Since Ohio State's marquee matchup with Texas was announced as a FOX game earlier this month, the athletic department has been working diligently behind the scenes to create the best environment possible for fans at Ohio Stadium.
As it turns out, the graphics from FOX and Ohio State that left off a set kickoff time for that matchup were intentional. The Buckeyes' athletic department requested their Cotton Bowl rematch against Texas Week 1 be moved to prime time on Sunday, either in the late afternoon or evening.
However, according to 247Sports, Texas said no to the request, so the game will remain on Saturday as scheduled. It'll likely be a noon kickoff, but a set time should be officially finalized later this month. From the Longhorns' vantage point, they likely view moving the game a day later to accommodate OSU's desire for a prime time window as only a detriment to their chances of leaving Columbus with a victory.
If the game had been moved to Sunday night, it would have gone against Notre Dame vs. Miami on ABC, but that would have been the only other football game broadcast in that window.
OSU will play Texas in Austin in 2026 on Sept. 12, but it'll be the Buckeyes' second opponent of the season, meaning the NFL season will have already started and there'd likely be no opportunity to move that game to a standalone spot on Sunday. Plus, with the SEC's TV contract with ABC, it's a safe bet that matchup will be in prime time anyway.
Regardless of when the game between these two this season is played, it'll have no shortage of storylines.
Jack Sawyer's scoop-and-score will be shown no less than a dozen times in the week leading up to the contest, as the teams will square off in a Cotton Bowl rematch at Ohio Stadium.
Arch Manning will make his first meaningful start and Colin Simmons may be the best pass rusher OSU faces all season, with Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs providing plenty of star power on the opposite sideline.
Both of these teams will look entirely different than the squads that clashed last January, with each replacing multiple starters on both sides of the ball. Whichever quarterback starts for the Buckeyes will be making their first career college start, as the competition rages on into fall camp between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz.
Former Ohio State defensive tackle Hero Kanu will make his return to Columbus after entering the transfer portal last winter, though how much he'll be deployed remains to be seen, considering the Longhorns added a handful of other interior defensive linemen in the offseason.
