Texas vs. Ohio State made even more important with the Preseason Coaches Poll out

Well, just like that, the biggest game of the regular season just got bigger.

As the Texas Longhorns prepare for fall camp to finally kick off and start to officially look toward the 2026 football season, their Week 2 matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes continues to amass pressure, expectations, and weight.

When the College Football Preseason Coaches Poll was released, the game got that much bigger with the Buckeyes ranked No. 1 in the country and the Horns ranked No. 4.

Obviously, this is virtually an exact reversal of last year's meeting between the two powerhouses, with Texas entering the season as the No. 1 team in the nation and Ohio State ranked third. Last year, it clearly didn't work out for the Horns with the Week 1 loss to the Buckeyes.

Now, that loss and a few other mishaps from last season might be carrying some weight into this year's preseason poll.

Steve Sarkisian has to win the big games before Texas is worthy of a No. 1 ranking again

Since joining the SEC in 2024, the Longhorns and head coach Steve Sarkisian have fallen short time and time again in their big-time games.

Yes, they defeated the Michigan Wolverines in both the 2024 regular season and the Citrus Bowl last year, but other than defeating a scandal-riddled Michigan program, Texas just hasn't had that edge to the team.

Going 0-3 against the Georgia Bulldogs, including a loss in the 2024 SEC Championship game, falling short time and time again in the College Football Playoff semifinals, and failing to find any offensive footing against Ohio State last season, Sarkisian hasn't had answers to the biggest questions.

Clearly, those flaws in the Texas football program are starting to hold the Horns back from a top spot in the Preseason Coaches Poll, or even a top-three spot for that matter.

The Oregon Ducks and Georgia Bulldogs are ranked ahead of the Longhorns, a reflection of SEC coaches believing that Georgia and head coach Kirby Smart still have the jump on Texas and Sarkisian.

Read more: Texas primed for revenge in SEC Championship after preseason media poll was released

Over the last five seasons (since Sarkisian took over in 2021), Texas has gone 12-14 against opponents ranked in the AP Top 25. That's a winning rate of below 50 percent, 46.1 percent to be exact.

That isn't an acceptable percentage for a top team in the nation, much less a program like the Texas Longhorns. This has to change.

In order for Texas to take that next step and make a return to the very top of the rankings, Sarkisian has to prove that he can lead this team past its biggest opponents.

This season, the Horns will play the No. 1 Buckeyes, No. 8 Texas A&M Aggies, No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners, No. 10 Ole Miss Rebels, No. 13 LSU Tigers, No. 18 Tennessee Volunteers, and No. 25 Missouri Tigers.

The first opponent he can do that against in 2026 is Ohio State. If Sarkisian can push the Longhorns to a win over the Buckeyes, exacting revenge for the last two seasons and toppling the current No. 1 team in the country, it will be the first step in the right direction.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow