Ohio State beat Texas on Saturday, but are the Longhorns still the better team?
The No. 3 ranked Buckeyes topped No. 1 Texas, 14-7, at The Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State, led by first-year starting quarterback Julian Sayin, took care of business at home against Arch Manning and the Longhorns. Texas was ranked No. 1 overall in the polls, though Ohio State was the favorite in the minds of Las Vegas’ sportsbooks. Ohio State was a 3.5 favorite at most sportsbooks, including DraftKings and BetMGM, among others.
But following Ohio State’s win over Texas on Saturday, some computer models still think the Longhorns are the better team.
Texas looks better on paper
- Texas out-gained Ohio State by more than 100 yards, totaling 336 yards of total offense to Ohio State’s 215
- Texas had 170 passing yards, while Ohio State managed 126
- Texas went 5 for 14 on third downs, while Ohio State went just 3 for 12
- Texas averaged 4.5 yards per rush, while Ohio State averaged 2.9
- Ohio State, though, won both the time of possession battle (32:05 to 27:55) as well as the turnover battle (1 to 0)
The computer models like Texas
ESPN’s computer model, the Football Power Index, updated its rankings on Sunday morning. It has Texas at No. 1, while Ohio State is up to No. 3…