Game updates, live score in CFP semifinal

After narrowly escaping Arizona State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, Texas football continues its march toward the program’s first championship game since 2010 in a semifinal against Ohio State Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Seeded fifth, the Longhorns are underdogs against the No. 8 Buckeyes, which marks the first time since a September 2023 trip to Alabama that the Longhorns aren’t the favorite.

The winner of this game will advance to the CFP final at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Jan. 20 against Notre Dame.

Follow along for updates and highlights as Ohio State clings to a 14-7 halftime lead:

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Texas vs Ohio State score updates

1	2	3	4	F
OHIO STATE	7	7	0	0	0
TEXAS	0	7	0	0	0

More:Texas football vs Ohio State: UT defense facing another mobile quarterback in Will Howard

Halftime: Ohio State 14, Texas 7

After both defenses dictated the pace of the game, the two teams combine for two touchdowns in a span of 13 seconds. Give credit to the Texas defense because its colled off a red-hoit Buckeye team that topped 40 points in its first two CFP games against Tennessee and Oregon. But the top-ranked Ohio State defense has held Texas to 44 yards rushing.

0:13 2Q: Ohio State 14, Texas 7

On my, a perfect play call from Ohio State OC Chip Kelly. Will Howard dumps off a screen pass to TreVeyon Henderson, the Buckeye linemen move their feet and get the downfield blocks, and Henderson takes it 75 yards for a touchdown. It seemed like the Horns had weathered a storm, but that hurts.

0:29 2Q: Ohio State 7, Texas 7

An adventurous last drive of the first half for Texas, which goes for it on fourth-and-1 from midfield. QB Arch Manning runs for a first down and almost fumbles, but no review. Then, a quick pass from Quinn Ewers to to Silas Bolden goes for 24 yards and gets Texas in field-goal range. But who needs kicker drama? Ewers lofts a perfect 19-yard TD pass to Jaydon Blue. Oh, and Will Stone instead of Bert Auburn with the extra point

2:00 2Q: Ohio State 7, Texas 0

Since racking up 64 yards on its opening drive, Ohio State has just 97 yards on its subsequent four drives. Anthony Hill and Barryn Sorrell combine for a sack, and Texas will finally get some good field position just before halftime.

5:22 2Q: Ohio State 7, Texas 0

Once again, the Texas defense holds high-powered Ohio State at bay. But can this Texas offense get going? The Longhorns have 89 yards of offense on four drives and have just 24 yards rushing on seven carries, taking away three sacks endured by Quinn Ewers. Dare we ask about Arch Manning, Texas fans? Texas takes over at its own 15-yard line.

9:52 2Q: Ohio State 7, Texas 0

The Texas defense has held up since giving up a touchdown on the opening drive, but the Texas defense needs to find a groove. So far, the Longhorns have negative-5 yards rushing eight carries, which includes a pair of sacks. Quin Ewers fumbled on one of those sacks, but the Longhorns recovered. Texas takes over again but at its own 9-yard line. Ohio State is winning the field-position battle.

End 1Q: Ohio State 7, Texas 0

Not the best opening quarter for Texas, but the Longhorns are about to get the ball back after stopping Ohio State at midfield. Ohio State tallied 117 yards on two drives in the period. Now, can Texas get its ground game going? The Horns have 6 yards on 6 carries so far, and that inefficiency on the ground had hurt the team in the loss to Georgia in the SEC title and in last week’s OT win over Arizona State.

4:19 1Q: Ohio State 7, Texas 0

The Longhorns’ second drive bogs down at the Ohio State 48-yard line. Texas had reached the Ohio State 39, but a false start on Cam Williams and a sack by the Buckeyes push Texas back to midfield.

7:29 1Q: Ohio State 7, Texas 0

Ohio State dissects the Texas defense on its opening drive, a 10-play, 64-yard march that’s capped by a 9-yard TD run from Quinshon Judkins. The Buckeyes made that look easy, with QB Will Howard going 4-of-6 for 44 yards. Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski has some early work to do.

11:42 1Q: Texas 0, Ohio State 0

Texas falls short on the first big decision of the game. On a fourth-and-3 from the Ohio State 36-yard line, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers throws the ball short of DeAndre Moore Jr., who was well-covered on the play. Bert Auburn or Will Stone? We saw neither Texas kicker on what would have been a 53-yard field-goal attempt.

Quinn Ewers: ‘I do not expect’ to play college football next season

In a sit-down interview between Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Ewers said that he does not expect to play college football next season. Ewers, a three-year starter for the Longhorns, does have a year of collegiate eligibility left but has indicated since last spring that the 2024 campaign would likely be his final collegiate season.

Until the broadcast of the interview with Thamel Saturday, Ewers had not made any definite statement on his future. Sophomore Arch Manning, a backup the past two seasons, is expected to assume the starting role next season for Texas.

Could Will Stone start at kicker in place of Bert Auburn?

Could Texas use Will Stone at kicker in place of Bert Auburn? It’s definitely a possibility based on Texas coach Steve Sarkisian’s comments earlier in the week as well as some media reports stating Stone will get the start.

“We’ll monitor that thing through pregame and make a decision and go,” Sarkisian told reporters during media availability Thursday.

