These Are The Five Toughest Games on the Texas Longhorns' 2026 Schedule

Breaking down five of the Texas Longhorns' 2026 matchups, which should prove to be some of the most difficult.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian reacts with Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

On Thursday, the Texas Longhorns found out their complete schedule for the 2026 season, and with a short glance, the schedule should prove to be one of the toughest in the SEC and the country.

The Longhorns are set for a nine-conference game schedule for the first time since the SEC moved to a nine-conference game slate, and in their non-conference games, there is another matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes and two other ballgames with teams that earned bowl eligibility this season.

Taking a closer look at Texas' 2026 schedule, here are five of the toughest games the Longhorns will have to battle through next season if they wish to return to the College Football Playoff.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (Sept. 12, Austin, TX)

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates during the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While many other top programs have been canceling their challenging out-of-conference early-season games, the Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes are not some of those programs, with their early Week 2 battle still on.

The Buckeyes will travel to Darrell K. Royal Stadium and battle with the Longhorns on September 12 in a matchup that should garner much conversation throughout the offseason and into the preseason. Especially as the 2026 matchup is the return game between Ohio State and Texas, as the Longhorns look to avenge their 2025 season-opening loss to the Buckeyes in Columbus.

2. Texas A&M Aggies (Nov. 27, College Station, TX)

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Kyle Field. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

No surprises here, as the last two editions of the Lone Star Showdown have proven that this rivalry is still a burning flame within both programs.

And in 2026, it will be a trip back to College Station for the Longhorns after this season's rivalry matchup was in Austin. Once again set for the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Texas A&M Aggies will host the Longhorns on Nov. 27.

As it's happened in the past two years, this matchup will always have added stakes; either a trip to the SEC Championship game or better seeding in the College Football Playoff will be on the line, on top of bragging rights. And for the Aggies, they'll be looking for their first win in the rivalry's renewal, as the Longhorns are 2-0 since the two biggest schools in the state of Texas started playing again.

Oklahoma Sooners (Oct. 10, Dallas, TX)

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables gestures as he leaves the field following a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the LSU Tigers. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Once again, no surprise that one of the Longhorns' biggest rivalry games should be one of their toughest matchups of the year. The 2026 edition of the Red River Rivalry between Texas and the Oklahoma Sooners is set for October 10 at the iconic Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX.

The Longhorns have had the Sooners' number for the past two games with a combined margin of victory of 57-9, with the Sooners not having scored a touchdown against the Texas defense in two seasons.

LSU Tigers (Nov. 14, Baton Rouge, LA)

LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Now with multiple seasons in the SEC, the Longhorns are set to travel to some new destinations in 2026 and will head into one of the rowdiest arenas the SEC has to offer. As Texas will head to Baton Rouge to take on the LSU Tigers in Death Valley on November 14.

The Tigers should have a brand new feel to them with LSU being led by a brand new head coach in Lane Kiffin after his dramatic exit from the Ole Miss Rebels.

The last matchup between Texas and LSU proved to be full of fireworks with the Tigers defeating the Longhorns 45-38 in Austin back in 2019 when Joe Burrow was leading the Tigers, and Sam Ehlinger was under center for the Longhorns.

Tennessee Volunteers (Sept. 26, Knoxville, TN)

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel before a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Neyland Stadium. | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

The Longhorns will open up conference play with a difficult matchup heading to another one of the toughest places to play in the SEC as Texas travels to Neyland Stadium to take on the Tennessee Volunteers on September 26.

The last matchup between the two "UT's" came all the way back in 1969, where the Longhorns were on the winning side of the affair 36-13. On top of the chance of adding a chapter to the short history book between the two programs, it will be a big game for Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, who is expected to be back next year. As the trip to Knoxville will have Manning visiting the home of Volunteers legend, his uncle Peyton Manning.