The marquee matchup on the Week 2 college football schedule features the defending national champion No. 10 ranked Michigan Wolverines hosting the No. 3 Texas Longhorns at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Saturday, September 7, 2024.
This non-conference clash between two elite programs that made the College Football Playoff last season is sure to have significant implications for this year s playoff picture. Texas enters the game as a 7-point favorite, with the over/under set at 41.5 points.
Here is our Texas vs Michigan prediction, along with betting odds and player props to bet on.
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Texas vs Michigan Prediction
The Longhorns wasted no time establishing their dominance in the 2024 season, absolutely dismantling Colorado State 52-0 in their opener. Heisman candidate Quinn Ewers was surgical, carving up the Rams defense for 260 yards and three touchdowns before taking a seat in the third quarter.
Not to be outdone, uber-talented freshman Arch Manning stepped in and promptly threw for a score and rushed for another. Oh, and let s not forget about the Texas defense, which suffocated Colorado State to just 192 total yards on the night.
ARCH MANNING WITH HIS FIRST COLLEGIATE TD PASS 🔥
ESPN (@espn)
On the flip side, Michigan s title defense got off to a bit of a shaky start. The Wolverines eventually pulled away for a 30-10 victory over Fresno State, but it was far from pretty.
Davis Warren, tasked with filling the shoes of departed quarterback J.J. McCarthy, looked unsteady in his first career start, completing just 15 of 25 passes for a paltry 118 yards. The usually potent Michigan ground game was also stuck in neutral, averaging a meager 3.4 yards per carry.
While Michigan s defense did manage to come up with some big plays, including Will Johnson s 86-yard pick-six, they also showed some vulnerabilities. Fresno State was able to move the ball through the air, and Ewers and his arsenal of weapons should exploit those same weaknesses.
When you consider Texas firepower on offense, their swarming defense, and Michigan s question marks on both sides of the ball, it s easy to see why the Longhorns are 7-point favorites against the defending champs.
Texas simply has too much offensive talent with Ewers at the helm to bet against them here. The Longhorns are 7-3 straight up as a road favorite under Steve Sarkisian, and I think they continue the trend with a comfortable win + cover at the Big House.
Texas-Michigan Pick:
Longhorns to Cover -7 (-115)
