The two other semifinalists, Notre Dame and Penn State, are traveling more than 1,200 miles each to the Orange Bowl this week. Ohio State and Penn State each traveled more than 2,200 to their quarterfinal. Texas’ 928-mile trip to Atlanta will be the furthest the Longhorns must go.

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

Texas' best win this year is against Clemson in the first-round of the playoff. They haven't played a team as good as Ohio State, and they certainly haven't beaten anyone as good as Ohio State. This is going to be an incredibly challenging test for the Longhorns and they will have to play mistake-free football to get a win.

The first College Football Playoff semifinal is set as (8) Ohio State and (5) Texas will meet in the Cotton Bowl on Friday, Jan. 10 with a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship on the line. This will be just the fourth meeting all-time, and the first since 2009, between two of the sport's most storied program.

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.

Off to the next step in the College Football Playoff for Ohio State. After dismantling the Tennessee Volunteers in the first round, the Buckeyes backed that up with a complete domination of No. 1 Oreg

Steve Sarkisian looked directly into the camera and, without a hint of sarcasm or even the slightest grin, gave those Las Vegas oddsmakers a deadpanned shoutout. “Clearly we’re massive underdogs,” Texas’ head football coach said Friday during a virtual news conference.