Cotton Bowl warns of potential snow threat for Texas-Ohio State CFP Semifinal

Cotton Bowl released a statement on Monday on potential implications of severe weather and snow impacting entire State of Texas.

When you think of Texas, snow might not be the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, some people, like the Ohio State media team, might be completely clueless about where Arlington is.

A recent post on their social media platform featured an image of a cactus. Now, cacti are not exactly a common sight in the middle of Arlington, and you certainly won’t be seeing any cacti with sunny skies on Friday night either.

The Cotton Bowl released a statement on Monday due to severe weather conditions in the Dallas area that could potentially impact Friday’s highly anticipated Cotton Bowl matchup.

Although not as severe as the 2021 Great Texas Freeze, the polar vortex is bringing arctic air from Canada down across most of the United States. This phenomenon has already caused temperatures to plummet below freezing, and strong northerly winds are intensifying the cold.

In North Texas, temperatures could drop into the teens later week especially on Friday, and another weather system from the west is expected to bring precipitation. Some parts of the state might even experience snowfall.

“We are routinely monitoring weather reports and we are in close contact with AT&T Stadium and local officials. We always have plans for inclement weather. Should conditions warrant it, we will communicate to everyone attending and connected with this year’s Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.” – Goodyear Cotton Bowl Statement

Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns are mentally prepped for the game. On Monday Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian spoke about the Cotton Bowl:

“Just like to say first of all, it’s an honor to represent the SEC in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “This game has been notorious for great games and great teams over the years. Obviously, this being a semifinal game of the College Football Playoff, it’s definitely an honor to be a part of this.”

Short on history, the 3 meetings between Texas and Ohio State have produced epic moments

The Texas and Ohio State’s three meetings have produced huge moments featuring Vince Young, Colt McCoy and Troy Smith.

In 2005, when Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns traveled to the Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio it was shockingly the first meeting between two of college football’s true blue bloods.

Thanks in large part to bowl affiliations, the Longhorns and Buckeyes had never met in the postseason and had never scheduled each other as a non-conference game. In fact, Texas was coming off its first ever meeting with OSU rival Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl.

But that changed under then Texas coach Mack Brown and then AD Deloss Dodds. Both felt it was important to have a major test in the non-conference slate.

The 2005 meeting was the first leg of a home-and-home, which would see the Buckeyes travel to Austin in 2006. That game was redshirt freshman Colt McCoy’s second game as a starter for UT.

The teams would hook up again in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl, which would set the table for another national title run for the Longhorns the next season.

2005: Texas 25, Ohio State 22 – Columbus, OH

The first ever meeting between the two giants was at Ohio State. The much-hyped Texas Longhorns were ranked No. 2 in the nation. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 4. The game was seen as a major hurdle for a Longhorns team with national title aspirations.

The Buckeyes had never lost a night game at the Horseshoe. ESPN’s College GameDay was in town for the game, as well as ABC’s pregame studio show. The buildup was massive and the game didn’t disappoint.

Texas took an early first quarter lead on a career-long 42-yard field goal by David Pino and a five yard TD pass from Young to Billy Pittman. But the Buckeyes controlled the second quarter and took a 16-13 lead into halftime with three field goals and a Troy Smith to Santonio Holmes TD.

The third quarter saw only field goals, as the Buckeyes extend their lead to 22-16. The fourth quarter started with the UT offense struggling to put drives together against a very solid OSU defense. Ohio State drove into Texas territory last in the quarter, but missed a 50-yard FG.

That set up one of the most epic drives in Texas history. UT took over on their own 33 with 5:07 left in the game. Young drove Texas down to the Ohio State 24 yard line. On second and nine with 2:37 remaining to play, Young tossed a floating ball to the front corner of the endzone over the head of the Buckeyes’ defender to UT WR Limas Sweed for the tying touchdown. Texas would take a tenuous one-point lead after the Pino PAT.

