7 days ago
Ohio State vs. Texas to set historic precedent on Aug. 30
When Ohio State and Texas do battle to open the college football season on Aug. 30, it will be an historic matchup. Not only will it be the first meeting between preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the Coaches Poll, but it will also mark another notable first-time event in history.
With Texas being ranked No. 1 in both polls, and with the game being played inside Ohio Stadium, the oddsmakers -- at least for now -- have the Buckeyes as a favorite. In fact, ESPN itself has OSU as a - 2.5 point favorite over the Longhorns. And while that would hardly be the first time a No. 1 team was an underdog by Vegas standards, according to the "worldwide leader," it will be the first time in college football history that a No. 1-ranked preseason team has opened the season as an underdog.
So, what is the closest a No. 1 team has come to not being favored in its season-opener? According to Doug Greenberg of ESPN, it was when No. 1 Florida State was a four-point favorite over No. 8 Miami (FL) and lost convincingly in the Orange Bowl, 31-0.
The game between the Buckeyes and Longhorns is sure to be one of the most anticipated games of the college football season, and it's already generating a lot of buzz in not just Columbus and Austin, but across the country. Let's hope the home-field advantage OSU should get from playing in the 'Shoe is just what the scarlet and gray doctor ordered.
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