Ohio State and Texas are gearing up for a marquee showdown tonight in the Cotton Bowl.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, as the winner will advance to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the national championship game on January 20.
Ohio State arrives at this stage riding a wave of dominant performances.
The Buckeyes dismantled Tennessee and Oregon in earlier rounds, showcasing a lethal mix of both offense and defense.
Texas, meanwhile, earned its spot by steamrolling Clemson and surviving a double-overtime thriller against Arizona State.
As anticipation builds, everyone is weighing in on the matchup.
FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt recently shared his thoughts, predicting Ohio State will prevail due to their current near-unstoppable form.
“Even though this game is in Dallas, I don’t see this Ohio State team taking their foot off the gas,” Klatt said.
“If we’re being really honest, the back half of the year, Texas has not quite looked like their full self, and it’s going to take their full self. They’re going to have to win the first quarter to keep the crowd engaged in Dallas and not allow the Buckeyes to just run off and hide.
“Steve Sarkisian is right, Ohio State is playing the best football of anybody in the country. They’ve got a great roster. And if they play like that at all, they should win this game.”
The Buckeyes’ path to the semifinal wasn’t without adversity.
Their season took a monstrous hit with an inexplicable loss to rival Michigan in the regular season finale back in November – their fourth consecutive defeat in the rivalry.
However, the loss seems to have sparked a major turnaround. Since then, Ohio State has played with renewed focus and determination, positioning themselves as the overall favorites to win the national championship.
If we’re being honest, it feels like the Texas Longhorns have gone massively overlooked.
While all the hype and hoopla surrounds the Buckeyes, let’s not forget how loaded Steve Sarkisian’s team is.
Ohio State is currently listed as a 6-point favorite – a spread that feels way too high against such a dangerous Texas squad.
What are your thoughts on the matchup???
