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2009 Fiesta Bowl Predictions – Ohio State v. Texas Football Odds & Pick

Written by Jimmy Boyd

ohio-st-texas

Texas coash Mack Brown is not alone when he says that he thinks his Longhorns should be playing for the national championship. After all, they beat the team that will be playing for it (Oklahoma) on January 8th. But coach Brown also knows that he and his boys cannot afford to dwell on the things they can’t control if they want to be focused enough to win their January 5th Fiesta Bowl matchup with Ohio State. NCAA football odds makers have listed Texas as an 8-point favorite with the total set at 51.5. Oklahoma is currently a 3.5-point underdog in the BCS title game so if the Horns win and the Sooners lose, expect the BCS bashing to begin.

The 11-1 Texas Longhorns are one play away from being in the BCS title game. They were the No. 1 team in the nation and leading then-No. 6 Texas Tech 33-32 with 1:29 left in the game in a November Big 12 contest. But Texas Tech ripped Texas’ heart out by scoring a touchdown with just 1 second remaining. Still, Texas felt it was in pretty good shape because it had three victories over ranked teams on its resume, most notably a 45-35 win over then-No. 1 Oklahoma on Oct. 11. The Horns finished in a three-way tie with the Sooners and the Red Raiders, but were denied the opportunity to compete in the Big 12 title game because the computers gave Oklahoma the higher BCS ranking to settle the tiebreaker.

Texas has a chance to pull off its biggest bowl win since the Vince Young-led Horns defeated USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl. Another star Texas QB, Heisman Trophy finalist Colts McCoy, will try to lead this Texas team to a big win over a program that has appeared in each of the last two BCS title games. McCoy set school marks with 3,445 yards passing and 32 touchdowns to go along with an NCAA-record 77.6 completion percentage. Like Young, McCoy also got the job done on the ground, rushing for a team-high 576 yards and adding 10 rushing scores. If you think the Longhorns get the job done in the Fiesta Bowl and cover the number in the process, bet Texas at -8 at BetUS.

The Buckeyes finished 10-2 and earned a share of their fourth straight Big Ten championship, but this Buckeyes team had hopes of playing in the Rose Bowl if not the BCS title game. They lost to Rose Bowl champion USC early in the season and Big Ten Co-champs Penn State to leave them sitting out the BCS title game for the first time in three seasons. The Buckeyes will be playing in their seveth BCS bowl in the 11-year history of the system. That is tied for the most appearanced with USC and Oklahoma. It’s last two BCS games however, have left the Buckeyes and the Big Ten looking bad. The Buckeyes were outplayed in losing the national title game two years in a row, falling 41-14 to Florida following the 2006 season and 38-24 to LSU last season after winning their first four BCS games. Ohio State entered the season as the No. 2 team in the country and will now have to prove that it is worthy of such post season acknowledgment.

The Buckeyes will try to get the job done with one of the best defenses in the country, led by linebacker James Laurinitis, and also with freshman sensation QB Terrelle Pryor. Pryor completed 62.2 percent of his throws for 1,158 yards with 12 touchdowns against only four picks. He also showed off his atheltic ability, rushing for 424 yards on the turf and five more scores. Chris Beanie Wells was Ohio State’s leading rusher with 1,091 yards and is considered one of the best backs in the country. He did not play in Ohio State’s earlier season loss to USC.

Defensively, Ohio State allowed only 13.1 ppg, which is 5.5 points better than Texas. The Buckeyes were also eighth in total defense, giving up just 279.3 yards per game. Playing in the pass-heavy Big 12, the Longhorns ranked 50th, allowing 339.9 yards per game. Perhaps, Ohio State’s sixth ranked passing defense will be able to limit Texas’ 11th ranked passing offense enough to keep it within striking distance. If you like the Buckeyes to win this game, bet Ohio State at +8 at BetUS.

These teams have split each of the last two meetings with Vince Young and No. 2 Texas winning at No. 4 Ohio State in 2005 and No. 1 Ohio State winning the following season against No. 2 Texas.

8-3 L11 Bowl Picks from the reigning bowl handicapping champion! Do your football betting on this game with Jimmy Boyd’s award winning college football picks on your side for another guaranteed winner!

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