While wondering if we might get a football matchup down the line between these two in the playoffs, early-season hoops provide a Buckeyes-Longhorns appetizer. It looks to us like this price has more to do with recent perceptions of these programs the past few years. Even then, Texas underachieved a year ago after Rodney Terry was handed an Elite Eight team by Chris Beard the year before. A complete overhaul of the roster sees the Longhorns as a new team, with much hope pinned on Oregon State transfer G Jordan Pope (17.8 ppg last year with the Beavers). Meanwhile we are inclined to pick up with the Buckeyes where things left off down the stretch a year ago when OSU went 8-3 for interim Jake Diebler after finally having had enough of Chris Holtmann (now at DePaul). Diebler got the job on a full-time basis as a result. The long-serving Meechie Johnson (back after a stint at South Carolina) and Bruce Thornton combined for 30 ppg a year ago and provide a veteran perimeter presence that could prove very helpful in November. Play Ohio State (at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas)