At first, there were 12 College Football Playoff teams. Only, four remain with Ohio State and Texas set to battle at the Cotton Bowl. The winner of the latest Big Ten vs. SEC matchup will go on to face the winner of the Orange Bowl, Penn State or Notre Dame. Ohio State and Texas have taken two very different routes to get to the prestigious Cotton Bowl and both have been playing some of the best football of the year.
This game marks the fourth time these two storied programs will face off. The Buckeyes and Longhorns split a home-and-home series in 2005 and 2006 before Texas took the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. This is Ohio State’s fourth Cotton Bowl and the Buckeyes enter with a 2-1 record. Meanwhile, Texas is a frequent flier with the Cotton Bowl’s old tie-in with the Big 12, the Longhorns’ old conference. This marks the 23rd time Texas is featured in the Cotton Bowl where it holds a 12-10 record.
With a win, Ohio State will get back to the CFP National Championship for the first time since the 2020 season and second time in the CFP era. Should Texas emerge victorious, it will be the first time the Longhorns will play for a national championship since that 2006 Rose Bowl instant classic.
Cotton Bowl: Ohio State and Texas Face off in CFP Semifinals
Texas entered the season as one of the favorites to win the national championship and did little to sew doubt in that hype. The Longhorns kicked off the season strong with six straight wins including victories over Michigan and Oklahoma. Then, Georgia came to town and handed Texas a 30-15 defeat, thus bringing the team down to Earth. Unmoved, Texas rattled off five straight to earn a spot in the SEC Championship in the program’s first season in the new league. Unfortunately for Texas, Georgia was waiting yet again and came away victorious again.
As the runner-up, Texas locked in the five seed and hosted ACC Champion, Clemson in the CFP First Round. Despite giving up a first-drive touchdown, Texas went on a 21-0 run, propelling it to a commanding 38-24 win at home. In the quarterfinals, Texas drew Big 12 Champion, Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. With 10:17 to go in the game, Texas scored to take a definitive 24-8 lead. Then, the Sun Devils came storming back to force overtime after two touchdowns with two two-point conversions. The two traded touchdowns in the first overtime before Texas scored in the second period and held the Sun Devils out of the endzone.