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The pre-NFL Draft buzz for Ohio State football versus Texas football is building ahead of Saturday. That now includes a Bryce Young comparison attached to Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin. But Arch Manning of the Longhorns will draw millions of eyes too, including league personnel. Both quarterbacks are among the major attractions for fans who flock to Darrell K. Royal Stadium in Austin. They already have star wide receivers at their disposal in Cam Coleman (Texas) and Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State). The coaching battle between OSU's Ryan Day and the Longhorns' Steve Sarkisian adds further fuel for this highly-anticipated showdown. But strong quarterback play dictates the outcome here. Manning likely knows this well, having struggled in his last meeting with Ohio State. Now it's time to see which quarterbacks have the upper hand ahead of this top 10 showdown. Is Arch Manning looking different from 2025 version already? Manning endured a rough introduction to his first full college season. OSU bottled him to only 170 yards passing and picked him off once in the 14-7 victory at Columbus. The Texas QB looked nothing like the 2025 season opening version of himself during week one of the 2026 season. Manning looked more efficient in hitting 20-of-27 passes for 305 yards with four touchdowns, completing 74 percent of his throws. He did toss one interception against Texas State, but still spearheaded the 59-7 rout of the Bobcats. Manning looked more comfortable and poised playing in front of his home crowd. Texas fans will expect both versions of Manning to show up inside its home venue for this one. Even college football insider for On3 Pete Nakos revealed what one unnamed NFL scout told him. “He’s an excellent athlete who really flipped a corner once he finally started using his legs last year,” the NFL scout told On3. But the same scout adds: “He needs to keep doing that. [Manning] navigates the pocket well, but doesn’t have a super strong arm. He needs to show that he can handle that environment first of all, but also throw on the run.” OSU certainly will test him mobility wise. Or even aim to see if Manning can beat them deep down the field. How Texas can rattle Julian Sayin's draft potential So Sayin, like Manning, benefitted from facing a Group of 5 foe to start his season. And the returning OSU QB looked equally consistent: 21-of-25 passing with 320 yards and three touchdowns in the 56-3 trouncing of Ball State. Sayin looked at ease distributing the ball around. Although it helps when the QB has nothing but four and five-star talent to throw to, including Smith. Yet Texas likely identified where Sayin's strength really lies: In the short-to-intermediate game. He throws a nicer spiral there plus hits defenses with a Dan Marino-like quick release. But like Manning, Sayin's deep ball rises as a flaw. He tends to lose power in the throw and ends up underthrowing his targets. Furthermore, Sayin resorts to panic when he sees oncoming rushers, but lacks the speed to extend plays. Texas co-defensive coordinators Johnny Nansen and Will Muschamp likely will turn the dial up pressure wise. Especially in attempting to force Sayin to throw off his back foot, which rises as another weakness from him. They likely won't hesitate to force Sayin to beat them deep, since the QB does his most damage on shorter throws. The biggest key for Texas is eliminating the YAC (yards after catch) moments Smith and the OSU wideouts will attempt to create, which makes Sayin look good too. Who holds the edge in Texas vs. Ohio State showdown? Texas will win if the ‘Horns get a more confident Manning entering this heavyweight battle. Manning comes with the more experienced skill personnel. Sayin earns protection from four of five returning offensive linemen via last year's showdown. But OSU must lean into a younger defense that doesn't have past stars Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles or Caleb Downs. If Manning aggressively and comfortably goes after the newcomers, then it'll be Texas taking down the No. 1 team in this battle. And in the process solidify his case for the top pick of the April 2027 draft.