 56-3 win over Ball State
As the Buckeyes took a commanding lead over Ball State Saturday, over 80 Ohio State players were able to get playing time.?
“We were able to play some depth, which was good,” Day said. “I think we’ve been in games, you’ve seen them before, where the starters come out and the level of play just falls off.” Day said.
Although Day described he’d seen competition drop once starters are taken out of the game, he doesn’t think that was the case against Ball State.
“I don’t think that happened in the game this past week,” Day said.
The game allowed Day and his staff to determine which players could play during the team’s matchup with Texas.?
“It was good to have that game as a little [insight for] some information to say all right, we feel good putting them into the game based on how they graded out,” Day said.?
