College football kicks off this weekend, and the Ohio State Buckeyes have just over one week until the Ball State Cardinals arrive for the season opener that many fans are hoping could be a championship campaign.

Expectations are high in Columbus with plenty of star power throughout the roster. Headlining the team is the tandem of Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith who each sit in the top-eight of Heisman favorites in the latest Polymarket trade markets for the season, and four other players in the consensus top 100 prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft.

Here is a look at the team’s upcoming schedule:

DateOpponentSat, Sep 5vs. Ball StateSat, Sep 12@ TexasSat, Sep 19vs. Kent StateSat, Sep 26vs. IllinoisSat, Oct 3@ IowaSat, Oct 10vs. MarylandSat, Oct 17@ IndianaSat, Oct 31@ USCSat, Nov 7vs. OregonSat, Nov 14vs. NorthwesternSat, Nov 21@ NebraskaSat, Nov 28vs. Michigan

Those looking to wager on Ohio State this season will have a plethora of betting markets to choose from. The data analysts at Dimers released their CFP Championship prediction after conducting new simulations that took into account every element of CFB data.

The odds and lines presented here are the best available from selected sports betting sites at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Here are our top prediction market options, and available promo codes:

PlatformMLB Eligible?June ’26 Sign-Up BonusVerified Promo CodesPolymarketYes$50CUSE, MASS, OREGON, SILIVE, CLEVEKalshiYes$10SYRACUSE, OREGONLIVE1, MASSLIVE1, SILIVE, CLEVELANDNovigYes$50SYRACUSE, OREGON, MASSLIVE, CLEVELAND

Top CFB Playoff Championship Contenders

RankTeamDimers ProbabilityChampionship Probability (Polymarket)Buy Yes Price (Polymarket)1Ohio State22.7%14%14¢2Notre Dame15.0%14%14¢3Oregon12.3%13%12.7¢4Texas3.5%11%12¢5Indiana11.5%11%11.1¢6Georgia7.8%10%10.4¢7Miami (FL)4.2%10%10.1¢8LSU0.8%6%6.1¢9Alabama2.0%3%2.6¢10Texas A&M1.2%2%2.7¢11USC0.9%2%1.9¢12Oklahoma0.7%2%1.9¢

Ohio State enters the season as the projected favorite with Dimers giving the Buckeyes a 22.7% probability of winning this year’s College Football Playoff. With the Buckeyes owning a 14% share of trades on Polymarket, there is strong edge when using the platform to trade. Still, wagering on Ohio State could return a nice value if Ryan Day & Co. are able to go all the way this January.

Last season, the Buckeyes made it to the Quarterfinal as the No. 2 overall season before losing to No. 10 Miami (FL) in a shocking 24-14 upset.

This time around, the program is hoping to bounce back and return as one of the top teams in the country. With a current 10.5-win total as the most popular trade market, the team has a good chance of competing for one of the 12 spots this postseason.

One of the biggest tests for Ohio State will be in Week 2 when they travel to Austin, Texas to face Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns. This top-10 showdown promises to entertain as two contenders square off for a chance to score a massive early season victory.

Dimers Big Ten Champion Odds

RankTeamDimers ProbabilityChampionship ProbabilityBuy Yes Price (Polymarket)1Ohio State31.6%31%34¢2Oregon23.4%29%31¢3Indiana25.0%27%29¢4Michigan2.4%4%7.0¢5USC2.4%4%7.0¢6Wisconsin—4%7.0¢7Penn State8.8%3%6.0¢8Washington2.4%3%5.0¢9Rutgers—2%4.0¢10Iowa2.6%2%4.0¢11Illinois0.7%1%1.0¢12Maryland—1%1.0¢13Michigan State—1%1.0¢14Northwestern—1%1.0¢15Minnesota—1%1.0¢16Nebraska—1%1.0¢17Purdue—1%1.0¢18UCLA—1%1.0¢

Dimers data indicates that this season is a strong three-team race at the top of the conference. Ohio State is the currently leader with a 31.6% probability of winning the Big Ten. However, both Oregon and Indiana remain strong contenders with probabilities of 23% or more.

Users trading on the Big Ten Championship can get Ohio State for 31¢, this offers a 0.6% edge on those backing the Buckeyes to take home the Stagg Championship Trophy this December.

Indiana is one of the top competitors for the conference throne this season. The Hoosiers have turned into one of the countries best programs under the guidance of Curt Cignetti. Last season, the Hoosiers beat Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship by a score of 13 to 10.

Before the Buckeyes can think about Indianapolis, the team will need to handle their business against a tough schedule. The headline matchups include Week 7 at Indiana (Oct. 17), Week 9 at USC (Oct. 31), and Week 10 vs. Oregon (Nov. 7). Of course, no Ohio State season would be complete without a season finale against the Michigan Wolverines.

The consensus win-line among the most reputable sportsbooks has the Ohio Stateover/under at 10.5 victories.

CFB Preview: Ohio State Buckeyes

Get ready for an exciting season of college football, which is scheduled to start Aug. 29th. We emphasize that all of the CFB best bets and CFB predictions in this article and offered at Dimers.com are based on data-driven simulations of the CFB season, and they are accurate at the time of publication. They are intended to assist you make better decisions when placing bets at online sportsbooks.

Please note that when engaging in online betting, it is important to exercise responsible gambling practices and seek reputable sources for the latest and most accurate information.

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