Austin is bracing for a full-on football takeover as No. 4 Texas prepares to host No. 1 Ohio State in one of the season’s marquee matchups. Traffic is expected to pour into the area around the Forty Acres.
With tailgates expected to be packed, fans are planning to make a full day of it Saturday ahead of an evening kickoff. The game is set for a 6:30 p.m. start, giving tailgaters hours to settle in, soak up the atmosphere and, hopefully, dodge the worst of the heat before heading into DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.
One of the groups gearing up for a big day is Horns Up Tailgate, a local club of friends and family that has been running its game-day setup for about six years. Darrick Price said the group sets up at the corner of MLK and Colorado and expects the energy to spill well beyond their assigned space.
“We’re going to be prepared with all the music, all the food, and all the vibes to make sure that we’re supplying all the, you know, the passerbyers, the folks that are going to be attending the game, the folks just want to be in the mix. But yeah, I fully expect it to bleed out into the streets,” Price said.
Austin is bracing for a full-on football takeover as No. 4 Texas prepares to host No. 1 Ohio State in one of the season’s marquee matchups. Traffic is expected to pour into the area around the Forty Acres. (Photo: CBS Austin)
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Price said his group plans to get out “pretty bright and early” Saturday morning, aiming to set up quickly so he can “sneak away and go check out game day.” He also expects a major showing from Buckeye fans, pointing to the number of Midwest transplants now living in Austin.
“There’s a lot of Midwest transplants in Austin nowadays, and so I expect the turnout to be massive,” Price said, adding that he has two neighbors from Columbus.
Even with the heat in the forecast, Price said Horns Up Tailgate is preparing to keep people cool with water, sports drinks and extra equipment.
“We have all the water, Gatorade, electrolytes. This year I’m actually going to be setting up like a misting system on the outside of the tent,” Price said. “So we’ll have like a cooling zone for our tailgate.”
Texas alumnus Charlie Dunn also expects the heat to turn up inside the stadium Saturday night, calling it the biggest home game since Georgia came to Austin in 2024.
Dunn attended the Texas-Ohio State game last year in Columbus and said he’s hoping for a different outcome this time with the Longhorns back on their home field.
“I have a lot of hope that Texas gets it done this year. You know, the last two meetings have been kind of rough, but just like right there,” said Dunn. “And so I’m thinking with the home field advantage, that puts us over the top.”
Dunn said last year’s trip to Ohio Stadium had a “weird atmosphere” because it was the first game of the season, a noon kickoff, and Ohio State was coming off a national championship. Now, with the matchup shifting to Austin and the kickoff under the lights, he expects the stadium experience to shine.
He said some fans view DKR as “a little bit of a subdued atmosphere,” but he believes that’s changed in recent years.
“I think DKR is actually a pretty formidable place to play now,” Dunn said.
He credits the crowd energy along with the athletic department’s in-game production, including the drone shows and the fireworks.
Beyond the stadium, Dunn said the entire city feels the buzz when a game like this comes to town.
“I think the whole city kind of comes alive when you have big games like this in town,” Dunn said.
The matchup is expected to be one of the biggest games on the schedule this weekend, with ticket prices running high and a top-five showdown on paper. Fans will also be watching a star-studded lineup on the field, including Arch Manning, Cam Coleman and Colin Simmons for Texas, and Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and Bo Jackson for Ohio State.