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.
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