Texas kicker Bert Auburn is the school’s all-time leader in made field goals and he has been responsible for a team-high 112 points this season. Auburn, though, is just 16-for-25 on his field goals this season, and that 64% success rate ranks 105th nationally. Auburn has missed four field goals in his last three games, and two of those misses occurred in the final two minutes of the Peach Bowl’s fourth quarter on Jan. 1 while Texas was attempting to break.

If Texas does bench Auburn, Stone would be his logical replacement. An Austin native and a Texas junior, Stone has never attempted a field goal on the collegiate level. But Stone has handled kickoff duties for Texas for the past three seasons and is on scholarship. Stone made a 54-yard field goal during his senior season at Regents High in 2021.

What channel is Texas vs Ohio State game on today?

Texas’ game vs. Ohio State in a CFP semifinal will be broadcast on ESPN. Streaming options for the game include ESPN+ and Fubo, which is offering a free trial for its streaming service.

More:Texas vs Ohio State: Longtime Longhorn QB Quinn Ewers reflects on his time as a Buckeye

Texas vs Ohio State history

Series record: Texas leads 2-1
Texas’ last win: Texas 24, Ohio State 21 (Jan. 5, 2009)

Ohio State’s last win: Ohio State 24, Texas 7 (Sept. 11, 2006)

Texas vs Ohio State predictions

Thomas Jones, Texas beat writer

Ohio State 27, Texas 25

TEXAS GETS THE BOOT

The Longhorns will have home-field advantage, but the shaky special teams will prove the difference in a game that features as many as two dozen players that could go in the 2025 NFL draft. Don’t be surprised if some fourth-down calls by Sarkisian in critical moments of the game reflect his concern in the kicking game.

Cedric Golden, Columnist

Texas 34, Ohio State 30

QUINN MIGHTY AGAIN FOR TEXAS

Quinn Ewers saved the season against Arizona State and if Texas can get a semblance of a run game going against the No. 5 rushing defense in the country, it will open up this offense for Ewers to make the play-action game click. It’s a fourth-quarter game and the Horns will pull it off.

Danny Davis, Texas beat writer

Texas

SPECIAL WIN FOR TEXAS

Both Texas and Ohio State have great defenses and offensive standouts, so this is a coin flip for me. The Longhorns will shock the world and Vegas oddsmakers. Not by winning (a No. 5 seed beating a No. 8 seed is not an upset), but by making a play on special teams to secure a trip to the national championship game.

David Eckert, Texas insider

Ohio State 31, Texas 24

BALANCING ACT ENOUGH FOR OHIO STATE

Ohio State is the more balanced team in this matchup, and that’ll be the reason the Buckeyes leave Arlington with a victory. Texas has leaned on its dominant defense to compensate for an underperforming and mistake-prone offense and misfiring special teams unit, but that hasn’t been enough in the only two games the Longhorns have played against a team with comparable athleticism and size.

Cotton Bowl betting odds

Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Friday:

Spread: Ohio by 6
Over/under: 53.5
Moneyline: Texas (+250), Ohio State (-195)

Texas vs Ohio State injury updates

Texas: RB CJ Baxter (out), RB Christian Clark (out), RB Velton Gardner (out), DB Derek Williams Jr. (out), QB Trey Owens (out), OL Cam Williams (questionable), WR Isaiah Bond (probable).

Ohio State: OL Zen Michalski (out), WR Reis Stocksdale (out), RB Rashid SeSay (out), OL Seth McLaughlin, OL Josh Simmons (out), TE Jace Middleton (questionable), WR Nolan Baudo (questionable).

Texas vs Ohio State weather update

This game will be played indoors, though North Texas is expecting near-freezing temperatures.

Texas football 2024 schedule

Aug. 31: Texas 52, Colorado State 0
Sept. 7: Texas 31, Michigan 12
Sept. 14: Texas 56, UTSA 7

Sept. 21: Texas 51, Louisiana Monroe 3
Sept. 28: Texas 35, Mississippi State 13*
Oct. 12: Texas 34, Oklahoma 3

Oct. 19: Georgia 30, Texas 15
Oct. 26: Texas 27, Vanderbilt 24
Nov. 9: Texas 49, Florida 17

Nov. 16: Texas 20, Arkansas 10
Nov. 23: Texas 31, Kentucky 14
Nov. 30: Texas 17, Texas A&M 9

Dec. 7: Georgia 22, Texas 19 (OT), SEC title game
Dec. 21: Texas 38, Clemson 24, CFP first round
Jan. 1: Texas 39, Arizona State 31 (OT), CFP quarterfinal

Ohio State football 2024 schedule

Aug. 31: vs. Akron (W, 52-6)
Sept. 7: vs. Western Michigan (W, 56-0)
Sept. 21: vs. Marshall (W, 49-14)

Sept. 26: at Michigan State (W, 38-7)
Oct. 5: vs. Iowa (W, 35-7)
Oct. 12: at No. 3 Oregon (L, 32-31)

Oct. 26: vs. Nebraska (W, 21-17)
Nov. 2: at No. 3 Penn State (W, 20-13)
Nov. 9: vs. Purdue (W, 45-0)

Nov. 16: at Northwestern (W, 31-7)
Nov. 23: vs. No. 5 Indiana (W, 38-15)
Nov. 30: vs. Michigan (L, 13-10)

Dec. 21: vs. No. 8 Tennessee, CFP first-round (W, 42-17)
Jan. 1: vs. No. 1 Oregon CFP quarterfinal, (W, 41-21)

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