Bleacher Report
Two more teams punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff semifinal on Wednesday after a pair of exciting matchups.
Texas won a thrilling double-overtime game against Arizona State to advance while Ohio State crushed top-seeded Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
The two teams will face one another in the Cotton Bowl next Friday with a trip to the CFP title game on the line. Elsewhere in the College Football Playoff, Penn State secured a trip to the Orange Bowl after downing Boise State on Tuesday. The Nittany Lions will face the winner of No. 2 Georgia and No. 7 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, which will be played on Thursday.
Here’s a look at the updated bracket and the schedule ahead.
- Friday, Dec. 20: No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 10 Indiana 17
- Saturday, Dec. 21: No. 6 Penn State 38, No. 11 SMU 10
- Saturday, Dec. 21: No. 5 Texas 38, No. 12 Clemson 24
- Saturday, Dec. 21: No. 8 Ohio State 42, No. 9 Tennessee 17
- Tuesday, Dec. 31: No. 6 Penn State 31, No. 3 Boise State 14
- Wednesday, Jan. 1: No. 5 Texas 39, No. 4 Arizona State 31
- Wednesday, Jan. 1: No. 8 Ohio State 41, No. 1 Oregon 21
- Thursday, Jan. 2: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 Notre Dame at the Sugar Bowl, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN/Watch ESPN
- Thursday, Jan. 9: No. 6 Penn State vs. TBD at the Orange Bowl, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/Watch ESPN
- Friday, Jan. 10: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State at the Cotton Bowl, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/Watch ESPN
- Monday, Jan. 20: TBD vs. TBD at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/Watch ESPN
No. 5 Texas 39, No. 4 Arizona State 31
Fans got an instant classic between Texas and Arizona State in the Peach Bowl.
It was all Longhorns through two quarters as Texas went into halftime with a 17-3 lead. The Sun Devils managed to cut into the lead in the third with a safety and a field goal, but the Longhorns were still in control heading into the final quarter.
An early fourth-quarter touchdown from Texas made things even more difficult for Arizona State as it trailed 24-8.
The Sun Devils needed two scores and two two-point conversions in the final minutes, and they got just what they needed.
Arizona State star running back Cam Skattebo showed off his passing skills on a trick play, finding Malik McClain for a 42-yard touchdown to make it 24-16.
ESPN @espn
CAM SKATTEBO WITH THE 42-YARD TD PASS ON FOURTH DOWN 😮💨 <a href=”https://t.co/CksEs2NL4K”>pic.twitter.com/CksEs2NL4K</a>
On the next drive, Arizona State got a much-needed interception before scoring the game-tying touchdown and converting the two-point attempt, both of which came on Skattebo runs.
Both Texas and Arizona State had two more offensive drives but neither found the end zone and the game into overtime.
In the first overtime, the Sun Devils struck first on an eight-play drive capped off by a Skattebo touchdown. Texas answered on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Quinn Ewers to Matthew Golden.
The Longhorns had the ball first in the second overtime and needed just one play to score as Ewers found Gunnar Helm for a 25-yard touchdown pass. On the defensive end, the Longhorns intercepted the Sun Devils to seal the win.
ESPN @espn
TEXAS SCORES ON THE FIRST PLAY OF 2ND OT AND GOT THE TWO-POINT CONVERSION 🍿 <a href=”https://t.co/zuB9Em0aOC”>pic.twitter.com/zuB9Em0aOC</a>
ESPN @espn
BALL GAME 🔥 <br><br>TEXAS INTERCEPTION TO BEAT ARIZONA STATE IN A 2OT THRILLER 🍿 <a href=”https://t.co/vfrtXYYH4Q”>pic.twitter.com/vfrtXYYH4Q</a>
Some expected the Longhorns to dominate against the team that reached the CFP via a conference title win, but it was far from a blowout. Texas played well on offense as Ewers threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns and Golden hauled in seven receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown, but its defense will need to step up against a red-hot Ohio State team next week.
No. 8 Ohio State 41, No. 1 Oregon 21
Heading to Wednesday’s matchup between Ohio State and Oregon, the Rose Bowl seemed like it could have been one of the most exciting matchups of the quarterfinals.
It was exciting for Ohio State, but not exactly fun for the Ducks as the Buckeyes rolled.
Ohio State got off to a quick start, scoring its first touchdown just three players into the game as Will Howard found Jeremiah Smith for a 45-yard touchdown pass. The Buckeyes tacked on two more touchdowns and a pair of field goals before Oregon finally got on the board with a touchdown as time expired in the first half.
ESPN @espn
JEREMIAH SMITH IS UNREAL‼️<br><br>HE FINDS THE END ZONE AGAIN 🔥 <a href=”https://t.co/N8J1f9giQF”>pic.twitter.com/N8J1f9giQF</a>
ESPN @espn
TREVEYON HENDERSON TOOK IT 66 YARDS TO THE HOUSE 🏠<br><br>BUCKEYES UP 31-0 👀 <a href=”https://t.co/Vv0qMxUQ7i”>pic.twitter.com/Vv0qMxUQ7i</a>
With a controlling 34-8 lead heading into the third quarter, Ohio State was on cruise control in the second half. The Buckeyes gave up some points but the dominant lead they built meant an easy win before the semifinals.
After Ohio State’s loss to Michigan in its regular season finale, it was fair to assume the Buckeyes didn’t stand much of a chance in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes have quickly proved that notion to be incorrect after dominant wins over Tennessee and Oregon.
Now Ohio State heads into its matchup against Texas with all the momentum in the world. The Buckeyes are playing their best football at the right time and will get a Longhorns team that hasn’t exactly been able to relax in the first two rounds.
