
ESPN's Heather Dinich makes early prediction for winner of Ohio State vs. Texas
And while there's still more than a month to go before the kickoff of Week 1 in college football, it's never too early to look ahead to some of the big matchups, especially a titanic one that will be taking place in the 'Shoe between the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State. It's bound to be a top-five, maybe top three or two matchup to get things going, so all eyes will be on that one when it (sadly) kicks off at Noon ET on Saturday, Aug. 30.
We're going to begin seeing more of this, but ESPN's Heather Dinich is already sticking her neck out and providing a prediction for one of the best nonconference games of the college football season. Spoiler alert: She likes Ohio State to turn the horns upside down and provided a reason for it during a segment on "Get Up."
"Well, when in doubt, first of all, go with the home team, but Harry (Douglas) mentioned Jeremiah Smith," Dinich said. "He might not just be the best wide receiver, he might be the best player in the country, and he should absolutely be in the Heisman conversation. But 1,315 yards, 15 touchdowns, last year? That's almost a hundred yards and a touchdown per game. He's going to be the best player on the field, and while I have questions about new coordinators at Ohio State, I think they get the job done at home."
Dinich's point about Smith is a good one, and I like her prediction for Ohio State to take care of business, but I think we still have to see how good the running backs perform, what kind of defense can be placed in the chamber to reload, and just how productive the new quarterback will be. All of those things have to be answered in a good way without leading to more questions to be a team as talented as Texas.
There's no doubt that the Buckeyes will have the talent to win against the Longhorns; it's just a matter of whether or not they can put it all together in time. If you are like us, you can't wait to get the season started, and you can't wait for this one to kick off.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

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