The Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns are set to face off tonight in the Cotton Bowl. Whoever ends up winning the game will head on to the national champi

Irish Breakdown makes predictions for the upcoming matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns

The Buckeyes will meet the No. 5 seed Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The winner of Friday’s game will move on to play either Notre Dame or Penn State on January 20th in the national championship game.

On the back end, Texas has allowed only eight passing scores this year and ranks No. 3 in pass defense success rate. All-American cornerback Jahdae Barron had a standout season with five interceptions and 11 pass breakups and is a key cog in the hopes of slowing down Ohio State receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka.

Here's a look at what Texas football must do to beat Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on Friday. The winner advances to the CFP championship game.

Ohio State football is appearing in its sixth College Football Playoff as the No. 8 seed of the inaugural 12-team field. The Buckeyes take on the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl on Friday, Jan. 10.

The No. 5 Texas Longhorns will play the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl semifinal on Thursday evening. The Buckeyes are six-point favorites against the Longhorns as they have looked dominant in its two semifinals against Tennessee and Oregon.

In the summer of 2021, the nation’s top-ranked high school football recruit, Quinn Ewers, arrived on Ohio State's campus in what represented a recruiting coup.