Whoever wins the Cotton Bowl on Friday night will almost assuredly be the favorite to win the College Football Playoff title game against Notre Dame on Jan. 20. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the big showdown between Ohio State and Texas.
Date: Jan. 10 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN | Line: Ohio State -6 | Total: 53.5
This is a matchup of two blue-blood programs that haven’t won the title in a bit. Ohio State last won it all a decade ago on the arm of third-string QB Cardale Jones; you have to reach all the way back to Vince Young’s dash into the end zone in 2005 for Texas’ last title.
Ohio State is the favorite to hoist the trophy after blistering its opponents by a combined score of 83-38 in the first two rounds. Will Howard is a big reason for that and is playing the best football of his Ohio State career. It also helps to have a generational talent like Jeremiah Smith catching balls.
Texas has had a bit more drama on its way to the Cotton Bowl. The Longhorns coughed up a 24-8 lead in the fourth quarter as Arizona State turned a 16-point deficit into a tie game in just over five minutes. They would hold on, but the lack of separation has been a theme for the Longhorns all year.
Who will move on to the title game in Atlanta on Jan. 20? Follow all the action below.
Live22 updates
Penalties hurting OSU
Another Ohio State drive gets halted by multiple penalties. The action has really slowed here after the opening couple of drives.
It’s Texas ball.
Ohio State’s Tuimoloau hurt
Star defensive end JT Tuimoloau is down on the field with an injury. That could be potentially very big for OSU.
Meanwhile, OSU QB Will Howard is playing with a pretty big bump on his non-throwing hand.
Matthew Golden heads to locker room
Texas’ leading receiver, Matthew Golden, is apparently hurt and was seen walking to the locker room on the ESPN broadcast. Bad news for the Longhorns.
Another OSU sack, another Texas punt
Sonny Styles takes down Quinn Ewers on 3rd down and actually jarred the ball loose, but the Longhorns fell on it. Either way, they punt it away and Ohio State gets it right back.
Dominant start for the OSU pass rush, with 3 sacks already.
Penalty kills OSU drive
Ohio State was marching it again, but a 15-yard unsportsmanlike foul on TreVeyon Henderson was too much to overcome. The Buckeyes will have to punt or try a very long field goal to start the 2nd quarter.
Texas drive stalls
The Longhorns once again had a nice start, moving the ball into OSU territory. But Quinn Ewers took a sack on third down and that forced a punt.
Buckeyes ball.
Touchdown OSU!
Quinshon Judkins with a powerful 9-yard TD run and the Buckeyes are on the board first.
Yet another fast start for OSU in the playoffs.
Ohio State 7, Texas 0
OSU in the red zone
Will Howard has made a few nice throws on 3rd downs to keep the drive going and and the Buckeyes are suddenly inside the 10.
Texas turnover on downs
Longhorns go for it on 4th and 3 at the OSU 35-yard line and a rushed pass falls incomplete.
Texas could have attempted a roughly 55-yard field goal there but instead comes up empty.
Golden hauls it in with one hand!
Texas gets its first first down with Matthew Golden’s unbelievable one-handed grab on the sideline.
Early candidate for catch of the day?
Cotton Bowl kickoff
It’s a touchback and Texas starts with the ball at its own 25.
Ohio State wins the toss, defers
Texas will receive the opening kickoff. A spot in the national title game on the line. Here we go.
Fans braved the weather
Despite a very unusual snowstorm in the Dallas area in the days leading up to tonight’s game, both fan bases showed out for the Cotton Bowl.
This is probably not the best photo, but there’s a very healthy amount of Ohio State fans here. Buckeye fans were able to make the trip after all. pic.twitter.com/KZSUZo61hL
Rebecca Hurley is a news writer at Rebel Planet Dispatch, where she covers everything from arts and construction to automotive, travel, real estate, and fashion. She has been writing professionally since 2004 and has worked in a variety of different fields. Her hobbies include cooking, painting, drawing, and playing the saxophone.
