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Buckeyes fans were already worried over their team being favored by just 2.5 points at home. On Friday, that number dropped to a PICK'EM. By Saturday (and quite possibly as early as the overnight hours Friday) we thought Texas could be favored by 1 or more points.
The reason: 85% of the money was still flowing in on Texas as a +1 dog.
But that was not the case as Ohio State moved back to a -1.5 favorite, despite 71% of the money still on the Longhorns. Let's go Buckeyes! The books have an obvious opinion here that Ohio State will cover.
Gambling911.com was all over Ohio State as a PICK'EM, having announced its decision to back the Buckeyes on Friday.
We actually get a line of Ohio State -5.5 for this one, indicating quite an underlay. Favorites in our sampling where there's an underlay and the line has stayed between the 3 and 1 have performed especially well over the last two years.
While the Longhorns come into this game No. 1 in the nation, they are playing at Ohio State.
The defending champions Buckeyes did lose at home to their nemesis Michigan back in November. But Ohio State has posted a 30–3 home record over the past five seasons.
This will be the fifth meeting between the vaunted programs. In three of the past four meetings — including the two times they have met in the regular season — the winner has gone on to play for the national title.
The last matchup was Jan. 10 in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl, when the Buckeyes pulled away in the second half for a 28-14 victory.
In the 232 days since the teams last met, 26 players from that game were selected in the NFL draft (Ohio State 14, Texas 12) with only 17 of the 44 combined starters on offense and defense for both sides returning.
“At the end of the day, that stung walking out of the Cotton Bowl last year. But this is a new challenge, a new journey, a new mission we’re on," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said.
The Longhorns have made 50 appearances at No. 1 in the Associated Press poll but they come into Ohio Stadium as the nation's preseason No. 1 for the first time.
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
