No. 1 Texas visits No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET from Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, on ABC, in the SEC opener for both teams and the first road game of the season for the Longhorns. Both teams are 3-0. Texas owns a 24-23 comeback win over a then top-ranked Ohio State but looked flat in a 30-6 win over UTSA last week. Tennessee has won its three games by an average of more than 33 points behind a true freshman quarterback and one of the most productive run games in the country. It is also the first time these programs have met anywhere other than the Cotton Bowl. Below you get the form, the players, the injury report, the series history, the BettorEdge community odds, and the case on each side of the board.
Moneyline, spread and total for this game, updated through kickoff, on the game page.
See the live boardQuick comparison
| Texas Longhorns | Tennessee Volunteers | |
|---|---|---|
| Record and AP rank | 3-0, No. 1 | 3-0, No. 14 |
| Results | W 59-7 Texas State, W 24-23 Ohio State, W 30-6 UTSA | W 56-9 Furman, W 45-24 at Georgia Tech, W 42-9 Kennesaw State |
| Points per game | 37.7 | 47.7 |
| Points allowed per game | 12.0 | 14.0 |
| Quarterback | Arch Manning, 661 yards, 7 TD, 2 INT | Faizon Brandon, 552 yards, 6 TD |
| Leading rusher | Hollywood Smothers, 198 yards (questionable) | DeSean Bishop, 286 yards, 4 TD |
| Head coach | Steve Sarkisian | Josh Heupel |
| First-year defensive coordinator | Will Muschamp | Jim Knowles |
| Community moneyline | -181 | +173 |
Match: No. 1 Texas Longhorns at No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers, SEC opener, college football Week 4
Kickoff: Saturday, September 26, 2026, 12:00 PM ET (11:00 AM CT, 9:00 AM PT)
Venue: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tennessee
Watch: ABC nationally
Forecast: about 66 degrees and partly cloudy, per ESPN's game page
Texas: a No. 1 team that has not played a road game yet
Texas earned the top spot in Week 2. Ohio State arrived in Austin ranked No. 1, and the Longhorns rallied with 21 fourth-quarter points to win 24-23, with Arch Manning making plays under pressure. Texas has stayed No. 1 in the AP poll for two straight weeks since.
The follow-up was not as clean. Manning completed 16 of 32 passes for 161 yards against UTSA, with both touchdowns going to Auburn transfer Cam Coleman early, and ran nine times for 50 yards. Afterward he called his performance "not good enough." The pass protection that held up against Ohio State broke down repeatedly, Texas committed eight penalties for 88 yards, and ESPN notes the Longhorns rank 10th in the SEC in explosive plays of 20 yards or more. Through three games Manning has completed 59 of 96 passes for 661 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Coleman has 11 catches for 178 yards and four touchdowns.
The defense is the reason Texas is No. 1. Under first-year coordinator Will Muschamp, the Longhorns have allowed 36 points in three games, 12.0 a game, and since halftime of the Ohio State game they have given up only three field goals. UTSA finished with fewer than 150 total yards, and Texas stopped it on 10 straight third downs. Defensive lineman Hero Kanu set a public target for Saturday: hold Tennessee under 100 rushing yards.
This is also the part of the schedule that went wrong last year. ESPN points out that Texas lost three road games in 2025, and Saturday is the first time this team has left Austin. There is a family subplot too. It is Manning's first game at Neyland, where his uncle Peyton played his college football, and Sarkisian's message this week has been for Manning to be himself rather than live up to the name.
Tennessee: a freshman quarterback and a run game that has not slowed down
Tennessee has beaten Furman 56-9, Georgia Tech 45-24 on the road and Kennesaw State 42-9. The Vols are scoring 47.7 points a game and allowing 14.0, and they average 298.7 rushing yards a game, fourth in FBS.
True freshman Faizon Brandon, a five-star recruit, won the job and has kept it. He has completed 41 of 64 passes for 552 yards and six touchdowns, and against Kennesaw State he went 18 of 26 for 178 yards with a touchdown to Braylon Staley, plus 47 rushing yards and a rushing score. Heupel has been complimentary of Manning this week, calling him "smart" with "really good command and control," and Saturday is the first time Brandon sees a defense of this quality.
