The Ohio State Buckeyes are firing on all cylinders right now, and Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian knows it. With a spot in the National Championship Game on the line, Ohio State and Texas will face off in the Cotton Bowl next Friday—and the Longhorns are massive underdogs.
Ohio State enters as 5.5-point favorites, which seems almost generous after their dominant performance over the previously unbeaten Oregon Ducks. However, with the game being held in Arlington, Texas technically holds the home-field advantage. But make no mistake—outside of Texas, very few are picking the Longhorns to win.
Sarkisian isn’t shying away from the challenge. “I need Longhorn Nation to show out in Arlington. We’re going to need everything we’ve got to try to win this game,” he said. “Clearly, we’re massive underdogs. Nobody’s giving us a shot. So we’ll need all the support we can get.”
While Texas is undeniably one of the best teams in the nation, they don’t quite stack up to Ohio State’s elite talent. The Buckeyes displayed their dominance in the Rose Bowl, cruising to a 41-21 win over Oregon after jumping out to a 34-0 lead. On the other hand, Texas barely escaped with a win in a thrilling double-overtime battle against Arizona State in the Peach Bowl.
Stranger things have happened on the football field, though, and Ohio State can’t afford to underestimate the Longhorns. It’s going to be one explosive showdown in Arlington!
