Following a thrilling 39-31 victory over Arizona State in the FBS College Football Playoff Quarterfinal, quarterback Quinn Ewers -- a graduate of Southlake Carroll High School -- and the Texas Longhorns will travel up I-35 for the CFP Semifinals, slated for Jan. 10 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
After a sluggish second half in the quarterfinals in Atlanta -- Arizona State erased a 14-point deficit and tied the game -- Ewers (322 yards passing, three passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown) found receiver Matthew Golden for a 28 yard touchdown on fourth down to force a second overtime, then found tight end Gunnar Helm on the first play of the second overtime for a 25 yard touchdown and subsequent two-point conversion pass to Golden. The Longhorn defense held Arizona State out of the end zone on the Sun Devil's next offensive drive, ending the game.
It's the second consecutive time the Longhorns have advanced to the final four of college football since the playoff system was created, losing last January to Michael Penix Jr. and the Washington State Huskies. Ewers passed for 318 yards and a touchdown in that contest, but his throw to Adonai Mitchell in the end zone on fourth down was incomplete, giving the Huskies the win.
This year, Ewers and the Longhorns will face Ohio State in the 2025 version of the Cotton Bowl, which doubles as the playoffs semifinals.
As Ewers looks to lead Texas to its first National Championship game since 2010, here are five things to keep in mind leading up to the 2025 Cotton Bowl:
1. Weather Worries
As of this article's publication, the game in Arlington, Texas is still slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. However, with ice and snow in the forecast for Thursday, bowl organizers have made contingency plans and released the following statement:
AT&T Stadium has a roof, so conditions for actual gameplay are not a concern. Transportation to and from the contest, with the possibility for ice on the roads, are officials' main concerns at this point.
2. Ewers, Texas and Ohio State - A Love Triangle
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Ewers' college commitment saga has been well-documented. He was the top-rated high school recruit in the Class of 2021 and verbally committed to Texas in August 2020. Ewers then de-committed from Texas and switched to Ohio State in November—skipping his senior season at Carroll to enroll early and take advantage of the NCAA's new name, image and likeness (NIL) rules.
Ewers backed up future NFL first-round pick C.J. Stroud at Ohio State for one year, then transferred back to Texas for the 2022 season. He's been the starter ever since, amassing a 27-8 overall record and throwing for nearly 9,000 career yards and 66 touchdowns.
3. Uncertain Future for Ewers Beyond 2025 Playoffs
The quarterback room at Texas is arguably the best in the country, with Ewers entrenched as the starter and Archie Manning, himself a former top-overall high school recruit, waiting in the wings.
What Ewers does beyond this season is still a mystery, though, as the 21-year-old will still have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining. With Manning set to legitimately challenge for the starting quarterback job at Texas next year, it's entirely possible Ewers transfers to another school or declares for the 2025 NFL Draft.
For now, Ewers has his eyes on leading Texas to a national championship, but in a win-or-go-home scenario, every offensive snap the former Carroll Dragon takes grows in magnitude.
4. Fourth-Ever Matchup Between Ohio State and Texas
The two storied universities have played each other on the football field only three times ever, with all coming since the turn of the century. Two of the three matchups were one-score games.
In 2005, Vince Young led the Longhorns to a 25-22 win over the Buckeyes, throwing for 272 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 76 yards. Troy Smith only completed five passes in the game for Ohio State, four to Santonio Holmes. Ohio State got its revenge next year, when Smith and running back Antonio Pittman led the Buckeyes to a 24-7 win over Colt McCoy and the Longhorns.
Finally, Texas won a thrilling Fiesta Bowl over Ohio State in 2009, 24-21. McCoy completed 41 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns in that contest.
5. Buckeyes Favored Despite Seedings
Ohio State is favored by 5.5 points as of this article's publication, down from an even 6 when gambling lines were announced -- despite Texas' no. 3 and Ohio State's no. 6 rankings in the CFB playoff seedings.
This most likely has to do with each team's previous playoff game performance, as Texas squeaked by Arizona State in double overtime while Ohio State dominated an Oregon Ducks' team that went undefeated and spent several weeks as the no. 1-ranked team in the country.