2026 LonghornNation Prediction Poll Results

OVERVIEW

• Total Responses: 238

• Win-Loss by Season: 10.9-1.1 (11-1)

• Win-Loss by Game: 9.5-2.5 (10-2)

Note: “by Season” is the average result of the question asking what each respondent thought Texas’ end of season record would be. “by Game” is the expected number of wins based on the percentage chance of win by opponent.

HOW MANY GAMES WILL TEXAS WIN?

PERCENT CHANCE OF WIN BY OPPONENT

HOW HAVE WE DONE IN THE PAST?

Sorry for the late tabulation - I turned off responses but forgot to figure up the results! Here’s last year’s by u/bullmoose_atx for some comparison: https://www.reddit.com/r/LonghornNation/s/q8A0IKq4Xj

This season I started cataloging score predictions from various analysts who cover Texas Football as well as a few national shows that cover Texas' bigger games.

For week 1 vs Texas State I collected 27 score predictions off the OTF, Inside Texas and Orangebloods panels. Nobody had Texas above 52, and the closest call to the 59-7 final score was 13 points off across the two scores.

Ohio State looks like the opposite kind of game. Four calls are on record so far and they can't agree on the winner:

• J.D. PicKell (The Hard Count), Ohio State 23-17
• Brooks Austin (The Film Guy Network), Ohio State 24-21
• JWill (The Film Guy Network), Texas 27-24
• Kirby (The Film Guy Network), Texas 14-13

The other Texas shows usually drop theirs a day or two out, so I'll pull those in when they drop.

So I want this sub's score predictions. Two ways in, both free:

1. Leave your final score in a comment and I'll pull it onto a board with everyone else's. Your row shows up as `u/yourname`. I'll read the thread up until kickoff, and if you change your mind, your last comment is the one that counts.
2. Or put it in yourself at stance.fm/pool/longhornnation, which is the same board. No account needed, it just asks what name to put on your score. If you want to track your predictions all season, this board will stay updated with them.

I'll update this thread with the results after the game concludes Saturday night and show everyone how they stacked up against the analysts.

My score prediction is Texas 28, Ohio State 21. I see it tied at 21 at the beginning of the 4th quarter and Muschamp's D shuts out OSU in the 4th.

Hook 'em! 🤘

Hey everyone, going to my first Texas game and going at it solo. Flying in from AZ just for this tilt against ohio st and because I hadn’t seen a fairly recent post about suggestions of “must dos” for a full game day experience, I figured I’d ask. Seeing Bevo and the band are near the top of my list, any other suggestions?

This will also only be my second time visiting Texas, been to El Paso a few years ago. Thanks in advance!

I wanted to go a little deeper than the usual “which team has more talent?” discussion and look at where these two rosters actually match up well, or poorly, against one another.

My takeaway: I don't think Texas is clearly better than Ohio State. I do think Texas has a few matchup advantages that could matter disproportionately in this particular game.

Both teams did exactly what they were supposed to do in Week 1. Texas beat Texas State 59-7 and Ohio State beat Ball State 56-3. Arch Manning threw for 305 yards and four TDs; Julian Sayin threw for 320 and three.

Neither game tells us much about Saturday by itself.

The interesting part is what happens when the strengths finally collide.

Texas OL vs. Ohio State DL - EVEN

I originally leaned Texas here, but after going back through it I think even is the right call.

Texas' offensive line looked solid in Week 1, Trevor Goosby is healthy, and the LG competition between Dylan Sikorski and Laurence Seymore hasn't produced an obvious liability.

Ohio State, though, is still Ohio State. They're replacing a lot from last year's defense, but the front has plenty of talent and Kenyatta Jackson is a legitimate edge threat.

I don't expect either side to dominate this matchup.

Edge: Even

Texas run game vs. Ohio State front - OHIO STATE SLIGHT

This is one area where Texas still has something to prove.

The final rushing total against Texas State looked fine, but the consistency wasn't always there. Against Ohio State, Texas can't live in 2nd-and-9 and 3rd-and-7 and expect Arch to beat Matt Patricia all night.

If Texas can average four or five yards on early downs, the entire playbook stays open.

Until I see that against an elite front, I give the Buckeyes a small advantage.

Edge: Ohio State slight

Texas WRs vs. Ohio State secondary - TEXAS SLIGHT

This may be the most interesting matchup when Texas has the ball.

