An early Heisman statement could be made on Saturday night when the Texas Longhorns welcome the Ohio State Buckeyes in a massive early-season showdown.
My Ohio State vs. Texas prop picks dive deep into the highly anticipated matchup and key in on two players who can make plays with their legs, and another who might be getting overlooked due to Jeremiah Smith.
Here are my top player props for this Top Five showdown on Saturday, Sept. 12.
For more college football picks, check out Rob Paul's full Ohio State vs. Texas predictions.
Best Ohio State vs Texas props
For help understanding probabilities, please see our odds calculator.
| Pick |  Probability |
|---|---|
 Devin McCuin Over 49.5 receiving yards |
|
 Arch Manning Over 25.5 rushing yards |
|
| Bo Jackson Over 57.5 rushing yards |
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Prop pick #1: Devin McCuin Over 49.5 receiving yards
When Ryan Day starts comparing someone to Chris Olave, I sit up and take notice. That’s exactly what he did with Devin McCuin ahead of Ohio State's season opener.
McCuin responded by registering 97 yards and a touchdown vs. Ball State, catching 6-of-7 targets. He was the primary receiver opposite Jeremiah Smith, lining up on the outside on 22 of 25 routes run.
Texas will likely rotate a safety to Smith’s side as they did last season, and Carnell Tate responded with 49 yards on two catches as a result.
I fully expect Julian Sayin to put up more than 126 passing yards, which raises McCuin’s floor and makes this a terrific play up to 50%.
Prop pick #2: Arch Manning Over 25.5 rushing yards
I’m pumped to get this total south of 48%. Arch Manning scrambled for 32 of his 80 carries last season, but those runs accounted for 67.2% of his rushing total for the year.
The Buckeyes put numerous players in the NFL from last year’s outstanding defense. That defense watched Manning escape the pocket numerous times, picking up 38 yards on 10 carries and getting sacked just once.
That defense is still good, but it would be nearly impossible to reach that same level of play. With the weapons Manning has to work with downfield, committing a spy on him is a major risk.
Arch scrambled seven of the eight times he was pressured by Michigan in their bowl game, showing his ability to make plays when the pocket collapses. Add Steve Sarkisian's tendencies to get his QBs moving with the RPO, and this is a great spot for him to pile up the rushing yards.
Prop pick #3: Bo Jackson Over 57.5 rushing yards
The Buckeyes have a home-run hitter in Bo Jackson — and perhaps more importantly, a weapon the Longhorns have not come up against yet.
Jackson missed last season’s opener, but they’ll be aware of his threat. Of his 1,085 rushing yards in 2025, he picked up 36.9% of them via breakaway runs and 67.6% after contact.
As Jackson showed in the opener against Ball State, he only needs one chance to rack up the yards. The Cardinals bottled him up for much of the game, but he picked up 65 of his 83 yards with one burst.
As good as the Texas defense is, they missed quite a few tackles against Texas State in their opener. If they don’t improve on their 59.1 tackling grade (PFF), Jackson could clear his total with one burst of speed.
This is playable to 56%.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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