Ohio State football is moving on to the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game.

The No. 8 Buckeyes defeated No. 5 Texas 28-14 in the CFP Cotton Bowl semifinal on Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Ohio State scored 14 points in the final seven minutes to pull away and advance to the championship game.

Quinshon Judkins scored a 1-yard touchdown with 7:02 remaining to give Texas its third lead of the game. Jack Sawyer then collected a fumble recovery for an 83-yard defensive touchdown on a fourth-and-goal from the Ohio State 8-yard line with 2:13 remaining, giving the Buckeyes a 28-14 lead. A Caleb Downs interception of Quinn Ewers clinched the victory.

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The Buckeyes lead the all-time series with the Fighting Irish 6-2. Their last meeting was last season, when Ohio State won 17-14 in South Bend, Indiana.

Freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith was limited to one reception for 3 yards on three targets in the win. Smith had 290 yards and four touchdowns in the first two CFP games for Ohio State. The Buckeyes were also limited to 24 rushes for 81 yards, but Will Howard was there for 289 passing yards and one touchdown to an interception in the victory.

Ohio State is searching for its ninth national championship, and first since 2014. The Buckeyes’ last national championship game appearance came in 2021, when they lost to Nick Saban and Alabama 52-24.

Read below for scores, updates and highlights of Friday’s CFP semifinal game between No. 8 Ohio State and No. 5 Texas:

Ohio State vs Texas score updates

This section has been updated

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Final: Ohio State 28, Texas 14

Final stats from Cotton Bowl

StatsOhio StateTexasPoints2814Total Yds370341Pass Yds289283Rush Yds8156Penalties9-755-541st Downs18213rd Downs3-105-154th Downs1-11-3Total Plays5768Avg Yds/Play6.55Avg Yds/Completion1212.3Avg Yds/Rush3.42Sack-Adj Rush Yd (Avg)98 (4.5)85 (3.4)Red Zone2-21-2Time of Poss21:3828:22Turnovers (Def Pts Off)1 (0)2 (7)Fumbles-Lost1-03-1Sacks (Def Yds)4 (27)2 (17)TFL (Def Yds)9 (41)4 (21)

OSU defeats Texas 28-14 in CFP Cotton Bowl semifinal

Ohio State wins its third straight College Football Playoff game with a 28-14 win over Texas in the CFP Cotton Bowl semifinal. The Buckeyes will take on Notre Dame in the national championship game on Monday, Jan. 20 from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Caleb Downs intercepts Quinn Ewers, sends Ohio State to CFP championship

Alabama transfer Caleb Downs picks off Quinn Ewers on a deep pass with 1:35 remaining in the game. The Buckeyes are headed to the national championship game on Jan. 20 vs. Notre Dame.

Jack Sawyer scoop-and-score gives OSU a two-touchdown lead

Ohio State plays a bend-but-don’t-break defense, allowing Texas to drive down to the 1-yard line. However, Jack Sawyer gets a strip-sack on Quinn Ewers on a fourth-and-8 and returns it for an 83-yard touchdown to put the Buckeyes ahead 28-14 with 2:13 left. 

Texas will regain the ball with the two-minute warning and two timeouts remaining, needing two scores.

Quinshon Judkins scores to give OSU 4th-quarter lead

Quinshon Judkins punches it in from a yard out to give Ohio State a 21-14 lead with 7:02 remaining in the game. Will Howard set up the scoring drive with a big 18-yard run on a QB keeper on fourth-and-2 to keep the drive going. He tripped on himself, likely preventing a touchdown, but the touchdowns from Judkins removes any potential criticism Howard may get.

Texas going for it on fourth down

Texas will line up to go for it, facing a fourth-and-2 from the Texas 42-yard line with 9:50 remaining.

End of third quarter: Ohio State 14, Texas 14

Cotton Bowl tied 14-14 heading into fourth quarter

Ohio State and Texas head into the fourth quarter in a 14-14 tie with a shot at the national championship on the line.

The Longhorns have the ball, facing a third-and-5 from their own 44-yard line as the final quarter starts. The Buckeyes have 46 yards of total offense in the third quarter.

Texas ties game at 14-14 in 3rd quarter of Cotton Bowl

Texas is not going away. Despite the Buckeyes dominating for much of the first half, the Longhorns even the score at 14-14 on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Quinn Ewers to Jaydon Blue. It’s the second TD connection of the game for the duo.

No one picked up Blue on a wheel route and he gets the easy score. The drive goes 12 plays for 67 yards and takes 5:18 off the clock.

