Texas vs Ohio State is more than a rematch: A BBQ-fueled collision between college football power brokers

The anticipation has been brewing since last year's dud of a game in Columbus.

The rematch is set for Saturday night in Texas, as Ohio State makes the 1,234 mile trek to Austin for a rematch with the Longhorns.

But more importantly, Steve Sarkisian will have his 'semifinals aren’t good enough' mantra tested by a Buckeyes team looking to make another Big Ten statement in what is now "SEC Country." While the offseason has been filled with questions surrounding whether this is the year Arch Manning takes the next step in becoming one of the best quarterbacks to come out of Austin, the bigger question is whether both Texas and Ohio State can justify spending over $40 million on their 2026 roster.

LSU PRESIDENT WADE ROUSSE ENDS LANE KIFFIN'S SEC SHOWDOWN, BUT THERE IS STILL RELATIONSHIPS TO MEND In reality, the storylines write themselves when it comes to what happens on the field.

Will this turn into a shootout in Austin, or will both defenses rise to the occasion to limit both Manning and Julian Sayin? Either way, we're in for a show on Saturday night.

And, there will be thousands of Ohio State fans in town to witness the next chapter of this convenient rivalry.

It didn’t take very long for the first Buckeyes to be seen, at least by me, on their way to Austin for this Top-5 showdown.

Sitting at the gate inside the Nashville airport, waiting to board my flight to Austin, the trash talking had already begun.

"Look, I know you're headed to Austin, but I just wanted to tell you all 'Go Buckeyes' and I hope the ride back is a bit longer," a Southwest gate agent said over the intercom.

What more could you ask for? Trash talking by the guy who is scanning our plane tickets is the perfect way to get this weekend started.

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DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW! In all honesty, the more entertaining part came on the actual plane.

Sitting two-seats over from a fan donning an Ohio State pullover, the Buckeye started explaining how much it was costing him for this college football adventure that would have him meeting up with four of his friends a little later than expected, thanks to a three-hour delay in the Music City.

How much was this Airbnb that would become their Buckeye fortress over the next three days? "In all, it was around $22,000 for the entire house," the Ohio State fan told me while sitting in the 23rd row of a Southwest airline flight.