Urban Meyer's Prediction for Texas vs. Ohio State Depends on One Major Factor

The No. 4 Texas Longhorns are set to battle the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes in Austin on Saturday in what's expected to be one of the biggest games of the 2026 college football season.

It will mark just the fourth time ever that the Longhorns have hosted the No. 1-ranked team in the country at home.

As a result of all the hype surrounding, talking heads in the media have run wild with predictions for Saturday's game. While some of these takes have received more attention than others, it's no secret that any Texas-Ohio State commentary from former Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer will turn some heads.

Urban Meyer Wants to See Improvement From Texas Skill Positions

During a recent appearance on The Joel Klatt Show, Meyer talked about his keys to the game for Texas and Ohio State.

He didn't give an official final score prediction for the contest, but he made it clear that if Texas' skill position is as improved as people say, the game will be "close."

If not, Ohio State could win by two scores.

"They're much better than they were a year ago," Meyer said of the Longhorns. "If Texas' skill can match Ohio State, this will be a close game. If they don't, Ohio State will win this thing by 7, 8, 9 points."

Will Arch Manning have guys open to throw to?@joelklatt and @CoachUrbanMeyer preview Ohio State-Texas. pic.twitter.com/8KXQOastNI

- The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) September 9, 2026

It's clear that Meyer thinks Ohio State is the better team based on these comments. Putting aside his history with the program, it's understandable to see why he feels this way. The Buckeyes are at least equal or better than Texas at nearly every position.

But on top of that, Ohio State has proven itself in big games under Ryan Day, highlighted by winning the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2024. Texas has had memorable moments under Steve Sarkisian, but the Longhorns have often come up short against the best of the best, which includes Ohio State.

That's not to say that the Longhorns aren't much improved this season. They certainly are. Any time you add an elite transfer like Cam Coleman at wide receiver and two talented running backs in Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers, the roster is bound to be improved.

However, the Longhorns might have an Ohio State problem. They'll have a chance to prove otherwise on Saturday in Austin at 6:30 p.m. CT.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/texas as Urban Meyer's Prediction for Texas vs. Ohio State Depends on One Major Factor.