The run game is the concern to watch. DeSean Bishop, who ran for 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, has 286 yards and four scores on 43 carries, but he left the Kennesaw State game with what ESPN described as a possible hip injury. Heupel said Monday that Bishop is "feeling pretty good" and added, "We'll make sure he's fully ready to go on Saturday." The depth behind him showed up last week: sophomore Daune Morris ran for 116 yards on 14 carries, and four different Vols scored rushing touchdowns in a 268-yard night.
The defense under first-year coordinator Jim Knowles has been solid, allowing 14.0 points a game, and Xavier Gilliam leads the team with three sacks. The secondary is thin, though. Safety Edrees Farooq is out, and so is safety Dylan Lewis after a foot injury against Kennesaw State.
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The injury report
From Wednesday night's initial SEC availability report:
Texas: edge rusher Colin Simmons is probable after leaving the UTSA game early and wearing a walking boot on his right foot afterward. Sarkisian said after the game, "I think Colin will be fine." Running back Hollywood Smothers, the team's leading rusher, is questionable. Nick Townsend is doubtful, and Justus Terry, Xavier Filsaime and Jordan Coleman are out.
Tennessee: Edrees Farooq, Dylan Lewis, Ethan Davis, Joakim Dodson, Jaedon Harmon and Jadais Richard are out, and Javin Gordon and Nathan Robinson are questionable. Bishop was not listed.
SEC teams update the report through the week, so check the latest version before you act on any price.
Stat spotlight
Three games against a schedule this uneven is a small sample, and both teams padded their numbers against overmatched opponents, so read these as context rather than trends.
Head to head
Texas leads the all-time series 2-1, and all three games were played on New Year's Day in the Cotton Bowl. Tennessee won the first, 20-14, on January 1, 1951. Texas won 16-0 on January 1, 1953 and 36-13 on January 1, 1969. Saturday is the first meeting since that 1969 game, the first regular-season meeting between the programs, and the first game between them in Knoxville.
Who to follow for this game: Kyle Kommes
For college football coverage from inside the BettorEdge community, follow Kyle Kommes, co-host of Play Me or Fade Me. His free 2026 CFB Guide, fact-checked by Brady Kommes, went team by team before the season. In it Kyle ranked Texas seventh and Tennessee 18th in his preseason top 25, and projected Texas as the No. 8 seed in the College Football Playoff. Both teams have outrun those numbers so far. His Tennessee notes flagged the quarterback battle between George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon, a battle Brandon has since won, and his Texas notes named Colin Simmons, coming off 12 sacks in 2025, as the top returner on defense. Those are Kyle's preseason calls, not a pick on this game, and they are a good place to start if you want his full read on both rosters.
The community odds, and what the numbers tell you
| Market | Texas | Tennessee | Quoting partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | -181 | +173 | 4 and 3 |
| Spread | -4.5 (+102) | +4.5 (-102) | 4 and 3 |
| Total 55.5 | Over -101, Under -103 | 4 | |
These are BettorEdge community odds as of Thursday, September 24 at 12:49 PM ET. Prices move, and the Texas vs Tennessee game page carries the current board.
Texas at -181 implies about 64.4%. Tennessee at +173 implies about 36.6%. Together that is about 101.0%. The spread pair sums to 100.0% and the total to about 100.9%. A house market posting -110 on both sides of a spread or total adds up to 104.8%, and that extra margin is taken before anyone is right about anything. On a peer-to-peer board there are two members and one pot, which is why these pairs sit so close to 100.
One outside reference point: ESPN Analytics gives Texas a 70.0% chance to win, a little higher than the 64.4% the community moneyline implies. If you are running a pick'em pool this week, the BettorEdge college football pick'em sheet lists Texas -4 for this game, a half point under the community spread.
No. 1 on the road, Neyland at noon, and a price another member set rather than one a house needed.
Open the live boardThe case on each side of the board
BettorEdge does not take a side. Here is the argument for and against each one, at the prices above.
