Ohio State is set to take on Texas in one of the most anticipated games of the College Football season in the Cotton Bowl CFP Semifinal.

The No. 8-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes are preparing to face the No. 5-seeded Texas Longhorns in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, Texas. Kickoff is set at 7:30 pm EST for the second College Football Playoff semi-final of the two, in the first year of the expanded playoff.

These two teams had very different journeys to get to this spot, but both have played football well enough to make it to the final four teams. It’s all about how you are playing late in the season, and Ohio State has risen to the occasion the past few weeks.

Here is a look at how the teams ended up in Dallas, with a quick season recap and diving into their playoff games thus far.

Buckeyes Continue to Elevate Their Game

Ohio State finished the regular season 10-2 with two heart-breaking defeats to Oregon and Michigan. Those two losses highlighted their season, and many people overlooked their quality victories at Penn State and against Indiana in the Shoe.

The Buckeyes have saved their best performances for last, and have put together their two most complete showings in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. The Scarlet and Gray are playing as well as any team has all season, and have made two statements in order to make it to the Cotton Bowl.

Ryan Day’s side handled Tennessee 42-17 at home in the first round with Will Howard and Jeremiah Smith leading the charge. The duo connected for two impressive scores and Smith finished with 103 receiving yards. Howard was an efficient 24/29, and TreVeyon Henderson made great use of his touches scoring two touchdowns of 24-plus yards on just ten carries.

The defense held Tennessee to just 104 yards passing even though they threw the ball 31 times and trailed coast-to-coast. The Silver Bullets gave up 152 rushing yards on 39 carries, and the Volunteers never had a chance to get going on offense. Cody Simon powered the defense with 12 tackles, with the team defense sacking Iamaleava four times with six tackles for loss.

The Rose Bowl quarterfinal matchup with the Oregon Ducks was more of the same, boding well for Ohio State to get their sweet revenge.

Will Howard threw for 319 yards with Jeremiah Smith having another massive game with 7 receptions, 187 yards, and two touchdowns. Emeka Egbuka had a very impressive touchdown catch of his own and added 5 receptions for 72 yards. TreVeyon Henderson had a similar stat line this game as he did against the Volunteers, with 8 rushes for 94 yards and two touchdowns including a 66-yard scamper.

The defense was phenomenal, flying to the ball in a way we haven’t seen in years. Heisman finalist Dillon Gabriel got his numbers as Oregon trailed big early, but the defense did more than enough to win the game.

They held the Ducks rushing attack to -23 yards on 28 carries, with an average yards per carry of -0.8. Jordan James getting hurt early, much like Dylan Sampson in the Tennessee game, obviously hurt the team’s rushing attacks. Those numbers are as dominant as they come though, and the defense deserves all the flowers for winning the line of scrimmage and getting Oregon out of their game.

After a pick in the Tennessee game that shouldn’t have counted and wasn’t a bad throw by any means, Howard and the offense played a clean game with zero turnovers against Oregon. On defense, Cody Simon led the way again with 11 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, and one pass defended. 

Lathan Ransom, Caleb Downs, Jack Sawyer, and JT Tuimoloau all had major impacts on the game for a defense that registered 13 tackles for loss, nine passes defended, and eight sacks. After having zero sacks in the first meeting with Oregon, this made up for it and in dominant fashion.

The Buckeyes have easily covered the spread in both playoff games and are rolling, with only Texas in their way of advancing to the College Football Playoff National Championship.

A Unique But Overall Successful Season for the Longhorns

Texas had an overall dominant season going 11-1 in the regular season with convincing wins over Michigan, Oklahoma, Florida, and Texas A&M. Their only regular-season loss came at the hands of Georgia by 15 points. They then lost to the Bulldogs in the SEC championship by just a field goal.

Their path to the semi-final has been interesting and started with a home win against Clemson 38-24. A game they barely covered and looked convincing on the scoreboard left a lot of room for improvement for the orange and white.

On offense, Quinn Ewers didn’t need to make too many plays, throwing for just 202 yards with one passing touchdown and one interception. Tight end Gunnar Helm led the team with 6 catches, 77 receiving yards, and the lone touchdown reception. No other Longhorns player had more than 2 receptions. The ground game featuring Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner powered the offense with 146 and 110 rushing yards respectively. Both rushed for two scores, as Texas had almost 300 yards rushing on 6.1 yards per carry.

The defense let Cade Klubnik throw for 336 yards with three passing touchdowns and one interception. Freshman wideout T.J. Moore had a career day with nine catches, 116 yards and a score. The ground game never got going as they trailed, with no running back having more than four carries. The team finished with just 76 yards on the ground. Linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. led the Longhorns defense with seven tackles. Linebacker Liona Lefau and defensive back Malik Muhammad added five tackles each. The defense registered eight passes defended, seven tackles for los,s and three sacks. Clemson hung around and was down just seven in the fourth quarter, with no points being scored by either team in the final 10:48 of game time.

The quarterfinal matchup in the Peach Bowl with Arizona State gave Texas all they could handle. The Longhorns had leads of 17-3 and 24-8, but gave up 16-unanswered to end regulation tied 24-24. After both teams scored in the first overtime, Texas was able to score and get the stop they needed on an interception. A Quinn Ewers 4th-and-13 touchdown in the first overtime saved the Longhorns season.

On offense, Ewers had a better day passing for 322 yards with three passing touchdowns and one interception. The rushing attack was the exact opposite of their first playoff game, with just 53 total rushing yards. They averaged an abysmal 1.8 yards per carry, which allowed Arizona State to get some key stops and get back in the game. Wide receiver Matthew Golden stepped up this game with seven catches for 149 yards and one of the three touchdown catches.

On defense, Texas limited Sam Leavitt to just 24/46 passing for 222 yards and one interception. The ground game mustered 214 yards on 49 carries, good for a 4.4 yards per carry average. Running back phenom Cam Skattebo was a one-man wrecking crew for the Sun Devils, as he had 143 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. He also added in eight receptions, 99 receiving yards, and a 42-yard passing touchdown. In this game, defensive backs Jahdae Barron and Michael Taaffe led the team with 11 and 10 tackles respectively.

Who Advances to the National Championship?

Just like any big game, the trenches on both sides of the ball often are a big indicator of who will win the game. The Buckeyes offensive line has been great even without arguably their two best starters on the line. They have opened up lanes for the running backs, given Will Howard plenty of time in the pocket, and the offense as a whole has been creative with the play-calling and gaining chunk plays.

The defensive line has played like the best in the country and played to the level many expected all year. They have disrupted opposing quarterbacks, stuffed running backs for short gains or losses, and played with emotion and energy. The whole defense has flown to the ball and I expect them to give Texas fits especially if the Longhorns get down early.

Jeremiah Smith and TreVeyon Henderson have been unstoppable lately, and the Oregon secondary couldn’t contain Smith. Jim Thorpe Award winner Jahdae Barron won’t be able to hold him in check for the entire game. I expect Smith and Egbuka to get theirs like they do every game.

I’m also expecting bigger games from Quinshon Judkins and Carnell Tate after quiet games in the Rose Bowl. The defense will force Ewers to throw another pick or two as he has been prone to do. The Buckeyes have been very clean with the ball and if they win the turnover battle and line of scrimmage, they will easily cover again. Both of my playoff predictions have been right with the Buckeyes winning by a good margin, and I expect another win in this one. The team from Columbus will put the horns down, and the Buckeyes will move on to Atlanta.

Prediction: Ohio State 31 Texas 20