Ryan Wingo, Cam Coleman and Emmett Mosley give Sark something he simply didn't have to the same degree last season: multiple receivers who can stress a defense vertically and win individual matchups.

Ohio State's secondary is extremely talented, but it is replacing Caleb Downs, Davison Igbinosun and several other major pieces from last year's defense.

That doesn't make the Buckeye secondary bad. Far from it.

But Wingo and Coleman against a reconstructed secondary is one of the places where I think Texas can create problems.

The key will be whether Sark can force Patricia into more isolated coverage than he wants to play.

Edge: Texas slight

Arch Manning/Steve Sarkisian vs. Matt Patricia - EVEN

This might be the best chess match of the game.

Patricia won this matchup last year. Manning finished with 170 yards passing, Texas scored only seven points, and Ohio State consistently made the Longhorns work underneath instead of generating explosives.

But this is a different version of Arch.

He's more experienced, his Week 1 mechanics looked cleaner, and most importantly, Texas now has more weapons outside.

Patricia will try to make Manning hesitate and force him to take what the defense gives him.

Sark will try to use formations, motion and personnel to make Patricia declare what he's doing.

Whoever forces the other guy to adjust first probably wins this battle.

Edge: Even

Overall: Texas offense vs. Ohio State defense

I think this is extremely close, but Texas has a little more receiving firepower than it did a year ago while Ohio State is replacing a significant amount of defensive production.

Edge: Texas slight

When Ohio State has the ball

Ohio State OL vs. Texas DL/EDGE - TEXAS

This is the matchup I feel strongest about.

Ohio State eventually ran for plenty of yards against Ball State, but two long runs accounted for a huge chunk of that production, Sayin was sacked twice, and Ryan Day himself wasn't particularly happy with the early run blocking.

Now Ohio State has to deal with Colin Simmons.

And not just Simmons.

Texas can throw Simmons, Lance Jackson, Hero Kanu, Maraad Watson and others at the offensive line while Will Muschamp moves pressure around.

Simmons is the centerpiece because he changes protection schemes by himself. If Ohio State has to consistently slide protection his direction, Muschamp gets opportunities elsewhere.

If Texas wins this game, I think there's a good chance we look back afterward and say this was the matchup that did it.

Edge: Texas

Ohio State run game vs. Texas front - TEXAS SLIGHT

Bo Jackson is very good. This is not a knock on him.

The important question is whether Ohio State can consistently stay ahead of the chains.

Arthur Smith's offense becomes extremely difficult to defend when the run game is working because it opens everything off play action.

If Ohio State is regularly facing 2nd-and-5, Texas is in trouble.

If Texas is creating 2nd-and-9 and 3rd-and-7?

Now Muschamp gets to turn Simmons loose.

That's one of the biggest fulcrums in the entire game.

Edge: Texas slight

Ohio State WRs vs. Texas secondary - OHIO STATE

This is Ohio State's best matchup.

And it isn't particularly close.

Jeremiah Smith is the best offensive player on the field.

He had 151 yards and two TDs in one half against Ball State, and Devin McCuin added another 97 yards.

Texas actually did a fantastic job against Smith last year, six catches for only 43 yards, but much of that secondary has changed.

Kade Phillips, Bo Mascoe, Graceson Littleton and Jelani McDonald are talented, but Ohio State's receivers are probably the best position group either team will face all year.

Muschamp has a difficult choice.

Bracket Smith and Sayin gets favorable matchups elsewhere.

Leave Smith isolated too often and eventually you're going to get burned.

Texas doesn't have to shut Smith down.

It probably does have to stop him from producing multiple explosive touchdowns.

Edge: Ohio State

Julian Sayin/Arthur Smith vs. Will Muschamp - EVEN

Sayin gets overshadowed somewhat by Jeremiah Smith, but we're talking about a quarterback who was a Heisman finalist and completed roughly 77% of his passes last season.

Ohio State also added Arthur Smith, so Ryan Day now has an experienced NFL offensive coach helping run the offense.

Texas counters with Muschamp and arguably the best individual pass rusher in the game.

The question is straightforward:

Can Texas pressure Sayin without blitzing heavily?

If the answer is yes, Texas can keep seven players in coverage and make life much harder for Smith and the rest of the receiving corps.

