As the College Football Playoff semifinals draw near, all eyes will be on the Cotton Bowl Classic, where two historic programs—Texas and Ohio State—are set to clash in what promises to be one of the most exciting matchups of the season.
Both teams boast explosive offenses, featuring elite playmakers like Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Texas’ Matthew Golden, who will be looking to make game-changing plays on the perimeter. On the defensive side, both teams are loaded with talent, including Ohio State’s standout defenders Caleb Downs and Jack Sawyer, along with Texas’ Colin Simmons and Andrew Mukuba.
Ohio State enters the matchup as a 6-point favorite, according to ESPN BET, but the Longhorns have an edge in ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI), which gives Texas a slight 50.7% chance to win and advance to the national championship. This system factors in team statistics, strength of schedule, and win probability to predict outcomes.
A key figure for Texas will be quarterback Quinn Ewers, who has been the team’s backbone throughout the College Football Playoff. In the Longhorns’ 39-31 victory over Arizona State, Ewers threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns, completing 20 of 30 passes. This season, he has racked up 29 touchdowns, 3,189 passing yards, and a 66.5% completion rate, making him a key factor in Texas’ quest for its first national championship since 2005.
The highly anticipated Cotton Bowl Classic between Texas and Ohio State will kick off on January 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET, with both teams looking to prove they belong in the national title game.
