Dave Portnoy made a somewhat-surprising pick at the end of his Big Noon Kickoff debut on Saturday morning.
The Barstool Sports founder and Michigan super fan picked Ohio State to beat Texas in its highly-anticipated Week 1 matchup on Saturday in Columbus. Portnoy emphasized he’s rooting for the Big Ten side.
“I’m so sick of hearing about the SEC,” Portnoy said. “Last year in the bowls, the Big Ten was 5-1 against the SEC teams. Yet you still hear, ‘SEC this, SEC that. It’s better down south.’ No. Midwestern football. We like a good punt in Iowa. We respect 3 yards up the middle. The Big Ten is back in charge. Man football.
“Along those lines, these people might be surprised, I’m taking the Buckeyes today … 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.”
Here’s a clip of Portnoy’s segment on the show:
Portnoy delivered that speech from outside Ohio Stadium on Saturday morning, as he claims he’s been banned from the premises. Ohio State has denied that report and at this time it’s unclear if Portnoy will be present inside other Big Ten stadiums this season.
Ohio State and Texas have met 4 times previously, with each program claiming 2 victories.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