The underhand flip by Ewers on third down earlier in the drive helped set up the scoring opportunity. 

Quinn Ewers makes great underhand on third down to convert

Texas keeps its drive alive on a great underhand throw from Quinn Ewers as he’s about to be sacked and completes to running back Quintrevion Wisner for a first down. Ewers barely got the throw off.

OSU defense forces punt after Texas interception

Following David Gbenda. Smith’s interception, Ohio State’s defense allows one first down, but forces Texas to punt from its own 43-yard line. The Buckeyes begin their second-half drive from their own 12-yard line.

Will Howard targets Jeremiah Smith, picked off by David Gbenda

Looking to get Jeremiah Smith going, Will Howard forces a pass to him and is picked off in the middle of the field by linebacker David Gbenda. Smith has just one catch on two targets and has been a non-factor tonight.

Halftime: Ohio State 14, Texas 7

Ohio State-Texas halftime stats

Here’s a look at the quarterback comparison: 

• Will Howard: 14 of 19 passing, 200 yards, one touchdown
• Quinn Ewers: 10 of 20 passing, 133 yards, one touchdown

Halftime stats

StatOhio StateTexasPoints147Total Yds236177Pass Yds200133Rush Yds3644Penalties5-502-191st Downs9103rd Downs2-61-74th Downs0-01-2Total Plays3036Avg Yds/Play7.94.9Avg Yds/Completion14.313.3Avg Yds/Rush3.32.8Sack-Adj Rush Yd (Avg)43 (4.3)62 (4.8)Red Zone1-11-1Time of Poss15:5814:02Turnovers (Def Pts Off)0 (0)0 (0)Fumbles-Lost0-02-0Sacks (Def Yds)3 (18)1 (7)TFL (Def Yds)4 (19)2 (9)

Texas takes one-touchdown lead into halftime at Cotton Bowl

A Hail Mary from the Texas 48-yard line falls incomplete from Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, and Ohio State will take a 14-7 lead into halftime despite out-gaining the Longhorns by nearly 60 yards.

Ohio State had a crucial response on a TreVeyon Henderson 75-yard touchdown on a screen pass one play after Texas tied the game.

TreVeyon Henderson scores touchdown on screen pass

How about that? Ohio State takes the lead back on a 75-yard screen pass from Will Howard to TreVeyon Henderson to put the Buckeyes back up 14-7 with 13 seconds left in the first half.

It was the longest play of the season allowed by Texas.

Texas scores to even game before halftime

Ohio State kept the Texas offense out of sync until the final drive of the first drive. Quinn Ewers hits Jaydon Blue for an 18-yard touchdown pass on a perfect throw to the end zone to tie the game 7-7 with 29 seconds left in the first. 

Arch Manning had a key conversion on a fourth-and-1 to keep the Longhorns’ drive alive. The drive was seven plays for 59 yards, taking 1:22 off the game clock.

Will Howard sacked to end OSU drive

Ohio State’s drive before halftime ends on a Will Howard sack. Jeremiah Smith was open, but Barryn Sorrell and Anthony Hill Jr. get in for the combined sack on a third-and-10.

Texas will have the ball back following an Ohio State punt from its own 20-yard line with less than two minutes remaining following the two-minute-timeout.

Penalties stalling Ohio State drives

Ohio State is largely out-performing Texas, but untimely penalties have stalled what would otherwise be several promising drives for the Buckeyes. They have been called for unsportsmanlike conduct, two holding penalties and a false start.

Another Ohio State punt pins Texas at its 15-yard line.

Texas punts again

Texas punts again, advancing 15 yards to its own 24-yard line before giving the ball back to the Buckeyes. The Longhorns are having a tough time moving the ball thus far, but the defense has kept them in it thus far.

Will Howard has large knot on hand

Another Ohio State drive stalls near midfield, resulting in a punt. But perhaps the bigger story is the knot on Will Howard’s left (non-throwing) hand:

Sonny Styles sack forces another Texas punt

Sonny Styles picked up a sack on third-and-11 to force Texas into another punt, their second of the game. Styles picks up the third sack of the game for the Buckeyes. He also forced a fumble, but Texas offensive lineman DJ Campbell fell on it to avoid a disastrous play for the Longhorns.

Ohio State begins its next drive from its own 34-yard line.

End of first quarter: Ohio State 7, Texas 0

First quarter ends with OSU leading Cotton Bowl 7-0

Ohio State will open the second quarter with a punt, facing fourth-and-21. The Buckeyes got the ball deep into Longhorn territory, but TreVeyon Henderson committed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty with a headbutt following a 1-yard run, which stalled the drive.

