No. 3 Texas football (12-2, 7-1 SEC) battles the Big 12 Champion and No. 12 ranked Arizona State Sun Devils (11-2, 7-2 Big 12) in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Peach Bowl in roughly 24 hours.
Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian plays a College Football Playoff game on New Year's Day for the second postseason in a row. Last postseason, the Longhorns faced the Washington Huskies in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
Sarkisian and the Longhorns are focused on the task at hand against an Arizona State team that has a huge chip on their shoulder coming into the Playoff.
In the Peach Bowl pre-game press conference on Dec. 31, Sarkisian said that he's excited and ready for the opportunity to face Arizona State in the Peach Bowl in the Playoff on New Year's Day in Atlanta.
"As far as the ballgame goes, feels like we’re just kind of staying the course of what’s been going on, the way the season has gone, with starting July 31 with our first ballgame, or excuse me, August 31. And then two byes along the way, a conference championship, these ten days in between games. So we’ve just been kind of riding the wave and enjoying the journey. And this is another great opportunity for us."Steve Sarkisian
Texas kicks off against Arizona State in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal in the Playoff at 1 p.m. CT at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA, on Jan. 1, 2025, on ESPN.
Game predictions for Texas football vs. Arizona State in the College Football Playoff
Arizona State was one of the great stories of the 2024 college football season. After being picked to finish in last place by the media in the Big 12 media preseason poll, head coach Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils won the conference championship and made the program's first-ever Playoff appearance for this postseason.
Led by star running back Cam Skattebo, Arizona State brings a physical ground game that will test the Longhorns' strength and depth up front along the front seven. Texas boasts the No. 3 ranked run defense in the SEC while allowing only one opposing ground game to reach four yards per carry this season.
Texas needs another efficient game from quarterback Quinn Ewers, who played a solid contest for the Longhorns' offense in the first-round Playoff win over the Clemson Tigers. Ewers completed over 70 percent of his pass attempts for over 200 yards, one touchdown, and one pick against the Tigers on Dec. 21 in the double-digit Playoff win.
Andrew Miller: Texas-31, Arizona State-14
Brian Sweet: Texas-28, Arizona State-17
Shane Black: Texas-38, Arizona State-13
Aaron Ball: Texas-35, Arizona State-14