Hoping to vie for a national championship, the University of Texas faces Ohio State Friday night in Arlington in the semifinal of the College Football Playoff. Why it matters: Win or lose, the Longhorns under head coach Steve Sarkisian are relevant once again.

Ohio State has been a steamroller through the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff, besting the Tennessee Volunteers by 25 points in the opening round and hammering the No. 1-seeded Oregon Ducks by 20 points in a revenge game during the quarterfinals.

Friday’s College Football Playoff semifinal between Texas and Ohio State remains on schedule despite a wintry forecast for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. With a mix of rain, snow and sleet forecast for Thursday,

Grading Ryan Day and the rest of the Buckeyes after Ohio State football's College Football Playoff quarterfinal game vs. Oregon.

Texas is coming off a 39-31 double-overtime win in the Peach Bowl against the Arizona State Sun Devils. It defeated the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Ohio State has looked like the best team in the playoff through two rounds, beating the Tennessee Volunteers, 42-17, and the Oregon Ducks, 41-21, in the Rose Bowl.

Ahead of the 2025 Cotton Bowl, Texas is ranked No. 5 in the country; pundits put Ohio State at No. 8. Although they’re ranked below the Longhorns, ESPN claims the Buckeyes have a -5.5 point advantage in the Cotton Bowl.

Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST (ESPN) BetMGM Sportsbook College Football Odds: Ohio State by 6. Series record: Texas leads 2-1. What’s at stake? The winner advances to the national championship game in the first year of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.