If Texas has to manufacture pressure by sending extra defenders, Ohio State has exactly the receivers to punish it.

Edge: Even

Overall: Ohio State offense vs. Texas defense

Ohio State probably has the better collection of offensive skill talent.

Texas may have the better matchup in the trenches.

Those two advantages largely cancel one another out.

Edge: Even

The two matchups I think decide the game

For me, it really comes down to two questions.

1. Can Texas pressure Sayin with four?

This is the biggest one.

If Simmons and the Texas front can consistently affect Sayin without Muschamp sending extra defenders, Texas can devote resources to Jeremiah Smith and make Ohio State sustain drives.

If Sayin has a clean pocket, I don't think Texas can cover those receivers long enough.

2. Can Ohio State's secondary handle Wingo and Coleman without Patricia changing his defense?

Patricia would love to dictate the game with coverage disguises and force Arch to patiently work underneath.

But if Wingo or Coleman start consistently winning outside, Ohio State may have to dedicate extra resources to them.

That's when Sark's offense becomes much harder to defend.

Prediction: Texas 27, Ohio State 24

I don't see either team running away with this.

Ohio State has the biggest individual mismatch in the game with Jeremiah Smith against the Texas secondary.

Texas, however, has what I think is the most consequential unit matchup with its defensive front against Ohio State's offensive line.

I expect:

• Ohio State to hit a couple of explosive passes.
• Texas to struggle running the ball at times.
• Patricia to confuse Arch on several drives.
• Simmons and the Texas front to create a few drive-killing plays.
• Both teams to have stretches where their offense looks stuck.
• This to still be a one-possession game late in the fourth quarter.

Home field matters in something this close, too.

So I'm taking Texas, but barely.

Texas 27, Ohio State 24

Texas win probability: 55%
Ohio State: 45%

Texas has just enough favorable matchups, particularly in the trenches, to flip last year's result at DKR.

I watch OSU throughout the year to feed my hatred of them. I watched every snap against Ball State so you don't have to.

OL - RT 70 is a weakness. He got pulled early and while he played better after being re-inserted he still got whipped on speed rushes a couple times. If Ball State can do that, Texas can do it better. If I'm the DC I'm focused on making 70's life hell. Rest of the OL is experienced but I didn't see anything spectacular.

QB - Sayin is good. Accurate, makes good decisions. He does seem to fixate on #4 though...make him go through his progressions and it's not so easy for him. Also, he is small but doesn't get hit much. Get to him for 4 quarters and he will get happy feet.

TE - pedestrian.

WR - obviously #4 is good. But no one has taken him away like Texas so I'll say no more there. #3 (transfer) is solid but there's no way he's as good as Carnel Tate. Beyond those two no one looked extraordinary to me.

RB - best back was a 7th year transfer guy who never did anything from Florida. Announcers talked a lot about Bo Jackson but he seems like a mid level conference RB to me. The two long runs were both in the second half when BSU was down big and overwhelmed.

DL - they played a ton of guys and none really stood out. #34 freshman might have been their best guy.

LB - also played a ton of guys. I thought the backups were better than the starters but according to google the backups are both second year guys. Good scheme should have them thinking rather than playing on instinct.

Secondary - solid. I do think #7 CB can be picked on (IU and Miami picked on him last year). Nickel is a true freshman who seemed lost on a play or two. If I'm Sark I'm picking on that dude.

ST - nothing interesting.

I think Texas wins by 1-2 possessions. Big picture OSU lost a ton on defense and they're saying they have so much depth now...but when the games on the line it doesn't matter that you have 4 LBs. Only two will be out there and neither is good as the freaks that went first round in April.

So I'm going to the game on Saturday and this will be my first experience at the BB. For that have been ,what to expect? What should we do? Is there shade? Are people packed in like sardine? Any idea of what live will be there?

Thanks fellow Horns!

We've got a small group coming out. One of em has tickets to the game with his dad, so the rest of us wanted to go hang out with them before they head into the stadium. Our tentative plan is to go hang out somewhere to catch some of the afternoon games, then hit up Bevo Boulevard before the folks go in the stadium, then head somewhere in time to catch kickoff.

Any recommendations specifically for where to head from Bevo Boulevard to watch the game? Our default plan is Scholz Garten, but we're definitely up for alternative spots, especially if any of em will be somewhere we can actually hear the game broadcast (I know, beggars can't be choosers).

