Sure, it’s May, but is it ever too early to start thinking about college football season? No, it’s not. The highly anticipated Texas-Ohio State matchup in Columbus on Aug. 30 will air on FOX for Week 1, the network announced at its upfront on Monday. The annual rivalry game between Ohio State and Michigan will also air on FOX on Nov. 29.
The battle between the Longhorns and Buckeyes, who will likely both be preseason top-five teams, will be the juiciest showdown in Week 1. It’s also the first battle in a home-and-home series, with the second game taking place in Austin in 2026.
There will be other big-time program matchups in Week 1 — Alabama plays at Florida State, Notre Dame goes to Miami (Fla.), and TCU faces North Carolina in Bill Belichick’s Tar Heel debut — but none will have the same intrigue as Texas-Ohio State.
It’s the reigning national champs vs. the aspiring champs. A rematch of last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal. And while both teams lost a chunk of talent to the NFL, this game will have plenty of Heisman Trophy chatter with Arch Manning, Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs on the field.
