College Football Betting: Who Has the Edge in Ohio State vs. Notre Dame?
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A major college football showdown is set to take place in early September between two top teams, the Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The game is scheduled for Sept. 3 at the 102,780-seat Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET.
For underdog bettors, the point spread presents opportunities. At Caesars Sportsbook, Ohio State is favored by 14.5 points. The Over/Under is 58.5.
Top 10
The college season officially kicks off one week earlier, on Aug. 27, with a full slate of Saturday games.
But the Ohio State-Notre Dame matchup, pitting two of the nation's top teams against each other in early September, promises to create the energy and excitement of any big game with title national title implications.
In the USA Today Sports American Football Coaches Association poll, Ohio State is ranked No. 2 behind top-ranked Alabama, and Notre Dame is No. 5. The poll was released Aug. 8.
Here is the preseason USA Today Sports Top 10:
- Alabama
- Ohio State
- Georgia
- Clemson
- Notre Dame
- Michigan
- Texas A&M
- Utah
- Oklahoma
- Baylor
The closely watched Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll is set to be released Monday. The AP rankings are expected to be similar to the USA Today Sports rankings, with some differences.
Heisman Favorites
The large point spread favoring the Big 10’s Ohio State might be a reflection of the Buckeyes’ high-octane offense.
Three of this season’s top Heisman Trophy contenders are Buckeye sophomores. These three are quarterback C.J. Stroud, running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Below are the 2022 Heisman Trophy odds, provided by FanDuel Sportsbook:
- C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) +200
- Bryce Young (Alabama) +400
- Caleb Williams (USC) +600
- D.J. Uiagalelei (Clemson) +2500
- Will Anderson (Alabama) +3000
- Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma) +3000
- TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State) +4000
- Tyler Van Dyke (Miami) +4000
- Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss) +4000
- Bijan Robinson (Texas) +4000
- Quinn Ewers (Texas) +5000
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State) +5000
One challenge for the Irish will be in slowing down Ohio State’s offense.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, the team’s former defensive coordinator, is taking over the top job from Brian Kelly. Kelly departed South Bend for Cajun Country, where he signed on as LSU’s head coach.
Freeman will see some familiar faces from the unit he led last year. The defense is returning eight starters and 13 lettermen.
On offense, Notre Dame recently experienced a setback when sixth-year receiver Avery Davis tore his right ACL during practice, leaving the team with a limited number of receivers. Last season, Davis was fifth on the team in receptions with 27.
Does History Favor The Irish?
If history is any indicator, Notre Dame has a fighting chance at covering that 14.5 point spread.
Over the last 10 years, the Irish are 7-5 against the spread as the road underdog.
During the same period, the Buckeyes are 33-33 against the spread as the home favorite.
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