Texas Longhorns vs Ohio State Buckeyes Prediction & Picks - NCAA
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by Travis Pulver | in NCAA Picks
The Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns will meet in the Cotton Bowl Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET) for the right to move on to the CFP Championship game vs the winner of Penn State vs. Notre Dame. Ohio State opened as a 6.5-point favorite over Texas, but the line has since shifted to -6 and -5.5 at several sportsbooks.
Ohio State is coming off a pair of dominant wins since their disappointing loss to Michigan to end the regular season. They took care of Tennessee with relative ease in the first round and dominated Oregon on both sides of the ball in the quarter-final. Texas, however, didn’t have it as easy. The Longhorns never trailed against Clemson in the first round but had a dogfight on their hands vs. Arizona State. It took two overtime periods for Texas to pull out a win over the Sun Devils. The Buckeyes will likely stick the same script that led to wins in the first two CFP games—hit ‘em hard and fast, get out to an early lead, and play ball control. Texas will need their defense to step up and get a few early stops.
If they can’t, they’ll have to match Ohio State score for score. It’s possible but unlikely.
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Texas Longhorns vs Ohio State Buckeyes Form
Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes Latest Matches
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Texas Longhorns - Ohio State Buckeyes Key Points
- This game will be the fourth meeting between Texas and Ohio State, with the last coming in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. Texas leads the all-time series 2-1.
- This season is the sixth time Ohio State has qualified for the playoffs, second for Texas.
- Texas is 1-5 SU and 2-4 ATS when the underdog under Steve Sarkisian (since 2021).
- Ohio State is 76-7 SU and 44-36-3 ATS when the betting favorite under Ryan Day (since 2018).
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Our Texas Longhorns vs Ohio State Buckeyes Prediction
Tennessee and Oregon made the mistake of allowing the Buckeyes to get out to a significant early lead, which dictated (to an extent) the play calling for both teams, which made it easier for the defense. The Longhorns were able to keep Arizona State in check for the first half but let the Sun Devils get back into the game in the second half. Ohio State will be a lot tougher to slow down, and I’m not sure Texas can do it. This game will either be an excellent, hard-fought, close battle or a blowout. After watching the Texas defense give up over 500 yards to Arizona State (much of it in the second half), I’m not expecting the Longhorns to put up much of a fight.
Our Texas vs. Ohio State Pick: Ohio State -5.5
All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
