Texas vs. Ohio State predictions, picks for Kalshi, Polymarket: Trades for Saturday's college football game

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Here's a look at the prediction markets available for Ohio State vs. Texas in Week 2

Sep 12, 2026 at 5:30 pm ET • 2 min read

Two top-5 teams meet in Week 2 of the 2026 college football season on Saturday as the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes head to Austin to face the No. 4 Texas Longhorns at 7:30 p.m. ET. These two programs are among the most iconic in college football, and this showdown is a rematch of last year's Week 1 contest which saw Ohio State prevail 14-7. That game was in Columbus but the scene has shifted for the 2026 encounter. We'll look at the latest prediction markets available for Ohio State vs. Texas and provide insights from the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times. Trade $25 and get a $25 bonus here with the Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS:

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Ohio State vs. Texas trading preview

• Ohio State to win: $0.48 (Kalshi)
• Texas to win: $0.52 (Kalshi)
• Texas to win by more than 1.5 points: Yes 51%, No 50% (Polymarket)
• More than 49.5 points scored: Yes 50%, No 51% (Polymarket)

The Buckeyes and Longhorns feature plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, but the focus will be on the starting quarterbacks. Julian Sayin threw for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns a season ago, and he leads Ohio State in what many expect to be a championship season. Texas also has title aspirations behind Arch Manning, who is in his second season as the full-time starter. Manning had 36 total touchdowns a season ago for Texas but the Longhorns missed the College Football Playoff. Sayin will rely on wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who is looking for a third consecutive campaign with 1,000+ yards and double-digit touchdowns. Manning's skill group features mostly transfers, as Cam Coleman, Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown are all expected to play big roles for the team this season. Use the latest Polymarket promo code CBSSPORTS to get a $50 bonus after depositing $10+:

Despite all this offensive firepower, the defenses reigned supreme in last year's showdown. The Buckeyes don't have Arvell Reese or Caleb Downs back for this game, but they've reloaded on that side of the ball well. Texas is also without some top defensive talent, though Colin Simmons is back after logging 12 sacks in 2025.

The SportsLine model has Texas winning in 56% of simulations. The Longhorns win by more than 1.5 points in 52% of simulations and the teams combine for less than 49.5 points in 50.5% of simulations. Get a $25 sign-up bonus with the latest Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS after making $25+ in trades:

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