There are three more playoff games left before the national champion for the 2024 college football season is decided – the first champion of the 12-team playoff era. The second semifinal game is fifth seed/No. 3 Texas vs. eighth seed/No. 6 Ohio State on Friday, January 10. Before that matchup, on Thursday, January 9, sixth seed/No. 4 Penn State will face seventh seed/No. 5 Notre Dame.
This is a battle of two of college football’s Blue Blood teams. Heading into the game, Texas and Ohio State are in very different positions. While Texas has looked especially vulnerable throughout the season, including losing to Georgia twice, Ohio State seems to be firing on all cylinders at just the right time. For their part, the Longhorns will need to show more discipline, eliminating excess penalty yards and finding success with quarterback Quinn Ewers. In a positive turn of events, right tackle Cameron Williams may play after missing the Peach Bowl with a right knee injury – a huge plus for the Longhorns’ offense if so. On the other sideline, Ohio State’s signal caller Will Howard would like to finally get a win over Texas after losing all three of his starts against the Longhorns while at Kansas State (he was on the sidelines for a fourth defeat). This is certainly Howard’s best chance; Ohio State’s all-star (and expensive) roster is finally starting to show its worth. Between Howard’s top target, Jeremiah Smith, and running back TreVeyon Henderson, it’s no wonder the Buckeyes are favored by a touchdown. Still, if Texas chooses this game to start showing its true potential, it could be another game for the ages.
How did these teams get to Arlington? Texas is 13-2, with both of its losses coming from Georgia. Despite being able to beat everyone but the Bulldogs, the Longhorns haven’t looked dominant for much of the season. So far in the playoff, Texas beat Clemson 38-24 at home in the first round and then escaped a quarterfinal upset against Arizona State (39-31 2OT) in the Peach Bowl. Meanwhile, Ohio State is 12-2, with losses to Oregon (32-31) and Michigan (13-10) in the regular season. The Buckeyes beat Tennessee 42-17 at home in the first round and then got revenge on the Ducks in a 41-21 quarterfinal trouncing at the Rose Bowl.
This is the fourth meeting between these two programs, with the last matchup being the 2009 Fiesta Bowl (more on that below). Texas is making its 23rd Cotton Bowl appearance (11-10-1), although the Longhorns haven’t played in the game since 2003. Ohio State is making its fourth Cotton Bowl appearance (2-1), including just last season, when the Buckeyes lost 14-3 to Missouri.
READ MORE: ‘Clicking on all cylinders,’ Ohio State is now the team to beat in the College Football Playoff
How to Watch Texas vs. Ohio State Cotton Bowl CFP Semifinal Game
- Date: Friday, January 10
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV Network: ESPN
- Location: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
Texas vs. Ohio State Odds
*odds courtesy of BetMGM
- Moneyline: Ohio State Buckeyes (-225), Texas Longhorns (+185)
- Spread: Buckeyes -6
- Over/Under: 53.5 points
Texas vs. Ohio State Head-to-Head Record
Texas leads the series 2-1 all-time, including winning the first matchup in 2005 – an instant classic that finished 25-22. The Longhorns would go on to win the national title that year. The teams would face each other two more times before the decade was out. In 2006, Ohio State won 24-7 in Austin. Then, in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl, it was another tight battle that saw Texas victorious once more, 24-21. College football fans may get a sense of déjà vu come August, when the teams open their seasons against each other in Columbus.
Full 2024-25 College Football Bowl Schedule, Scores
College Football Playoff Semifinal Schedule
Thursday, January 9
7:30 p.m. - Capital One Orange Bowl (CFP Semifinal) (ESPN)
6 Penn State vs. 7 Notre Dame
Friday, January 10
7:30 p.m. - Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (CFP Semifinal) (ESPN)
5 Texas vs. 8 Ohio State
Texas vs. Ohio State Game Preview
Watch NBC Sports college football analysts Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry break down this game. For full analysis and updates throughout the College Football Playoffs, listen and subscribe to Rushing the Field wherever you get your podcasts.
