Horns v. The Other OSU

Seems like every article I've read on this game says the same thing: "It'll be a great game, one for the record books. If it was anywhere but at the Horseshoe at night, I'd pick Texas." Despite the alleged experts' takes, I find it hard to believe that Texas would win this game 99.9% of the time and that the 0.01% remaining is wholly attributed to the magic of a stadium. Let's look at the facts:

1. Texas has the superior QB. VY may be prone to a careless play here or there, but the outstanding plays he routinely makes far outweigh the negatives. Say what you want about the athleticism of Troy Smith, but he's no VY. Zwick is a nice player; in fact, the Horns allegedly recruited him at one point. But he too is no VY. Advantage--Horns.

2. Texas has superior RBs. I've been on the Jamaal Charles bandwagon since he verbally committed to Texas, and nothing has happened to convince me that he won't be the next great Texas RB. His performance last weekend was tremendous. I know, I know...it was against Louisiana-Lafayette. But he's a true freshman. To have that kind of game right out of the box is noteworthy, no matter who you're playing. I am by far not the biggest Henry Melton booster (even on this blog), but he looks promising as well. And let's not forget Selvin Young. Before he went down with an injury last year, people were clamoring that he would take carries away from Ced. He might not be Ced, but he's legit. From what I understand, Ohio State has some RB prospects with high upside, but not like the Horns. Advantage--Horns.

3. OSU has far superior WRs. Not much to say here--Ginn and Santonio are freaks. Ramonce Taylor is a real weapon, but he can't offset the OSU WRs. David Thomas is a legit pass-catching TE and VY's favorite target, but even he can't compare to OSU. And until Limas "Beans" Sweed shows the world something, he's just wearing Roy Williams' number. Advantage--Bucks.

4. Texas has a superior OL. OSU's line is nice, but it pales in comparison to Texas'. Two surefire NFL first-rounders anchor the line, and another one or two starters are All Big XII candidates. Mack has said it's the best line he's ever had. When you consider some of the hosses that have suited up for Texas in his time there (e.g., Leonard Davis, Mike Williams, etc.), that says it all. Advantage--Horns.

5. Texas has a slight edge on defense. For the sake of keeping this brief, I give Texas the nod on DL, OSU the nod on LB (but I think Aaron Harris is as good as anyone in the country), and Texas the nod in the secondary. Advantage--Horns.

6. Ohio State has a HUGE edge in special teams. Aside from the nightmare of kicking to Ginn or Santonio, I am kept awake by thoughts of the repeated missed PATs last week courtesy of Richmond McGee. One of those was apparently a missed blocking assignment, but the other two were squarely on him. God help us if there is a pressure kick to be made. I knew Dusty Mangum. And you, Richmond McGee, are no Dusty Mangum. Advantage--Bucks.

So that's 4-2, Texas. But I can't help but think this game might come down to a field goal. I don't know much about OSU's kicking game, but I don't trust McGee to drill it through the uprights with the game on the line. The thought of McGee pulling a Scott Norwood is almost too much to bear. My heart says Texas 21, OSU 17. My head says Texas 21, OSU 24. Fortunately, no one's ever said I'm smart.