Needed to drive the field to set up a game-winning FG, Ohio State QB Justin Zwick fumbled on the drive’s first play from scrimmage. The Horns drove the ball to the OSU one yard line but couldn’t punch it in to secure the game. After UT turned the ball over on downs, Ohio State inserted Troy Smith again at QB. He would be sacked on the first play for a safety. Texas won the game 25-22.

Texas became the first non-conference opponent to beat The Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium in 15-years, ending a 36-game non-conference home winning streak. The Longhorns also became the first team to ever beat the Buckeyes in a night game at The Horseshoe.

Texas would go onto an undefeated season and a national championship.

2006: Ohio State 24, Texas 7 – Austin, TX

With the departure of Vince Young the the NFL, Mack Brown handed the reigns of the offense to redshirt freshman Colt McCoy. While McCoy would go on to being a Legend at UT with his number retired, facing the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes in his second game as a starter was a tall order.

Ohio State was led by QB Troy Smith, who would win the Heisman Trophy that season. The Longhorns were No. 2 in the nation at the time. Again, ESPN’s College GameDay was in town for the battle of titans.

The Texas defense, which featured Aaron Ross, did a good job of containing OSU in the first quarter, but Smith and Buckeyes took a 7-0 lead with less than two minutes in the quarter.

McCoy tossed a TD to Billy Pittman in the second quarter to tie the game 7-7, but OSU answer and held a 14-7 lead going into the halftime locker room.

The Buckeyes stymied McCoy and the Texas offense in the second half. McCoy finished the game 19 for 32 with just 154 yards passing, 1 TD and 1 INT. Texas RB Jamaal Charles could only muster 70 yards rushing.

Smith and the Buckeyes scored 13 points in the second half and won the game 24-7. Ohio State would go onto the national title game, but would lose to Florida.

Texas would finish 10-3 after beating Iowa in the Alamo Bowl.

2009: Texas 24, Ohio State 21 – Fiesta Bowl

Texas was unbeaten and No. 1 much of the 2008 season until that fateful night in Lubbock when Michael Crabtree and Texas Tech upset the Horns on a last second TD.

Instead, the Horns would play in the BCS Fiesta Bowl against No. 10 Ohio State. OSU came in with a 10-2 record after losing a non-conference clash against USC and a low scoring slugfest with Penn State.

McCoy, now a redshirt Junior, was a very different calibre of player than the Buckeyes faced back in 2006. The Horns were 11-1, hoping for a win that would set them up for another title run in the 2009 season.

Ohio State was led by Terrelle Pryor. The first half was won by the defenses. OSU led 6-3 at halftime. In the third quarter, McCoy and the Longhorns offense woke up. McCoy ran for a 14-yard TD and tossed another to Quan Cosby to take a 17-6 lead. But Pryor and the Buckeyes weren’t done. Ohio State scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to take a 21-17 with just 1:49 on the clock.

But again a Texas-Ohio State game would end with an epic drive. McCoy marched UT on an 11 play, 78-yard drive that culminated with a 26-yard TD pass to Cosby who broke free of two OSU defenders and dove into the endzone for the winning touchdown with just :16 seconds on the clock.

Texas would indeed go to the national title game the next season, but lost to Alabama after McCoy was hurt on the first drive.

Future Matchups

Texas and Ohio State won’t be done playing each other after Friday’s Cotton Bowl. The two teams will open next season in Columbus. Then the Buckeyes will travel to Austin for the second game of the 2026 campaign.

8/30/2025: Texas at Ohio State
9/12/2026: Ohio State at Texas

Is Steve Sarkisian playing mind games by heaping praise on Ohio State ahead of Cotton Bowl?

Steve Sarkisian is heaping a ton of praise on the Texas Longhorns Cotton Bowl opponent Ohio State. Is he just playing mind games?

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is a confident guy and exudes confidence in his team every chance he gets. But, as his team prepares to face Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, Sark is really singing the praises of the opponent.

