The biggest game of the college football week is taking place in Columbus on Saturday as the Ohio State football team is hosting Texas. The Longhorns are ranked No. 1 in the country to begin the year, and the Buckeyes are ranked No. 3. It doesn't get much bigger than this. ESPN's College GameDay was there to see Ohio State-Texas, and so was Fox Big Noon Kickoff. All of the personalities made their pick, and even Michigan alum Dave Portnoy picked the Buckeyes to win.
Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool, is the newest member of Fox Big Noon Kickoff, and he is a huge Michigan fan. The fans in Columbus were booing him for most of the show, but they weren't booing when Portnoy picked the Ohio State football team to win.
“The Big Ten is back in charge, man football, and along those lines, these people may be surprised, I'm taking the Buckeyes today,” Portnoy said. “I think the Buckeyes take the horns down and bring another win for the Big Ten. It's Big Ten country, Big Ten football taking back center earth here, and that's what we need. There's nothing like cold weather, Midwestern, Big Ten man football.”
Portnoy is sticking up for the Big Ten despite the rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State. The last two national champions are the Wolverines and Buckeyes, and both teams have had a lot of success against the SEC in the last couple of years.
“SEC versus Big Ten I grew up in an era, it was Alabama, it was Georgia, it was LSU,” Portnoy added. “People wrote in SEC team as the national champion before the season started. That has all shifted. My friends in Columbus know, it started with Michigan winning the national championship last year, Ohio State this past year, Ohio State killed Tennessee. Basically made them quit. Then they beat Texas. Michigan has beaten Alabama the last two years.”
Things to do seem to be shifting, and it started when the NIL era began. Both the SEC and the Big Ten have some great teams, but the Big Ten has been better the past couple of years. In bowl season last year, the Big Ten went 5-1 against the SEC. Ohio State vs. Texas is a massive clash between two teams from these elite conferences, so it's a big opportunity for both to pick up a marquee win. Dave Portnoy is riding with the Ohio State football team.
