College Football is officially back with a terrific Week 1 slate set to get the action started. At the center stage of the weekend, the Ohio State Buckeyes will host the Texas Longhorns. This year marks the first time in program history that Texas opens ranked number one in the AP Poll, and Ohio State is just behind them in the third slot as they look to defend last year’s National Championship.
Both these teams are expected to be major college football playoff threats and will start the season with a heavyweight bout between each other. You can check out a full breakdown on DK Network of the preview of this matchup here.
There has been some late odds movement leading up to the matchup. After opening up as narrow underdogs, the Texas Longhorns have climbed to -1.5 favorites and -118 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes hold -102 odds on the moneyline with the game total set at 46.5
But there are plenty more ways to get involved in the action. beyond just backing a side or the game total. DraftKings Sportsbook offers a market for touchdown props to capitalize on which players will touch pay dirt. With some expected offense from both teams in this game, here are my three favorite touchdown bets for the Week 1 college football thriller.
Jeremiah Smith Anytime Touchdown (-110)
No surprise here, as Jeremiah Smith is one of the most talented college football players walking the earth and will have a huge role in this Ohio State offense. The 19-year-old tallied 1,315 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns across his freshman season, which each led the Big Ten. He would have been penciled in for a top pick in the NFL Draft had he been eligible, but Smith returns for his sophomore season with the fourth-best odds to win the Heisman on DraftKings Sportsbook at +1100 odds.
After recording 15 touchdowns in 16 games last season, the bar is high for Jeremiah Smith. He had three games with multiple touchdowns and did not reach paydirt in four games. These came against Penn State, Northwestern, Indiana, and Texas in the College Football Playoffs. Smith was limited to just one reception for three yards in the matchup against the Longhorns, which was comfortably his worst performance of the season.
Heading into his sophomore season, look for Smith to get off on the right foot. Texas got younger and less proven at the cornerback position. It takes just one blown coverage for Smith to make the Longhorns pay and count on the Buckeyes giving him plenty of chances. He surely will be at the top of the defensive priority list, but there comes a point where talent wins out, and there is not a cornerback in college football that will have a clear matchup advantage against Jeremiah Smith. Look for Smith to make his best effort to launch his Heisman campaign by scoring a touchdown in the opening week.
Arch Manning Anytime Touchdown (+175)
Few quarterbacks have had as much hype as Arch Manning as he prepares for his first season as the full-time starter. He enters this matchup as the Heisman favorite at +650 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. Stuck behind Quinn Ewers, Manning has attempted just 90 career passes for 939 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and a pair of interceptions to this point.
One area where Manning will shine in contrast to Ewers is with his mobility. He will not be confused with either of his uncles. (Peyton and Eli) who were almost exclusively pocket passers, with Arch showing some ability on the ground in the limited sample size he has been on the field. He tallied four rushing touchdowns along with 108 rushing yards last year. Standing 6-foot-4, Manning is a high-level athlete and is big enough to run through people around the goal line. Expect his ability with his legs to add some new characteristics to this Texas offense all season.
I like the chances of this starting in the season opener. His legs will be a factor all across the field, but this will be most evident in the red zone. This will especially be the case with his first action as the full-time starter. Expect Texas to keep things simple and limit the high-risk plays put on Manning’s plate. Giving him the option to roll out and attack on the ground rather than make a defensive read and throw a route in the red zone limits risk and creates a pathway for Manning to still be impactful. An opening week matchup against Ohio State is throwing him to the fire, but Arch Manning has looked built for the bright lights to this point. Count on him to make a statement in the opener by recording a touchdown on the ground just as he did in four of the 10 games last year while serving primarily as the backup. This is a market worth attacking early until the odds fully catch up, and look for Manning to get things started right away with a Week 1 rushing touchdown.
Brandon Inniss (+450)
With the first two selections as chalky picks, it would feel wrong if there was not some sort of longshot. Brandon Inniss is a player I have circled as a potential breakout player for Ohio State this season. Entering his third year with the Buckeyes, he has just 15 receptions for 234 yards and two total touchdowns thus far. But Inniss was a consensus top-five wide receiver out of the 2023 high school recruiting class. Since arriving in Columbus, he has been overshadowed by top wide receivers such as Marvin Harrison Jr, Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming, Carnell Tate, and Jeremiah Smith. Obviously, it would be preferable to have a more consistent sample size of production, but these are fair names to be overshadowed by.
Heading into Year 3 with the Buckeyes, look for Inniss to fill the shoes of some of the impressive talents that have left before him. Egbuka and Harrison Jr have left for the NFL, and Inniss has the clearest route to slotting into this type of role. With Smith, Tate, and tight end Max Klare expected to take on the majority of the defensive attention from Texas, look for Inniss to capitalize. He is a threat on underneath routes with big play potential and managed to convert his 14 receptions for 176 yards and a touchdown last year.
Brandon Inniss holds +450 odds of scoring a touchdown on DraftKings Sportsbook, which is a notable payout for a reason. But Inniss is a talented football player who has gotten lost in the shuffle with some major NFL talents surrounding him. Look for Inniss to get his season off right and find paydirt in the season opener against the Longhorns, and begin to become a more well-known name in college football circles as the season gets underway.
