Texas begin their college football season at home against Texas State, a fixture widely seen as a low-key warm-up but one carrying significant stakes for the Longhorns' quarterback, Arch Manning. Manning, once rated among the most highly touted prospects to enter college football, endured an underwhelming first year as starter and now faces pressure to show marked improvement, with his standing as a projected top NFL draft pick reportedly hinging on it. The game itself is expected to be lopsided, but it sets the tone for a season regarded as pivotal for both Manning and head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Texas State finished 7-6 last season, with quarterback Brad Jackson completing 71% of his passes for 3,224 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while running back Greg Burrell averaged 6.7 yards per carry. Manning, by contrast, completed just 61.4% of passes last year for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions, performing far better at home than on the road; Texas missed the college football play-offs despite starting the season ranked number one. Unlike last year's tough away opener at Ohio State, this year's game is a far gentler start, though the article's author is sceptical Texas will run up a big score, predicting the total points will fall under the betting line of 59.5.