Don’t miss the Cotton Bowl between Ohio State and Texas from 7:30 p.m. on RDS2 and RDS.ca.
Pre-match | Playoff table
After Notre Dame’s dramatic victory over Penn State in the first semifinal of the American College Football Playoff on Thursday, the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns will be the center of attention tonight to decide who will face the Fighting Irish at the National Championship next week.
Ohio State entered the playoffs as the eighth seed and quickly demolished the Tennessee Volunteers 42-17 before crushing the heavily favored Oregon Ducks in the second round, 41-21, at the Rose Bowl .
Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard faced little resistance in the playoffs under former NFL head coach Chip Kelly, racking up 630 yards and five touchdowns in two blowout wins, with only 14 incomplete passes.
-The Longhorns, meanwhile, eliminated Clemson in the first round before beating Arizona State 39-31 in a thrilling Peach Bowl that ended with an interception in the second overtime.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers was strong against Arizona State, throwing for 322 yards and three touchdowns, while receiver Matt Golden, who transferred from Houston for this season, was a revelation in the victory, catching seven passes for 149 yards and the decisive touchdown.
This will be the fourth clash between the two universities. Texas currently has the advantage, with two wins to one, with the last battle between the two teams taking place on January 5, 2009 at the Fiesta Bowl – a 24-21 victory for the Longhorns.
Texas last won the National Championship in 2005 and has won four national titles in program history. Ohio State, meanwhile, has won eight national titles, with its last victory coming in 2014.
