Odds Reflect Near Toss-Up for Ohio State Buckeyes vs Texas Longhorns

Experts across the country are split on the Ohio State Buckeyes' chances to start their 2025 season with a win over the Texas Longhorns.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) celebrates his touchdown run against Texas Longhorns in the fourth quarter of the Cotton Bowl Classic during the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January, 10, 2025. | Kyle Robertson / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sure, the 2025 NCAA football season technically began on Saturday, August 23, but the real induction takes place in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, August 30 at noon, when the Ohio State Buckeyes begin their campaign against the Texas Longhorns. The league couldn't have cooked up a better matchup to kick off the year.

The reigning champions will be taking on college football's "wonder boy" in quarterback Arch Manning. Texas' new QB1 is the presumed top prospect of the 2026 NFL Draft, but the Buckeyes are setting out to make scouts revisit their evaluations with a dominant defensive effort.

On the other side of the ball, Ohio State has its own blue-chip quarterback to deploy. Julian Sayin was announced as the new starter for Head Coach Ryan Day following Will Howard's departure. Sayin won the job in a hotly contested positional battle over freshman Tavien St. Clair and junior Lincoln Kienholz. The Buckeyes have plenty of returning talent, but between the NFL talent that left and having to install a brand-new quarterback, this clash against the Longhorns could be a toss-up.

Jan 10, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs against Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Jordan Hancock (7) and safety Caleb Downs (2) during the second quarter of the College Football Playoff semifinal in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Ohio State Buckeyes slightly favored over Texas Longhorns in season opener

Even with the Ohio State Buckeyes winning the College Football Playoff National Championship last season, it's far from a guarantee that they'll be able to continue their run with a win over the Texas Longhorns in Week 1. Texas has a lot of talent around quarterback Arch Manning, too, and Julian Sayin will have to earn his respect as OSU's new QB1.

FanDuel currently has the Buckeyes at -120 on the moneyline, just 1.5-point favorites over the Longhorns. CBS Sports' Brad Crawford and Chris Hummer are split on their predictions for the season opener.

Hummer: "These teams played seven months ago, but there's not a ton you can take away from that game after both programs lost double-digit draft picks. You can slice this game apart however you want... Frankly, this is a coin toss. But I have a hard time picking against Ohio State at home. … Ohio State 24, Texas 21"

Crawford: "Steve Sarkisian's smart. He's going to make Ohio State show its new-look defensive front can stop the run before throwing Manning to the wolves on the road. And with that Buckeyes defense, I have questions within the front seven. The Longhorns go into Ohio Stadium and have their way at the line of scrimmage against the defending national champions, who will be back in the thick of the conversation later this season in the Big Ten. ... Texas 27, Ohio State 24"

This is a good encapsulation of the sentiment heading into this juicy clash. Head Coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes football program have earned the benefit of the doubt as they're in the early parts of establishing a modern dynasty, but they'll have to prove the mettle of this year's team against the top competition in the NCAA, starting with Arch Manning and Texas.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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