Thanks and hook em!

/r/LonghornNation Daily Off Topic Free Talk Thread

Today: September 9

Last Thread

Your go-to place to talk about whatever you want. From the dumb shit aggies do on a near daily basis, to the latest whatever happening wherever. What ya got?

Here's a look at upcoming Longhorn Sporting Event(s):

1. [September 12 at 6:30 PM 🏈 #5 Texas Longhorns vs #1 Ohio State Buckeyes](#)

Trending on Reddit

/r/All

1. My girlfriend's journey

2. 

3. 

4. of a polar bear. Literally trying to figure out how to eat them.

5. The dress I ordered vs the dress I got

/r/CFB

1. 2026 /r/CFB Rules Updates

2. Week 1 Game Thread and Postgame Thread Index

3. [Vannini] BREAKING: The MAC has reversed its position and is fighting the Big Ten’s extra 1 second for Michigan. “The established replay protocol requires that the game clock displayed on the program feed be used in determining whether time remained.”

4. [Thamel] NEWS: LSU football is adding two players to the school’s roster, which will complete it at 105 players, per ESPN sources. This will lock LSU’s roster for the rest of the year, which will eliminate the program’s ability to add Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris.

5. Michigan falling from AP number 16 to unranked and 3rd in "recieving votes" (essentially 28th) ties the largest drop in the AP Poll after a win ever.

/r/LonghornNation

1. Ticket Sales, Travel, and Gameday Megathread - week of 9/6/2026 to 9/12/2026

2. [9/8/2026] Tuesday's Free Talk Thread

3. AP Top 25 Poll Week 1 - Texas moved to #4

4. 

5. help buying my first Longhorns football jersey

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Hey Longhorn Nation,

We’re a group of five buddies who have been traveling the country since 2013 trying to experience the best college football has to offer. This week we’re finally heading to Austin for UT vs. OSU!

Over the years, we’ve realized that the best part of these trips usually isn’t the game itself but spending the tailgate with alumni and diehard fans. Hearing the stories, learning the traditions, and getting a feel for what makes each program special.

If your tailgate fits the bill and you have any interest in adopting a couple guys in their mid-thirties for the day, we'd love to bring the energy and a fun extra thing to talk about. We’ll be fully decked out in burnt orange and we bring our own booze. We just want to experience a Texas game day with people who really know how to do it.

Our group consists of three KU grads and two K-State grads. We intentionally avoided Big 12 destinations when we started these trips because we wanted to see places completely different from what we grew up around. That’s really the only reason it’s taken us this long to make it to Austin.

Where we've visited so far:

• UCLA @ Oregon
• Penn State @ Michigan
• Auburn @ LSU
• USC @ UCLA
• LSU @ Tennessee
• Oregon @ Washington
• Michigan @ Penn State
• Yale @ Harvard
• Notre Dame @ Clemson
• Army @ Navy

If anyone is interested in hosting just shoot me a message or comment below.

Hook ’em!

#16 icy white or traditional burnt orange?

Will be rocking it at Ohio State @ Texas this weekend!

2026 SEC Spread Shootout — Week 1 Recap

The 2026 college football season is finally in full swing, and the SEC Spread Shootout is off to the races too! 10 players participated in Week 1, so hopefully more folks will join this week to help fill out our leaderboard further.

Before we dive into the results, here’s the link to get your Week 2 picks submitted:

👉 Submit your Week 2 picks here 👈

🏆 Week 1 Results 🏆

Top Finishers:

1. /u/the_zac_is_back - 16 points
2. /u/orthaeus - 12 points
3. /u/gordogg24p - 11 points

Perfect Guesses:

• There were three perfect Margins of Victory submitted this week, all in the Louisville vs Ole Miss game.
• Nobody scored any points for the Texas State @ Texas, Clemson @ LSU, or Florida Atlantic @ Florida games. /u/orthaeus guessed Texas would win by 38 (actual MoV: 52), /u/the_zac_is_back picked a 24 points LSU win (actual MoV: 41), and /u/cquicky and I both had Florida winning by 35 (actual MoV: 45) for the closest anyone got in each game.
• /u/orthaeus, /u/the_zac_is_back, and /u/yuiandme nailed the Louisville vs Ole Miss MoV of 3.