Is he just being realistic? Is he playing coy or possum? Is he hoping his comments about Ohio State will make them over confident?

In his weekly press Zoom call, Sark told Longhorns fans they’ll be needed against the Buckeyes. Texas is after-all an underdog in its home state.

“I need Longhorn Nation to show out in Arlington. We’re going to need everything we’ve got to try to win this game. Clearly, we’re massive underdogs. Nobody’s going to give us a shot. So we’re going to need all that we can to try to win this game.” – Steve Sarkisian

Sarkisian is feeding into the underdog mentality, hoping it will rally Texas fans to show up and give the Longhorns a home-field advantage. He also acknowledged that Ohio State fans “travel really, really well” and that it’s not a true home game since both schools get the same allotment of tickets.

But Sark didn’t stop there.

“It’s a heck of an opponent in Ohio State. The job that Coach Day has done with that team, their staff, they’re playing really good football right now. We know it’s going to be a heck of a challenge, but looking forward to the opportunity.” – Steve Sarkisian

Sarkisian went onto talk about how confident the Buckeyes are right now, pointing out Ohio State’s aggressive play calling but also “a really high level” of execution.

Since the disastrous Michigan game, where Ohio State could only muster 10 points, the Buckeyes offense has looked like a machine. In the 41-21 Rose Bowl win over Oregon, Ohio State star WR Jeremiah Smith had an epic game with 187 yards and two touchdowns. And his fellow Buckeyes receiver Emeka Egbuka added five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown.

Against Tennessee, in the first round of the College Football Playoff, the duo combined to catch 11 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-17 win.

“They’re both big, physical players They have length. They have speed. They have playmaking ability on the ball. They have big catch radiuses. They’ve got the scheme to go with it, with coach (Chip) Kelly and coach (Ryan) Day, and they’ve got a quarterback who delivers you the ball. You add all that up, these guys are impactful players that are real issues, and we’re going to have a hard time guarding.” – Steve Sarkisian

Sark then turned to Ohio State QB Will Howard, who Texas saw when the redshirt senior was at Kansas State. In 2021, Howard ran for a 71-yard touchdown against the Longhorns. Sarkisian also praised the Ohio State QB’s passing ability, saying “he throws passes where they need to be thrown, and guys make plays for him.”

“He’s a much better athlete than people probably give him credit for … He has good speed. He’s got great poise and composure in the pocket. You can tell he’s very bright.” – Steve Sarkisian

Finally, Sark turned to the Buckeyes’s defense, who recorded eight sacks against the Ducks. Sarkisian said that’s why UT needs to be more balanced on offense because Ohio State’s pass rush will be able to tee off if it knows the Longhorns are going to pass.

“They’re ferocious up front. They’ve got a great pass rush. Big on the inside, big edge players that are very talented.” – Steve Sarkisian

Obviously, Ohio State is a good, maybe great, team. But by seeming to go overboard in his praise for his opponent, Sark is either trying to get in the heads of the Buckeyes or warn Longhorns fans of what’s coming on Jan. 10.

Bevo is Back! Texas mascot will return to sideline for CFP Semifinal in Cotton Bowl

Bevo is Back! After being barred from the SEC Championship Game and Peach Bowl, Texas’ mascot will be at AT&T Stadium in Arlington

After being banned from the sidelines for the SEC Championship Game and the CFP Quarterfinal at the Peach Bowl, both held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Bevo will be back for the CFP Semifinal in the Cotton Bowl. It seems AT&T Stadium in Arlington is more accommodating than Mercedes-Benz.

In a statement when Bevo was barred from the SEC title game, the SEC said in a statement, “The reality is there is limited sideline space at the stadium. We can’t jeopardize the safety of Bevo or the game participants. With the narrow sidelines, location of multiple sets for television and camera carts, there is not enough space. While we want to honor tradition across the conference, the space limitation is a reality.”

The Peach Bowl VP of communications Matt Garvey made a very similar statement when it was announced Bevo couldn’t go to Atlanta, “For the safety of Bevo and the players and the media and the camera crews that are on site there, it doesn’t look like we’re going to be able to accommodate him.”

Of course, before the SEC championship, there was a thought the conference was fearful of another Bevo-Uga incident. Bevo famously changed Georgia’s bulldog mascot at the 2019 Sugar Bowl during a summit between the two icons.

The Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium is familiar with Bevo. He was last year’s Big 12 Championship win over Oklahoma State.

If Texas beats Ohio State to advance to the CFP National Championship Game, don’t bet on Bevo being there. The game is at … you guessed it … the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Texas mascot Bevo will be on the sidelines for the Cotton Bowl because nobody wants beef

Yeehaw! Bevo’s back.

Welp. They freed Bevo. Clearly, nobody wants any beef.

Unfortunately, the big guy could not be on the sidelines for Texas’ recent Peach Bowl matchup with Arizona State. There wasn’t enough space for players, coaches, staff, cheerleaders and Bevo to all exist at Mercedes Benz Stadium without risking safety.

But, on Friday, the Longhorns announced that Bevo had been freed. He’s going to Arlington and is expected to be on the sidelines at AT&T Stadium on January 10 when Texas plays Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. It’s Bevo, Jerry World and the College Football Playoffs. It doesn’t get any better than that.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DEXvPklRg7u/?igsh=djVidTQ5dHA5OTM3

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CFP won’t flip dates for Cotton and Orange Bowl semifinals despite SEC request

The College Football Playoff committee will not flip the dates for Cotton and Orange Bowl semifinals despite SEC request after NOLA tragedy.

The College Football Playoff will not flip the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl dates despite a request from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey.

The tragic terror attack on New Year’s Day in New Orleans that claimed 14 lives and left many others injured caused a delay for the Sugar Bowl between Notre Dame and Georgia. The Irish eventually won the game 23-10 that was played on Jan. 2.

The Sankey suggested the flip of the Orange Bowl, to be played on Thursday, Jan. 9 with the Cotton Bowl, scheduled for Friday, Jan. 10 to give the Sugar Bowl participants an extra day of practice so as not punish them for the delay.

Sankey was hoping to negate any disadvantage Georgia, or Notre Dame for that matter, would have because of the Sugar Bowl’s delay. Sankey told SEC Network’s Paul Finebuam, “I have raised the issue of that potential change. I recognize it’s difficult…I don’t know if it’s impossible.”

“This is not an SEC-related issue; it’s for both teams,” Sankey said. “I also know that the communities have dates, they have plans, there are stadium availability issues that can arise. What I’ve not heard back from anybody after having asked the question is really directly a yes or no answer to the question I asked.”

After some consideration, the playoff committee has decided to leave the schedule as is. “We’re not going to flip the games,” CFP executive director Rich Clark told ESPN. “The concession we made with the athletic directors was to start the Sugar Bowl earlier — an 18-hour or so delay. We slipped the game 18 hours to ensure we could provide safety and security for teams, coaches, staffs, fans and others involved. NOLA and Sugar Bowl officials were amazing.”

Clark went on to say the logistics of changing the games would be difficult. “Logistics are very complicated, disruptive to the other teams involved that have schedules in place, especially Texas and Ohio State,” he said. “Fans have made arrangements already, and this creates issues for them. There’s more, but these are some of the major points.”

Notre Dame will have to adjust its timeline and schedule before the Orange Bowl, but the committee decided one team’s disruption was better than all four.

“Sometimes, just like within a game, you have to adapt, you have to adjust,” Sankey said. “Right now with the schedule set, these teams will have to adjust their preparation based on the schedule that lies ahead.”