Backing Texas, at -181 or -4.5. For: the defense has allowed three field goals since halftime of the Ohio State game, and it faces a true freshman quarterback in his fourth career start. Tennessee's secondary is down two safeties, Simmons is listed as probable, and Manning has already led a fourth-quarter comeback against a No. 1 team. At 4.5, Texas needs to win by a field goal and a bit more, not by a blowout. Against: Texas has not played a road game yet, lost three of them last season, and was flat enough against UTSA that its own quarterback said so. Its leading rusher is questionable, the offensive line struggled last week, and a noon kickoff at Neyland is a different test from anything on the schedule so far.
Backing Tennessee, at +173 or +4.5. For: the Vols average 298.7 rushing yards a game and have real depth at running back even if Bishop is limited. Brandon has thrown six touchdowns without looking overwhelmed, and a home team getting 4.5 points in a game the community prices at about 36.6% has several ways to cash, including a close loss. Against: nobody on Tennessee's schedule so far resembles this Texas defense, and Kanu's stated goal is to take away exactly what the Vols do best. The secondary absences land in the week Tennessee has to cover Cam Coleman, and a freshman quarterback forced into obvious passing downs is the scenario that favors the road team.
The total, at 55.5. For the Over: Tennessee alone is scoring 47.7 points a game, Texas scored 59 in its opener, and Tennessee's fast pace under Heupel can create extra possessions for both sides. Against: Texas has allowed 12.0 points a game, Tennessee has allowed 14.0, both teams are 2-1 to the Under this season according to NBC Sports' betting trends, and Texas's offense has been inconsistent enough that it may not carry its share.
Guides and tools
To check the math in this piece yourself, the no-vig calculator strips the margin out of any two-sided price, and the odds converter turns -181 into the 64.4% figure above. For context on the numbers, read what home field advantage is actually worth in football betting, why college football spreads get so big and how to bet on college football. The Texas Longhorns and Tennessee Volunteers team pages and the college football odds page have the rest of Week 4.
Smothers, Simmons and Bishop are the three names to watch on the final availability report. Check where the number actually is before acting on any snapshot, including this one.
Bet this gameTexas vs Tennessee FAQ
When is Texas vs Tennessee and what channel is it on?
No. 1 Texas plays No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, on ABC. That is 11:00 AM Central and 9:00 AM Pacific, and it is the SEC opener for both teams.
What are the odds for Texas vs Tennessee?
The BettorEdge community board has Texas at -181 and Tennessee at +173 on the moneyline, with the spread at Texas -4.5 and the total at 55.5, as of Thursday, September 24. Those moneyline prices sum to about 101.0%, against 104.8% for a standard house market pricing both sides at -110. Community prices move, so check the live board before kickoff.
Is Colin Simmons playing against Tennessee?
Colin Simmons is listed as probable on Texas's initial SEC availability report after leaving the UTSA game early with a right foot injury. Sarkisian said after that game that he did not think the injury was serious and that pulling Simmons was precautionary.
Who is Tennessee's quarterback?
True freshman Faizon Brandon starts at quarterback for Tennessee, and he has completed 41 of 64 passes for 552 yards and six touchdowns through three games. Saturday is his fourth career start.
What is the Texas vs Tennessee head-to-head record?
Texas leads the all-time series 2-1, and all three previous games were played in the Cotton Bowl, most recently a 36-13 Texas win on January 1, 1969. Saturday is the first regular-season meeting between the programs and the first in Knoxville.
Has Arch Manning played at Neyland Stadium before?
No, Saturday is Arch Manning's first game at Neyland Stadium, where his uncle Peyton Manning played his college football. It is also Texas's first road game of the 2026 season.
The short version
No. 1 Texas at No. 14 Tennessee, Saturday September 26 at 12:00 PM ET from Neyland Stadium on ABC, the SEC opener for both and the first time the programs have met outside the Cotton Bowl. Texas brings a defense allowing 12.0 points a game and a quarterback coming off an uneven week, on its first road trip of the season. Tennessee brings a true freshman quarterback, 47.7 points a game and the fourth-ranked rushing offense in FBS, with two safeties out. The BettorEdge community board has Texas at -181 and Tennessee at +173, the spread at 4.5 and the total at 55.5, with the moneyline pair summing to about 101.0% rather than the 104.8% a house charges. Get your action on BettorEdge, at a price another member set rather than one a house needed.
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