Texas is the No. 1 team in the AP Poll yet finds itself as a 2.5-point underdog to No. 3 Ohio State in the 2025 season opener on Aug. 30. Barring significant line movement, the Longhorns will be the first top-ranked team to be an underdog in Week 1, according to ESPN research dating back to 1978.
ESPN's Doug Greenberg reported Monday that the previous tightest Week 1 point spread for a No. 1 team was when Florida State lost to No. 8 as a four-point favorite in 1988. Auburn also lost to No. 10 Miami as a five-point favorite in 1988, while Notre Dame won and covered a five-point spread against No. 4 Michigan in 1990.
According to ESPN BET, Ohio State vs. Texas is the most bet college football game in early betting, with the Longhorns receiving 54.1 percent of the handle on the spread and 73.6 percent of the handle on the money line.
Texas and Ohio State are the two betting favorites for the national championship, as both the Longhorns and Buckeyes have +550 odds to win the College Football Playoff, according to ESPN BET. No. 2 Penn State has the next-best odds at +600.
Greenberg also reported Monday that Texas and Ohio State are the most bet teams to win the national championship at 21.7 percent and 13.9 percent. The Longhorns also have the largest share of money taken at 12.2 percent, followed by the Nittany Lions' 11.7 percent and the Buckeyes' 11 percent.
