Paul Finebaum predicts Ohio State to be hungover from national championship, claims Vegas betting line vs. Texas is wrong

Despite being the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25, Texas is a 2.5-point underdog in its Week 1 showdown against No. 3 Ohio State, according to BetMGM. On Thursday, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum criticized oddsmakers for underestimating the Longhorns.

“They definitely have it wrong,” Finebaum said during an appearance on First Take. “I understand what’s going on here. These two teams met in January in the Cotton Bowl, and Texas fell in that game.

“But the teams are different. Quarterback is different at Texas, quarterback is different at Ohio State. And, I don’t think Ohio State is what we saw last year winning the national championship. They’re good, but I don’t think they’re elite.”

The two teams will certainly have new looks when they take the field on Aug. 30. Both Texas and Ohio State are returning just nine starters from last season. Additionally, as Finebaum mentioned, both teams are starting new quarterbacks.

Of course, Texas’ Arch Manning carries in quite a bit more hype than OSU’s Julian Sayin. Nonetheless, neither QB boasts much collegiate experience. Finebaum believes oddsmakers are favoring Ohio State simply due to their past and the location of the game, not the talent on the field.

“Now, Vegas tends to go with home-field and with what we know. And what we know is Ohio State won the championship last year, but I think Vegas is completely wrong,” Finebaum said. “I really don’t even think this game is going to be close.

“I’m not trying to screw up viewership for it. It’s a big event, one of the biggest games we have seen. But, I think Texas’ roster is better, and I think Ohio State is going to be hungover from last year, with a new quarterback — by the way, two new coordinators as well. Try putting that in the potion and making it work well. It’s usually a disaster.”

While Ohio State’s two new coordinators each have impressive résumés, there are concerns they could face a learning curve early in the season. In contrast, Texas’ offensive and defensive coordinators have each been with the team since 2021.

For reference, Texas had the No. 21 offense and No. 3 defense in the country last season. If the Longhorns built on that momentum this offseason, it’ll be difficult for any team, including the defending national champions, to stop them.

Only time will tell if Finebaum proves to be correct. On Aug. 30, Texas and Ohio State will square off at noon ET. The game will air live on FOX.