Hoping to vie for a national championship, the University of Texas faces Ohio State Friday night in Arlington in the semifinal of the College Football Playoff. Why it matters: Win or lose, the Longhorns under head coach Steve Sarkisian are relevant once again.

When I made my Sugar Bowl pick, Georgia was the slight favorite, but that flipped by the time the game kicked off Thursday afternoon. The favored Fighting Irish sent home SEC champion Georgia, and I was foolish enough to tell you to put all your chips down on the Bulldogs and their backup quarterback.

The main areas of weakness on offense are the Ohio State O-line’s ability to handle extra rushers, ranking 78th with a 9.2% blitz down sack rate, and a somewhat elevated 10.2% blown run block rate that checks in at 94th nationally.

Ryan Day isn't known for his flair. The Ohio State coach could double nicely as a mattress salesman, local TV ads and all that. He'd blend into the background. That's why it hurts

Ohio State's defense has turned a corner in the College Football Playoff. Two defensive backs deserve credit for the improvement.

Friday’s College Football Playoff semifinal between Texas and Ohio State remains on schedule despite a wintry forecast for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. With a mix of rain, snow and sleet forecast for Thursday,

Eric Cohen revealed his College Football Playoff semifinal picks for Texas Longhorns vs. Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Cotton Bowl on Friday

Will the Texas football season end at the hands of Ohio State in the CFP? Here's the case for a Buckeyes win in the Cotton Bowl.

Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff predictions, picks, odds for Ohio State Buckeyes vs Texas Longhorns on Friday, Jan. 10. Who wins CFP semifinal?

Elite depth, the staple of so many recent national champions, is harder to maintain in the NIL/portal era of player transience.