Texas Football will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl on Friday at AT&T Stadium. With how well the Ohio State Buckeyes did against the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl, you feel Texas has to play a perfect game to take them down.
The Buckeyes don't know that Texas has home-field advantage with the game in Arlington, Texas. Don't be surprised to see a sea of burnt orange in the stands on Friday, no matter the weather.
Steve Sarkisian has preached all season long, "All Gas, No Brakes." The Longhorns have to disable their break pedal if they want to beat the Buckeyes. They can't take one offensive or defensive series off. That is how well the Buckeyes are playing right now.
I don't care if the Longhorns somehow have a 21-point lead; keep putting the ball in the endzone. It's do-or-die for the Longhorns this weekend. Here are the four reasons why the Longhorns will beat the Buckeyes and advance to the National Championship.
Why Texas football will upset Ohio State: 4. Quinn Ewers
Wouldn't it be fun for Quinn Ewers to stick it to his former team by eliminating them from the College Football Playoffs? I think it could possibly happen this weekend. Ewers has a chip on his shoulder since everyone doubted whether he could lead a team to a national championship. this year.
What a way to possibly wrap up your career at Texas by proving everyone wrong and raising your NFL Draft stock simultaneously. I think Texas fans could be in store for the best game Ewers has played at Texas.
3. Two-headed running back tandem
I don't know if the Buckeyes can stop the tandem of Quintrevion Wisner and Jaydon Blue. Both running backs have impacted Texas's offense for Texas and why they have reached the semifinals. If the Buckeyes shut down the passing lanes for Ewers, expect the Longhorns to try to run the ball down the heart of the Buckeyes defense.
Blue brings the speed, while Wisner brings the physicality. That could be a lethal combination that slows down the Buckeyes' defense.
2. Having a disruptive defense
For most of the game in the Peach Bowl, Texas's defense disrupted the Sun Devils from finding the back of the end zone. While I don't expect a dominant first-half performance like that, the Longhorns can disrupt the Buckeyes offense.
I'm sure the Buckeyes are looking ahead now at who their opponent will be in the National Championship game. Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard better be ready to scramble because the Longhorns defensive line quickly gets to the quarterback.
1. Shut down the sky
I'm not calling for the Longhorns to shut down the airspace over AT&T Stadium. They need to shut down the Buckeyes' lethal passing game. College Football fans saw what the Buckeyes did to the Ducks in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State had their ticket punched to the Cotton Bowl from touchdowns from Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka.
The Longhorns have one of the best secondaries in the nation. Don't be surprised if Texas shuts down the Buckeyes' passing game to the point that the Buckeyes have to rely on the run game.