For the first time this season, Texas football (13-2, 7-1 SEC) and head coach Steve Sarkisian are listed as underdogs in a game in the College Football Playoff semis at the Cotton Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes (12-2, 7-2 Big Ten).
Head coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes will pose a huge challenge for Sarkisian and the Longhorns in the national semis this evening in DFW at Jerry World.
"It's a clean slate. The reality of it is you don't get any points for being an underdog. You don't get to say, 'Hey! We lost by five! You win!' It doesn't work like that in our world."Steve Sarkisian
Ohio State is as hot as any team in college football this postseason. But Sarkisian and Co. are embracing the underdog role in this game against Ohio State in the semis of the CFP.
Here's a look at the final betting odds and game prediction for the national semifinals of the College Football Playoff at the Cotton Bowl between five-seed Texas and eight-seed Ohio State at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, on Jan. 1 at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Texas football vs. Ohio State odds
Texas is a 5.5-point underdog against Ohio State in the CFP. And the Buckeyes are favored in the money line (-245) over the Longhorns (+198), per FanDuel. The over/under is 52.5 points.
The Longhorns remain the same one-score underdog by 5.5 points that it was earlier this week when Ohio State opened up as the favorite.
Texas football vs. Ohio State prediction
A lot more must go right for the Longhorns to upset Ohio State in the national semis compared to the CFP quarterfinals in double OT against Arizona State last week on New Year's Day. Texas needs to disrupt Ohio State quarterback Will Howard to limit the ability of the Buckeye passing attack to fully stretch the field against Texas's defensive secondary.
Texas's ground game also needs to help balance the offensive attack more than it did after rushing for just 53 yards and under two yards per carry vs. Arizona State's stingy front seven.
This is a game that feels like quarterback Quinn Ewers will have a big onus on his shoulders to lead the Longhorns to victory against his former team, Ohio State. Given the struggles of the Texas ground game at times this season against better run fit defenses, like Georgia, Ewers is very likely going to be passing the ball at least 35 or 40 times this evening against the Buckeyes defense.