After a commanding victory in the Rose Bowl, the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes are poised to ride their wave of success into the College Football Playoff semifinals. Their next challenge is the No. 5 Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl, and with the game set in Arlington, Texas, the Longhorns have a distinct home-field edge—something that could sway the tide in their favor.
Still, it’s hard to ignore Ohio State’s scorching form. The Buckeyes have steamrolled through their last two playoff contests, each time coming out on top by margins exceeding 20 points and piling on over 40 points per game. Their explosive starts have outpaced opponents 35-0 in the first quarter, with freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith leading the charge. Smith has been nothing short of electrifying, racking up four touchdowns and 290 receiving yards across those wins.
On the flip side, Texas has showcased its dominance throughout the season, albeit with a nerve-wracking escape against Arizona State. Should the Longhorns falter early against Ohio State’s high-octane offense, the game might end before it truly begins, as seen in their contests with Tennessee and Oregon.
Urban Meyer, a former stalwart in college football’s coaching ranks, weighed in on the upcoming clash. Despite his season-long support for Texas, Meyer has called the matchup for Ohio State.
“If Team-A brings their A-game, it’s a done deal. Ohio State will hoist the gold trophy,” Meyer asserted. “With all that firepower, if they perform like the top roster they are, they’ll emerge as national champions in no time. Every skill player on this Ohio State squad has a future in the NFL. That’s their caliber.”
Meyer had pegged both Ohio State and Texas as dark horses for the title before the playoffs kicked off. Yet, as it stands, he believes the Buckeyes are a formidable force unlikely to be quelled. On “The Triple Option” podcast, Meyer confidently backed his former team to push through to the championship round.
According to the odds-makers at DraftKings Sportsbook, Ohio State enters the game favored by 6 1/2 points—an enticing prospect for fans anticipating a battle between these two storied programs.
This showdown marks the fourth encounter between Ohio State and Texas, injecting even more excitement into what’s shaping up to be an exhilarating contest in Arlington on Friday night.
