Ohio State finds itself two games away from winning the College Football Playoff.
As the Buckeyes prepare for what will ideally serve as the penultimate game in their season, it only feels right to reflect on a quote from one of the most universally-respected icons in media history:
"The stars at night are dull and dim, whenever they have to be over dumb ol' stupid Texas!"
After Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame clinched a spot in the National Championship last night, Ohio State seeks to meet the Irish in Atlanta by first taking down the Texas Longhorns in Dallas this evening. Quinn Ewers will face off against the school he abandoned just over three years ago in what could prove to be a legacy-defining game for both his own career and that of quarterback-guru Ryan Day.
As the Buckeyes attempt to wash down their Duck-devouring performance against Oregon by barbequing some steaks, check out how the OSU football experts at Eleven Warriors believe the game will unfold in tonight's Cotton Bowl.
Score Predictions
Andy Anders — Ohio State 31, Texas 24: After two blowouts to start the College Football Playoff, Ohio State feels in for a game where it sweats a little bit here. Top to bottom Texas might be the second-most talented team in the country outside the Buckeyes, and the Longhorns’ No. 1 pass defense could slow down a molten-steel-hot Buckeye passing attack enough to keep things close – but I don’t see UT moving the ball consistently on offense.
Chase Brown — Ohio State 34, Texas 21: I picked Ohio State to beat Tennessee, 28-24, and Oregon, 28-24. We all saw how those games turned out. While I am not ready to commit to another Buckeye Blowout the likes of which we've seen in the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff, I think the Buckeyes win comfortably with another stellar performance in the Cotton Bowl.
George Eisner — Ohio State 38, Texas 21: The Buckeyes currently compete with the athletic ability, approach, confidence, talent and technique of a lethal heavyweight power puncher. The previous two games have featured faster starts than Ohio State fans have witnessed all season prior, and even the top overall seed in the bracket could not provide a timely response to keep the score close. This team finds itself firing on all cylinders right now and I see no reason why that course would deviate provided everyone's health holds up.
Jack Emerson — Ohio State 35, Texas 21: Ohio State’s offense continues to hum, but the Longhorns keep it closer than Tennessee and Oregon.
Johnny Ginter — Ohio State 31, Texas 21: Texas is a stiffer defensive test than any Ohio State has faced so far, but the Buckeyes get it going in the second half and pull away for the win.
Matt Gutridge — Ohio State 35, Texas 20: Championship defenses win championships. Over the last eight games, Ohio State’s defense is holding opponents to an average of just under 13 points per game. Steve Sarkisian will have a great game plan, but the Buckeyes ticket to the CFP Championship will be punched, or not, on the play of its defense.
Garrick Hodge — Ohio State 38, Texas 24: Ohio State continues its run of dominance with a double digit win the Longhorns as the Buckeyes advance to the national championship. Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka shine once again in the win.
Dan Hope — Ohio State 31, Texas 20: After incorrectly predicting that Ohio State would win by only three points or fewer in the first two rounds of the CFP, I’m going with a multiple-score win for the Buckeyes this time. I wouldn’t be surprised if my pick still proves to be too conservative again, but I think Texas’ defense is more capable of slowing Ohio State’s passing attack than Tennessee and Oregon were.
Kyle Jones — Ohio State 31, Texas 21: Both teams come out fast with creative offensive scripts before a second quarter slog. Ohio State makes a couple more big plays and gets out to a two-score lead by the end of the third, forcing Sark’s offense to become one-dimensional down the stretch.
Chris Lauderback — Ohio State 31, Texas 18: In it's backyard, Texas creates some angst across the first 30 minutes but second half adjustments by the defense and another turnover-free outing from Will Howard power the Buckeyes to a spot in the CFP National Championship game.
Ramzy Nasrallah — Ohio State 42, Texas 14: Buckeye defense gets on the board twice.
Josh Poloha — Ohio State 31, Texas 20: The Buckeyes keep the Texas fans in attendance quiet in what is essentially a home game for the Longhorns and continue their strong play the first two games of the CFP into yet another playoff win.
Jason Priestas — Ohio State 31, Texas 20: Ohio State doesn’t put this one away in the first half, but still has the right defense and a deadly offense to punch a ticket to the CFP Championship Game.
Jordan Raines — Ohio State 34, Texas 17: Jim Knowles’ unit continues to dominate and holds Texas to one first-half score. The offense continues to run on all cylinders. A late Longhorns’ score makes the final closer than the game ever felt.
Will Ohio State Cover?
Ohio State enters the night as six-point favorites after opening a half-point less over Texas following their triumph at the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. All 14 employees at Eleven Warriors anticipate the Buckeyes cover that spread.
After a boldly accurate forecast of a blowout in the previous game, Ramzy Nasrallah once again expects the greatest margin of victory between the teams with the Buckeyes tripling-up the Longhorns by 28 points. Andy Anders has OSU handling its business by a lone touchdown, making his prediction the smallest anticipated win across staff and the only by less than two scores.
What About the Over/Under?
The contest's projection for total points started out at a line of 54.5 before a slight decrease to 53.5 points mere hours ahead of kickoff. Unlike the spread, staff opinions on the point total prove much more divided with a dead-even split of seven folks apiece calling for the over and under in this matchup.
Garrick Hodge calls for the loftiest tally among the schools at 62 points. Chris Lauderback expects just 49 points between the teams. The other dozen in the group all have point totals landing somewhere within the 50s.
Eleven Warriors Prop Bets
Curious about how the sportsbooks envision the CFP semifinal will shake out for various players on the field? Check out some of our in-house prop betting lines ahead of tonight's Cotton Bowl for a more thorough glimpse at how the betting market has valued various outcomes. Leave your predictions for us in the comments and compete for bragging rights!
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How many passing yards will Will Howard have?
- Over 249.5 (-110)
- Under 249.5 (-110)
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How many passing touchdowns will the Ohio State defense allow to Quinn Ewers?
- Two or more (+100)
- One or less (-120)
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Will Jeremiah Smith score at least two touchdowns?
- Yes (+310)
- No (-350)
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Will the Ohio State defense score a touchdown?
- Yes (+390)
- No (-500)
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How many yards does Will Howard's longest pass completion go for?
- Over 46.5 (+150)
- Under 46.5 (-150)