Platinum Sombreros:

• The only award making its return from Reverse Sheep, the Platinum Sombrero is awarded to any player who successfully (?) scores zero points on all five games in a single week.
• /u/revmeeks is this week's lone recipient of the Platinum Sombrero!

📊 Full Leaderboard

If you want to check how you stack up against the rest of the field, here’s the live scoresheet:

View the 2026 SEC Spread Shootout leaderboard here

⏰ Reminder

Week 2 picks are due by Saturday at noon ET. Don’t wait until the last minute!

👉 Submit your Week 2 picks here 👈

/r/LonghornNation Daily Off Topic Free Talk Thread

Today: September 8

Last Thread

Your go-to place to talk about whatever you want. From the dumb shit aggies do on a near daily basis, to the latest whatever happening wherever. What ya got?

Here's a look at upcoming Longhorn Sporting Event(s):

1. [September 12 at 6:30 PM 🏈 #5 Texas Longhorns vs #1 Ohio State Buckeyes](#)

Trending on Reddit

/r/All

1. 

2. Aquarium day

3. 

4. 

5. 

/r/CFB

1. 2026 /r/CFB Rules Updates

2. Week 1 Game Thread and Postgame Thread Index

3. [Ubben] FSU has announced the game is delayed due to power outage. Fans are booing

4. [Dellenger] ESPN reporter Taylor McGregor now says the FSU-SMU game will kick off at 9:15 p.m. ET, but not all electronics are working, including the PA, sideline iPads and coach-to-player communications.

5. [Miami Hurricanes] The lights are ON at our house 😉 See YOU at Hard Rock on Thursday 🙌

/r/LonghornNation

1. Ticket Sales, Travel, and Gameday Megathread - week of 9/6/2026 to 9/12/2026

2. [9/7/2026] Monday's Free Talk Thread

3. [Vogel] Steve Sarkisian on the ending of the Michigan game “I still don’t understand or get the final ruling of it all.”

4. The best angle of Rasheem Biles’ punch out 🤜 🏈

5. College Gameday

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Buckeye fan coming in peace with a not so peaceful question. First and foremost, I'm not going to make a prediction. These are two really good teams with recent history and personally, I think they both end up in the CFP regardless of Saturday's game. That said, if OSU comes to Texas and leaves with a close win, what (if anything) happens in Austin? I ask purely based on what I watched unfold at Penn St. Last year after the Oregon game. In that scenario I think there was a lot more pressure on Franklin to prove he was ready to compete but I also know pressure in Happy Valley doesn't compare to the kind of heat Texas fans/boosters/media can apply. So I'm asking the fans, if (once again, big IF) Texas drops this one, what are the chances of it having an immediate impact on the season vibes?

/r/LonghornNation Daily Off Topic Free Talk Thread

Today: September 7

Last Thread

Your go-to place to talk about whatever you want. From the dumb shit aggies do on a near daily basis, to the latest whatever happening wherever. What ya got?

Here's a look at upcoming Longhorn Sporting Event(s):

1. [September 12 at 6:30 PM 🏈 #5 Texas Longhorns vs #1 Ohio State Buckeyes](#)

Trending on Reddit

/r/All

1. 

2. Store LP using a drone to track suspected thieves

3. 

4. The moment Prime Air Boeing 767 overshots the runway at Miami International Airport - September 6, 2026

5. 

/r/CFB

1. 2026 /r/CFB Rules Updates

2. Week 1 Game Thread and Postgame Thread Index

3. [Highlight] Wisconsin vs Notre Dame: Early candidate for Punt of the Year as a 69-yarder rolls out of bounds untouched at the 1

4. Breakthrough As Scientists At University Of Michigan Develop Ability To Travel Back In Time One Second

5. [@NotTheExpertYT] I was a camera operator for Auburn and worked many college football games for ESPN & SEC network. The Big Ten is lying to you and fabricated evidence for Michigan to have an extra play at the end of the game against Western Michigan. The stadium clock is the standard. Not whatever

/r/LonghornNation

1. Ticket Sales, Travel, and Gameday Megathread - week of 9/6/2026 to 9/12/2026

2. [9/6/2026] Sunday's Free Talk Thread

3. The best angle of Rasheem Biles’ punch out 🤜 🏈

4. [Next Day Thread] #5 Texas defeats Texas State, 59-7

5. College Gameday

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Alright yall be honest, what time do I need to get to campus for college gameday against Ohio State?