Oh yeah, and a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game is on the line.
Here are five things to watch Friday night when the teams face off at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas:
1. Can either team run the ball?
These are both pass-first teams, but both coaches say they want to have balanced offenses.
Statistically, No. 8 seed Ohio State has a slight advantage both on offense and defense, but games are not played on spreadsheets.
“We’re at our best when we can run it, and that gives us balance,” said Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, whose team ran for 292 yards in the first round of the playoffs against Clemson but just 53 last time out against Arizona State. “And so I’m hard-pressed to kind of just walk away from it and abandon it. So we’ve got to do a great job as a staff of putting together a good plan and making sure that our players can execute it at a high level, versus the myriad of looks especially that Ohio State can give you.”
The Buckeyes came out throwing in both of their playoff games but were able to get the running game going as time passed, finishing with 156 yards against Tennessee and 181 against Oregon.
2. Can Will Howard keep it going?
The Ohio State quarterback has been hot since the playoff started, completing 41 of 55 passes for 630 yards with five touchdowns and an interception.
He is looking to lead the Buckeyes to the top and get his first win over Texas after failing to beat the Longhorns in his four seasons at Kansas State.
“I think I try to find motivation in a lot of different things,” he told reporters in Columbus this week. “I’ve always kind of looked at myself as somewhat of an underdog, and I wasn’t super highly recruited. Nobody really expected me to play early at K-State, and I kind of got thrown in. I kind of like to take on that underdog mentality a little bit and that chip on my shoulder. I think that does help myself and give myself a little edge, a little more extra motivation at times.”
Day dropped a nugget in one of his interviews that hinted at what could be fueling the explosion of the Ohio State passing game over the past two games.
“I actually think this time of year in the playoffs, I’ve had more time to actually be part of the football,” said Day, who hired Chip Kelly to be his offensive coordinator last winter so Day could take on more of a CEO role. “During the season, a little less, but now that we’ve been in the playoffs, I’ve been able to step aside really in terms of some of those (off-field) things and really get more involved with the football, which has been great.”
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
3. Will Quinn Ewers get the last laugh or Ohio State?
Texas’ starting quarterback spent one semester at Ohio State in the fall of 2021 before transferring back closer to where he was the No. 1 recruit in the nation at Southlake Carroll High School in the Dallas suburbs.
Neither side has expressed any animosity toward the other since this matchup became reality, but the elephant is still in the room.
Credit: Marcus Hartman
Credit: Marcus Hartman
“I learned a lot while I was there under Coach Day and (quarterback C.J. Stroud), and just that whole room was awesome to be around. Super thankful for that time that I got to spend there.
“So I don’t regret any decision I’ve made, but the main reason I went was I felt like I had a great relationship with the coaching staff, and they were winning a lot of games, and I wanted to go be a part of something like that. And the reason that I came back to Texas was, one, to be closer to where I’m from and just closer to the resources that I have and the relationships that I’ve built over time just being from Texas.”
Ewers, who was the No. 1-rated player in the class 2021, is third on Texas’ career list for passing yardage (8,845) and touchdown passes (66).
4. Can Ohio State keep winning the explosive play battle?
With both teams featuring elite defenses, chunk plays might be the difference.
Ohio State came out throwing haymakers against Tennessee and Oregon, knocking both back on their heels then controlling the game.
The Buckeyes had 14 explosive plays (15-yard-plus passes or runs of 10 yards or more) against Tennessee then uncorked 13 against Oregon while building up big leads they did not relinquish.
No. 5 seed Texas got out to a fast start against Arizona State in its quarterfinal game but needed a late offensive flourish to force overtime before putting the Sun Devils away.
On the season, the Longhorns lead the nation in plays of 20 or more yards (102) while Ohio State is tied for 28th with 69.
5. Which offense gets it done in the red zone?
Both teams have great red zone defenses, but Ohio State’s offense ranks 45th in the nation inside the 20 while Texas is just 95th.
“They’re really well-coached,” Kelly said of the Longhorns. “They don’t give up anything cheap. I think they’re the No. 1 red zone defense in the country, and that’s for a reason.”
FRIDAY’S GAME
Ohio State vs. Texas, 7:30 p.m., ABC, ESPN, 1410
About the Author