Ohio State out-gained Texas 122-71 in the first quarter.

JT Tuimoloau sacks Quinn Ewers to end Texas drive

The Longhorns offense move the ball down the field for a second straight drive with a couple of first downs. However, JT Tuimoloau sacks Quinn Ewers on a third-and-12 following a false start to force a Texas punt.

Already leading 7-0, the Buckeyes open their second drive from their own 8-yard line following a 40-yard punt from Michael Kern.

Quinshon Judkins opens scoring for OSU

Running back Quinshon Judkins caps with a 10-play drive for a 9-yard touchdown for the first score of the Cotton Bowl. The drive took 4:18 off the clock.

On the drive, Emeka Egbuka caught three passes for 30 yards and has now made a catch in 40 straight games. Judkins added 20 yards rushing while Will Howard was 4-for-6 passing for 44 yards.

Ohio State gives up big play, forces Texas turnover on downs

A one-handed grab by Matthew Golden gets the Longhorns into Buckeye territory, but Ohio State got a stop on fourth-and-3 from its 36-yard line to force a turnover on downs.

Jack Sawyer picked up his sixth batted ball of the postseason on a second-down throw to stall momentum on the drive.

The Buckeyes begin their first drive from their own 36-yard line.

Officials for Cotton Bowl

An ACC official crew for the Cotton Bowl tonight:

• Referee: Jerry Magallanes
• Umpire: Johnnie Forte
• Head Linesman: Darryl Johnson
• Back Judge: Frederick Dimpfel
• Field Judge: Hugh Brown
• Side Judge: Brian McGready
• Center Judge: Anthony Calabrese
• Replay Official: Bill Scott

OSU wins the opening toss, Texas will open with ball first

Ohio State wins the opening toss for tonight’s CFP Cotton Bowl semifinal and chose to defer. Texas will receive the opening kickoff and get the ball first.

Pregame

Winner of Cotton Bowl will face former OSU player, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman in championship

Today’s Cotton Bowl semifinal winner will play Notre Dame in the national championship. Freeman, who turned 39 today, is a former Ohio State player.

Who did ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ pick to win Friday’s CFP Cotton Bowl semifinal?

• Desmond Howard: Ohio State
• Nick Saban: Ohio State
• Pat McAfee: Ohio State
• Lee Corso: Texas
• Kirk Herbstreit: Abstained (calling the game)

Ohio State football players warm up ahead of Cotton Bowl

Just under a half-hour from opening kickoff of the Cotton Bowl, the Ohio State football account shared videos of Buckeyes players warming up for the game:

Jeremiah Smith has arrived at Cotton Bowl

Freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith has arrived at the Cotton Bowl. The true freshman has 13 receptions for 290 yards and four touchdowns in two CFP games for the Buckeyes.For his full stats, click here.

Ohio State football has arrived at Cotton Bowl

The Ohio State football players have arrived at the CFP Cotton Bowl semifinal against Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. ET.

Tavien St. Clair among OSU early enrollees in attendance

Tavien St. Clair, an Ohio State early enrollee and the class of 2025’s No. 3 overall recruit (per 247Sports Composite), is in attendance at the Cotton Bowl. St. Clair could be the future at the QB position for the Buckeyes.

Will Arch Manning play in Cotton Bowl?

That’s the question college football fans may have tonight. Manning has appeared in packages all season for the Longhorns, including against Clemson in the first round of the CFP: He had three carries for a net gain of zero yards. He did not appear in the double-overtime win vs. Arizona State in the CFP Peach Bowl quarterfinal.

Fans have started filing into Cotton Bowl

Kickoff time is nearing, and fans are piling into the Cotton Bowl per a video shared on X (formerly Twitter) from ESPN’s Paul Finebaum. Fans in the area have arrived due to ice and snow in the Arlington, Texas, area this week.

Kickoff for Cotton Bowl scheduled for 7:45 p.m.

According to the Stateman’s David Eckert, tonight’s CFP Cotton Bowl semifinal kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. ET. The winner of the Ohio State-Texas matchup will play Notre Dame in the national championship on Jan. 20.

Ohio State vs Texas time today

• Date: Friday, Jan. 10
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Location: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)

What channel is Ohio State vs Texas today?

• TV channel: ESPN
• Streaming: ESPN App | Fubo (free trial)
• Radio: ESPN Radio

The Buckeyes’ game against the Longhorns will air on ESPN. Chris Fowler (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) will be on the call, with Holly Rowe serving as the sideline reporter. Streaming options include the ESPN app and Fubo, the latter of which offers potential subscribers a free trial.

