The Ohio State football team has beaten Texas in each of the last two seasons. In 2024, they beat them in the Cotton Bowl to advance to the national championship. The Buckeyes would go on to beat Notre Dame to be the first champion of the 12-team CFP.
Last season, the Buckeyes beat the Longhorns again. This time, it was at home in the Shoe. They won that game 14-7 in the lowest-scoring game that the Ohio State Buckeyes played in the regular season. This year, they will play for a third time. It will be the second game of the year, and it will be in Austin.
Vegas already doesn't like Ohio State's chances next year. They seem to dislike the amount of talent that the Buckeyes lose on the defensive side of the ball. The first odds for this matchup have come out, and they have little faith in Ohio State's ability to win this one on the road.
The Ohio State football team opens as underdogs against Texas
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Buckeyes are 2.5-point underdogs against the Longhorns. This is despite the fact that Ohio State brings back Julian Sayin as the starting quarterback after he was a Heisman Finalist last season. They also still have Jeremiah Smith on the outside.
Ohio State is not an underdog very often. They were not underdogs in any game they played last season, even though they lost the final two. This season, Vegas is setting things up so that they will be underdogs in multiple contests. Both teams will get a warm-up game in Week 1.
The Buckeyes will take on Ball State in the opener. Texas gets Texas State. Neither of those opponents should give the Buckeyes or the Longhorns any trouble, so that should be a nice start to the season. It will give both teams a chance to feel out the new starters.
Ohio State is definitely going to use this as motivation once the Fall rolls around. They will be fired up to win that game and show the country that they are still national championship contenders.