Cotton Bowl predictions and odds: Which team will win the College Football Playoffs, Texas or Ohio State?
On Friday, January 10, the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns square off in a College Football Playoff semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Who is going to win the Cotton Bowl?
The game is set to start at 5:30 p.m. MST and can be watched on ESPN (stream with this free trial from FUBO). Check out these College Football Playoff picks and predictions.
Ohio State, ranked eighth, recently defeated Oregon, ranked first, 41–21, in the Rose Bowl. In the Peach Bowl, No. 5 Texas defeated No. 4 Arizona State 39-31 after two overtimes.
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, Ohio State is favored by six points over Texas in the College Football Playoffs.
The moneyline for the Buckeyes is -225. It’s +185 for the Longhorns.
53.5 points is the over/under for the match.
Picks and odds for the College Football Playoffs: Ohio State vs. Texas | Notre Dame vs. Penn State | The Arizona Republic’s predictions | Win chances | Game odds | National championship odds
The Republic of Arizona: Ohio State 31, Texas 20
According to Jeremy Cluff: “After defeating No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl and escaping in double OT against Arizona State, Ohio State started this game as a 6.5-point favorite over Texas. The Buckeyes, who also thrashed Tennessee in the first round of the playoffs, benefited greatly from their loss to Michigan in the regular season finale. This club is solely focused on its offensive and defensive goals. To have a chance at the upset, Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns will need to play flawless football. We simply don’t see that occurring.
Buckeyes Wire: Texas 20, Ohio State 38
“The Buckeyes are playing at an absolutely unstoppable level, but this is essentially a home game for Texas,” writes Mark Russell. The Longhorns may stay close because of that alone. But Texas won’t have the energy to stay with the Bucks for four quarters as long as Ohio State doesn’t agree with the premature crowning. In order to guarantee their spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff championship game, the men in scarlet and gray pull away in the second half.
Picks for the College Football Playoffs: Penn State or Notre Dame? Texas or Ohio State?
CBS Sports: Pick Ohio State to win the Cotton Bowl over Texas.
“So we have an explosive Ohio State offense that’s one of the best at finishing drives in the country going up against a Texas defense that seemed to wear down late against Arizona State,” writes Tom Fornelli. Then we have the nation’s top red zone defense (3.09 points allowed per red zone possession) playing against a Texas offense that struggles to complete drives (73rd nationally in points per red zone trip). I don’t think Texas’ offense can keep up, even if their defense slows the Buckeyes down.
College football playoff predictions: Ohio State vs. Texas, Notre Dame vs. Penn State
VSiN: Pick Texas to win the Cotton Bowl over Ohio State.
Zachary Cohen writes: “I think Ohio State will win this game, but it’s hard to ignore Texas and the points. This is particularly significant given that Arlington is the venue for the game. There will undoubtedly be a sizable number of Buckeyes supporters present because of their fantastic fan base. However, the majority of the construction will be in Texas.
Schedule for the College Football Playoffs: Times, dates, and how to watch the TV semifinals
Sports Illustrated: Texas 21, Ohio State 31
“Ewers melts down when he’s under pressure,” writes Brett Gibbons. Across drives, not just in that particular time. As a result, even while there is evidence that they can move the football, Texas’ offense has perplexing periods of inability to do so. The Longhorns used the footall to score two touchdowns in three snaps against Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. It took them ten minutes left in the game to find the end zone again after that.
