Paul Finebaum predicts Ohio State vs. Texas line will shift by Week 1

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum predicted the line for Ohio State and Texas will shift by the time the game rolls around in a couple of weeks. Right now, Ohio State is a 2.5 point favorite over Texas at home, per Bet MGM.

Frankly, despite the Buckeyes being the home team, this could be a toss up game to open the college football season. Heck, maybe it’s a national championship preview.

As Finebaum sees it, Texas will receive a lot of bets leading up to the game, especially game week. Perhaps the Longhorns will be the favorites, as the host predicted, on game day.

“I was pretty shocked, because, I mean, you’d have to think of Texas, but then again, Cole, every time we go out there, we realize how few national championships they’ve won, and it’s pretty stunning for a program that that boasts itself as at the epicenter of college football,” Finebaum said on McElroy and Cubelic. “As far as being an underdog … but being an underdog to two and a half weeks out doesn’t really matter. I thought they’d be a favorite going into that game. I think Ohio State’s getting a lot of action because of who they are. 

“I think that line will come down. And you know, what’s it going to be on the morning of the game when the real bettors come in? Not just people who look at polls and go, ‘Oh my goodness, they’re playing at home, they’re going to win the game.’ People that bet know very little, otherwise they wouldn’t be wasting time betting. They’d be in France right now.”

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian knows there’s a national perception regarding the Longhorns this season. Those high expectations roll over to quarterback Arch Manning as well, putting  a lot of the pressure on his shoulders.

“What I know is what I see every day, and he seems good to me,” Sarkisian said. “You know, we visit a fair amount to make sure that what frame of mind is he in, where I think he performs the best. This is going to be a long season, and unfortunately, we live in a world of he’s the greatest ever, or is going to be a bust. And there’s not a lot of in between. And it’s kind of like where we are as a team. We’re either going to be national champs or we’re going to be a bust.

“Like, that’s the mentality outside of our building. We don’t really think that way. I don’t think Arch thinks that way. I think Arch thinks about, ‘what am I doing today to improve? What am I doing today to be the best teammate I can be when the game weeks roll around? What am I doing to prepare to put myself in the best position to perform?’ I just don’t think he’s that concerned.”