Texas faces Ohio State in College Football Playoff
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The Longhorns last played Ohio State in 2009, in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Photo: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
Hoping to vie for a national championship, the University of Texas faces Ohio State Friday night in Arlington in the semifinal of the College Football Playoff.
Why it matters: Win or lose, the Longhorns under head coach Steve Sarkisian are relevant once again.
- UT, one of the nation's storied programs, last won a national championship at the end of the 2005 season.
- Yes, but losing in the College Football Playoff for the second year running would feel distinctly dissatisfying.
State of play: The Buckeyes, coming off a 41-21 thrashing of top-ranked Oregon, is favored by 5.5 points in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
- The Longhorns squeaked into the semifinal by emerging from a roller-coaster of a game over Arizona State in double-overtime.
What they're saying: The Longhorns are embracing the unusual little brother tag.
- "Clearly, we're massive underdogs. Nobody's going to give us a shot. So we're going to need all that we can to try to win this game," Sarkisian said at a Cotton Bowl press conference.
What we're watching: Whether UT's running game shows up.
- Holding the ball and chewing up clock could be key to a UT victory — but the Longhorns gained fewer than 100 yards against ASU in the quarterfinal.
- A week and a half earlier, the Longhorns offense ran for 292 yards in its 38-24 win over Clemson.
What scares us: Ohio State's aerial attack.
- Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard tossed three touchdowns against Oregon, including two to Jeremiah Smith, who corralled seven passes for 187 yards.
- Also, their pass rush is a beast — Ohio State notched eight sacks against Oregon.
The intrigue: AT&T Stadium is 200 miles from Austin — and just over 1,000 from Columbus, Ohio.
- UT might be able to amplify its home field advantage if Ohio State fans' travel is delayed or canceled with the winter weather in Dallas.
How to watch: The game airs on ESPN at 6:30pm.
What's next: The winner plays the winner of Thursday's matchup of Penn State and Notre Dame in the Jan. 20 national championship game in Atlanta.
- And Texas opens the 2025 season against Ohio State in Columbus.