A 2024 college football season that began in late August in Ireland is approaching its end, with a national champion set to be crowned in the next two weeks.
The second of those teams that will compete for the sport’s ultimate prize has yet to be determined, though.
After Notre Dame’s 27-24 win over Penn State Thursday in the Orange Bowl, No. 8 seed Ohio State will take on No. 5 seed Texas Friday in the Cotton Bowl, with the winner advancing to face off against the Fighting Irish on Jan. 20 in the College Football Playoff championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
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Since a stunning 13-10 loss to Michigan in their regular-season finale, the Buckeyes have looked like a juggernaut in the playoff, beating No. 9 seed Tennessee and No. 1 seed Oregon by a combined 45 points. In those wins, quarterback Will Howard threw for 630 yards, five touchdowns and one interception while freshman wide receiver phenom Jeremiah Smith racked up 290 yards and four touchdowns.
They’ll face off against a Texas team that’s 13-2 and coming off a thrilling double-overtime victory against Arizona State in the playoff quarterfinals. The Longhorns are led by quarterback Quinn Ewers, a former five-star recruit who began his career at Ohio State before transferring after the 2021 season.
Here’s how to watch the day’s college football action, including time, TV schedule, streaming information and more:
All times Eastern
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The game between the Buckeyes and Longhorns will air on ESPN. Chris Fowler (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) will be on the call while Holly Rowe and Stormy Buonantony serve as the sideline reporters.
Streaming options for the matchup include the ESPN app (available with a cable login) and Fubo, the latter of which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
This section will be updated as scores conclude
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