NOTE: The game story with postgame quotes and more details can be found here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARLINGTON, Texas (KXAN) — Texas and Ohio State meet for the first time in the schools' storied histories for a spot in the College Football Playoff national championship game Friday at AT&T Stadium. The Longhorns and Buckeyes clash in the Cotton Bowl Classic, part of the CFP semifinals. The winner will face Notre Dame in the national title game Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Fighting Irish topped Penn State in the Orange Bowl 27-24 Thursday in Miami. Steve Sarkisian leads the Longhorns into the Cotton Bowl with a spot in the national championship on the line.#HookEm | @KXAN_News pic.twitter.com/CQN3BYrJlx— Noah Gross (@noah_gross27) January 10, 2025 Both teams are on their third game of the playoffs, hosting first-round games and picking up victories in the quarterfinals. Texas took out Clemson in the opening round in Austin and then beat Arizona State in a double-overtime thriller at the Peach Bowl. The Buckeyes have blown out both of their CFP opponents, Tennessee and top-seeded Oregon, on their way to the semifinals. Rematch of CFP semifinals at Cotton Bowl Classic opens 2025 season Longhorns turning last year’s CFP loss into fuel for this season’s run Ohio State's Jack Sawyer forced a fumble during a sack of Quinn Ewers on 4th down, scooped it up and rumbled 83 yards for the back-breaking touchdown, lifting the Buckeyes to a 28-14 win at the Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium and a spot in the CFP national championship game. Texas had four tries from the 1-yard line to score the game-tying touchdown late in the game but the Buckeyes kept them out until Sawyer's clutch play. Texas brought the game even with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Quinn Ewers to Jaydon Blue with 3:12 left in the third quarter. Will Stone, placekicking instead of Bert Auburn, hit the PAT to knot it at 14-14. It looked like the game was headed into the second half tied at 7-7, but TreVeyon Henderson hauled in a screen pass and scampered 75 yards untouched for a touchdown with 0:13 left in the half. The PAT gave the Buckeyes a 14-7 lead, and they'll receive the second-half kickoff. Texas tied the game late in the second quarter on an 18-yard pass from Ewers to Blue with Will Stone connecting on the PAT. Bert Auburn was announced as the starting kicker but he's struggled as of late, so Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian decided to go with Stone to do both kickoffs and place kicks. Ohio State scored on its first drive with a Quinshon Judkins 9-yard run. The PAT gave them a 7-0 lead and the Buckeyes kept the Longhorns off the board to take a lead into the second quarter. Game log from the Cotton Bowl Classic Tweets by GatesOnSports