Eric Cohen revealed his College Football Playoff semifinal picks for Texas Longhorns vs. Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Cotton Bowl on Friday

Would the real Longhorn defense please stand up? Can Texas finish both drives and the game strong? Or will Ohio State simply continue bulldozing its postseason opponents?

One half of a historic College Football Playoff semifinal round is in the books, and now the other half kicks off from the Metroplex as college football’s posts

The stunning home loss to Michigan in the regular-season finale has brought out the best in the most talented team in the nation, allowing Ohio State to dismantle Tennessee and its top-10 defense, 42-17, before embarrassing No. 1 Oregon by scoring the first 34 points of the Rose Bowl .

The No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes will square off against the No. 5 Texas Longhorns in a College Football Playoff national semifinal at the Cotton Bowl today. This game is available to watch on multiple streaming services for free.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, who has landed lucrative NIL deals and also changed schools via the transfer portal, has become the face of this "new era of college football," says coach Steve Sarkisian.

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 everything you need to know for the Ohio State Buckeyes' CFP semifinals matchup against the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl.

Ohio State takes on Texas in the Cotton Bowl, which serves as a semifinal in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes are favored.

The Ohio State Buckeyes (12-2) face the Texas Longhorns (13-2) in the Cotton Bowl Friday in a College Football Playoff semifinal. Kickoff from AT&T Stadium in Arlington is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN).