College Football: Ohio State vs Texas Odds, Analysis, & Picks

Week 1 of the college football season brings one of the best matchups of the entire year as two National Championship contenders go to battle. #3 Ohio State welcomes #1 Texas to Ohio Stadium in Columbus. The kick-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET. The Buckeyes are coming off a national title last season, beating Notre Dame in the CFP final. They also took down the Longhorns in the semifinals of the tournament. Lots is at stake here, and this game will set the tone for what should be a thrilling season. Read below for the Ohio State vs Texas picks.

Odds provided by Sports Interaction.

Ohio State vs Texas Odds

Ohio State is a slim -120 favorite for this Week 1 affair at online betting sites. Texas returns at +100 odds. The total is set at 47.5, while the Buckeyes are just a 1.5-point favorite on home turf.

While these two just met in January, as previously mentioned, we have two new QBs under center, and both programs lost a plethora of starters.

Ohio State vs Texas Analysis

A target is on Ohio State’s back after lifting the grand prize earlier this year, which makes total sense. They conquered college football, and every single team will be looking to do the same. While the Buckeyes have a much different roster after numerous players left Columbus for the NFL, one massive piece remains – wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, arguably the best at his craft in the nation, and a surefire first round pick in the future. He’ll be catching passes from Julian Sayin, who is now QB1 for the Buckeyes, replacing Will Howard.

Ryan Day and his staff managed to recruit some special talent on the offensive side of the ball. It may take some time for Sayin to find chemistry with his new weapons, but Smith will surely be a factor from the first snap. Defensively, Ohio State returns several starters, who will be looking to make Arch Manning’s life a living nightmare on Saturday. Caleb Downs headlines that group, another player who will likely be a star at the next level in the next few years.

The hype around Texas is real. I mean, if you look at their ranking alone, that’s clearly the case. The Longhorns have now been in the CFP in back-to-back years, falling just short both times. While there’s a lot of expectations on Manning’s shoulders, he’s embraced it all. In limited action last year in place of Ewers when he was injured, Arch played extremely well.

Just like the Buckeyes, he’ll need to get accustomed to a new WR room and new offensive line. Texas saw a lot of players depart for the NFL, but that’s not seen as an issue. Manning will certainly have his work cut out for him in Week 1, potentially the most difficult game of his entire regular season. Ohio State’s defense is no joke. Manning has numerous blue-chip prospects at his disposal though and defensively, Texas is also a force and should make Sayin’s life difficult as well. We could see a low-scoring one in Columbus.

Ohio State vs Texas Picks

Two young signal-callers trying to get used to new targets and a pair of elite defenses. It will take time to find their best, and we could see defense shine in Week 1. I’ll hammer the Under with confidence here.

Pick: Under 47.5 points (-105) /Sports Interaction