Two of college football’s most storied programs face off as the No. 5 Texas Longhorns play the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

Ohio State takes on Texas in the Cotton Bowl, which serves as a semifinal in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes are favored.

Would the real Longhorn defense please stand up? Can Texas finish both drives and the game strong? Or will Ohio State simply continue bulldozing its postseason opponents?

SportsLine's model simulated the Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Texas Longhorns 2025 College Football Playoff semifinal Cotton Bowl matchup on Friday 10,000 times

On the back end, Texas has allowed only eight passing scores this year and ranks No. 3 in pass defense success rate. All-American cornerback Jahdae Barron had a standout season with five interceptions and 11 pass breakups and is a key cog in the hopes of slowing down Ohio State receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka.

Texas Longhorns will play the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl, the College Football semifinal. Here is the latest update for tickets.

The No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes will square off against the No. 5 Texas Longhorns in a College Football Playoff national semifinal at the Cotton Bowl today. This game is available to watch on multiple streaming services for free.