Ohio State-Texas tickets soar to new-car prices as predictions reveal a surprising favorite
One seat briefly cost more than a new car
A college football fan could buy a new car or spend the same amount of money on one seat inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. That is how extraordinary the demand has become for No. 1 Ohio State’s visit to No. 4 Texas.
One SeatGeek listing reportedly climbed above $42,000 earlier in the week . By Friday afternoon, the most expensive available ticket had dropped to $14,863, while other seats were listed for $5,320 and $5,685.
Those were asking prices and not confirmed sales, but they revealed how desperately some fans want to witness one of the most anticipated games of the 2026 college football season.
Even the cheapest way inside remained painful. Tickets started around $441 , while average resale prices across different platforms ranged between $800 and $900. The game is sold out and could break Texas’ home attendance record of 105,215 spectators.
Texas becomes the favorite despite Ohio State’s No. 1 ranking
The prices are enormous, but the betting line offers an equally surprising detail. Despite entering Austin as the top-ranked team in the country, Ohio State was listed as a 1.5-point underdog, with Texas slightly favored at home.
FanDuel placed Texas at -118 on the moneyline and Ohio State at +100, with a projected total of 49.5 points. That suggests a close and physical game rather than the offensive explosion many might expect from two quarterbacks carrying Heisman Trophy ambitions.
Not every prediction agrees with the betting market. NumberFire’s model gave Ohio State a 63.7% probability of winning, while one FanDuel analysis selected the Buckeyes outright and projected Jeremiah Smith to surpass 81.5 receiving yards.
Arch Manning enters the night carrying the pressure of his famous surname and the memory of what happened last season . Texas opened 2025 ranked No. 1 but suffered a 14-7 loss at Ohio State, immediately damaging Manning’s Heisman campaign and helping push the Longhorns toward a season without a playoff appearance.
Manning looked more comfortable in Texas’ 59-7 opening victory over Texas State. He completed 20 of 27 passes for 305 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Ryan Wingo added 121 receiving yards, giving the Longhorns confidence that their offense is ready for a much greater challenge.
Julian Sayin was just as impressive for the Buckeyes. The returning Heisman finalist completed 21 of 25 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-3 victory over Ball State.
Texas defensive star Colin Simmons will also attempt to place Sayin under constant pressure . At the other end, Manning will face an Ohio State defense that did not allow a touchdown against Ball State.
This will be the third meeting between the programs in only 21 months. Ohio State won 28-14 in the College Football Playoff semifinal following the 2024 season and then defeated Texas again in Columbus last year.
Manning now has an opportunity to end that run in front of what could be the largest crowd in Longhorns history.
The buildup has already extended far beyond football. ESPN brought College GameDay to Austin’s LBJ Lawn, with actor and current Texas student Glen Powell serving as the celebrity guest picker.
Matthew McConaughey added Hollywood energy by narrating Texas’ official hype video. The actor described expectations as an opportunity before imagining nearly 100-degree heat, more than 100,000 Longhorns and a stampede that Ohio State would struggle to stop.
Ohio State answered with its own trailer titled “Legacy,” narrated by former Buckeyes star and current linebackers coach James Laurinaitis.
The competing videos presented the game as something deeper than a September result: Texas fighting to reclaim its place and Ohio State defending the standard attached to its No. 1 ranking.