Ohio State vs Texas history

• Series record: Texas leads series 2-1
• Texas’ last win: 2009 (24-21, Fiesta Bowl)
• Ohio State’s last win: 2006 (24-7)

Ohio State vs Texas predictions

Here’s a look at some predictions for Friday’s CFP semifinal between Ohio State and Texas:

• Bill Rabinowitz, The Dispatch: Ohio State 35, Texas 28
• Joey Kaufman, The Dispatch: Ohio State 27, Texas 21
• Rob Oller, The Dispatch: Texas 27, Ohio State 21
• Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman: Texas wins
• David Eckert, Austin American-Statesman: Ohio State 31, Texas 24
• Caleb Yum, Austin American-Statesman: Ohio State 37, Texas 35

Ohio State vs Texas betting odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, Jan. 10

• Spread: Ohio State (-6)
• Over/under: 53.5 points
• Moneyline: Ohio State (-250) | Texas (+195)

Ohio State vs Texas injury updates

This section will be updated.

Ohio State vs Texas weather update

The Dallas-Fort Worth area expects snow and ice conditions on Thursday and Friday, which coincides with the Cotton Bowl on Friday night. While the stadium is indoors, harsh conditions could still impact travel to the game.

There is a 20% chance of snow showers before noon Friday, but the weather is expected to clear closer to kickoff. Friday’s high temperature is near 37 degrees, with a low around 21, according to the National Weather Service, as of Friday.

Ohio State football schedule 2024

• Saturday, Aug. 31: vs. Akron (W, 52-6)
• Saturday, Sept. 7: vs. Western Michigan (W, 56-0)
• Saturday, Sept. 14: BYE
• Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Marshall (W, 49-14)
• Thursday, Sept. 26: at Michigan State* (W, 38-7)
• Saturday, Oct. 5: vs. Iowa* (W, 35-7)
• Saturday, Oct. 12: at No. 3 Oregon* (L, 32-31)
• Saturday, Oct. 19: BYE
• Saturday, Oct. 26: vs. Nebraska* (W, 21-17)
• Saturday, Nov. 2: at No. 3 Penn State* (W, 20-13)
• Saturday, Nov. 9: vs. Purdue* (W, 45-0)
• Saturday, Nov. 16: at Northwestern* (W, 31-7)
• Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. No. 5 Indiana (W, 38-15)
• Saturday, Nov. 30: vs. Michigan* (L, 13-10)
• Saturday, Dec. 21: vs. No. 9 Tennessee**, CFP first-round (W, 42-17)
• Wednesday, Jan. 1: vs. No. 1 Oregon** (CFP Rose Bowl quarterfinal) (W, 41-21)
• Friday, Jan. 10: vs. No. 5 Texas** (CFP Cotton Bowl semifinal)
• Record: 12-2, 7-2 Big Ten

* Denotes Big Ten game

** Denotes CFP ranking

Texas football schedule 2024

• Saturday, Aug. 31: vs. Colorado State (W, 52-0)
• Saturday, Sept. 7: at No. 10 Michigan (W, 31-12)
• Saturday, Sept. 14: vs. UTSA (W, 56-7)
• Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Louisiana-Monroe (W, 51-3)
• Saturday, Sept. 28: at Mississippi State* (W, 35-13)
• Saturday, Oct. 5: BYE
• Saturday, Oct. 12: No. 16 Oklahoma* (W, 34-3)
• Saturday, Oct. 19: vs. No. 4 Georgia* (L, 30-15)
• Saturday, Oct. 26: at No. 25 Vanderbilt* (W, 27-24)
• Saturday, Nov. 2: BYE
• Saturday, Nov. 9: vs. Florida* (W, 49-17)
• Saturday, Nov. 16: at Arkansas* (W, 20-10)
• Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. Kentucky* (W, 31-14)
• Saturday, Nov. 30: at No. 19 Texas A&M* (W, 17-7)
• Saturday, Dec. 7 (SEC championship game): vs. No. 5 Georgia (L, 22-19, OT)
• Saturday, Dec. 21: vs. No. 12 Clemson (CFP first-round) (W, 38-24)**
• Wednesday, Jan. 1: vs. No. 4 Arizona State (Peach Bowl, CFP quarterfinal) (W, 39-21, 2OT)**
• Friday, Jan. 10: vs. No. 8 Ohio State (Cotton Bowl, CFP semifinal)**
• Record: 13-2 overall, 7-1 in SEC play

* Denotes SEC game

** Denotes CFP seed

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