SEC Commish Greg Sankey suggests CFP semifinals schedule switch between Cotton and Orange Bowls

Greg Sankey suggests that the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl be shifted for Sugar Bowl team rest.

The Commissioner of the conference that “just means more” took to SEC Network on Thursday to express his interest in potentially flipping the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl games.

The Cotton Bowl is already scheduled for Friday at AT&T Stadium, where the Texas Longhorns will face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes. As for the Orange Bowl, a tragic terror attack on New Year’s Day in New Orleans that claimed fifteen lives and left many others injured caused a delay for the Sugar Bowl. Consequently, Penn State, which secured a blowout win against Boise State on Tuesday with a score of 31-14, will now be the opponent of the winner of the Sugar Bowl between Notre Dame and Georgia.

Sankey addressed Paul Finebuam, stating, “I have raised the issue of that potential change. I recognize it’s difficult…I don’t know if it’s impossible.”

Logistically, it might seem straightforward to simply adjust the game times on the schedule. However, there are numerous factors to consider, including fan and team hotels, travel itineraries that are already set, and more. While it’s not impossible to execute, it would certainly be an intriguing move. I don’t anticipate it happening, but time will tell.

Kickoff for the Cotton Bowl between the No. 5 Texas Longhorns and No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes is set for Friday January 10th at 6:30pm, ten days ahead of the finale National Championship in Atlanta.

For information on the deadly terror attack in New Orleans visit USA TODAY’s live page for updates.

How to buy 2025 Cotton Bowl tickets: Texas vs. Ohio State ticket prices

Tickets to the 2025 Cotton Bowl are selling fast. Act now to secure your seat to see Texas vs. Ohio State’s College Football Playoff semifinal in person.

The 2025 Cotton Bowl is shaping up to be a doozy.

While there was always going to be high interest in a game acting as the newly-expanded College Football Playoff semifinal, interest skyrocketed once Texas and Ohio State qualified for the game.

The Cotton Bowl is scheduled to be played on Friday, Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

The cheapest available Cotton Bowl tickets are up to $462.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop 2025 Cotton Bowl tickets” link=”https://seatgeek.pxf.io/c/1205322/2374314/20501″]

Texas earned it’s spot in the CFP semifinal after outlasting Arizona State in a double overtime thriller. The vaunted Longhorns defense has a tough task with an Ohio State offense that thrashed the previously undefeated Oregon Ducks.

If you’re looking for a better seat, tickets for the lower bowl start at about $900.

If you really want to live it up, front-row seats at the 50-yard line are only about $5,000 per ticket.

The winner of the Cotton Bowl will play for the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, Jan. 20 in Atlanta.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop 2025 Cotton Bowl tickets” link=”https://seatgeek.pxf.io/c/1205322/2374314/20501″]

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

How to buy 2025 Cotton Bowl tickets: Texas vs. Ohio State ticket prices

Tickets to the 2025 Cotton Bowl are selling fast. Act now to secure your seat to see Texas vs. Ohio State’s College Football Playoff semifinal in person.

The 2025 Cotton Bowl is shaping up to be a doozy.

While there was always going to be high interest in a game acting as the newly-expanded College Football Playoff semifinal, interest skyrocketed once Texas and Ohio State qualified for the game.

The Cotton Bowl is scheduled to be played on Friday, Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

The cheapest available Cotton Bowl tickets are up to $462.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop 2025 Cotton Bowl tickets” link=”https://seatgeek.pxf.io/c/1205322/2374314/20501″]

Texas earned it’s spot in the CFP semifinal after outlasting Arizona State in a double overtime thriller. The vaunted Longhorns defense has a tough task with an Ohio State offense that thrashed the previously undefeated Oregon Ducks.

If you’re looking for a better seat, tickets for the lower bowl start at about $900.

If you really want to live it up, front-row seats at the 50-yard line are only about $5,000 per ticket.

The winner of the Cotton Bowl will play for the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, Jan. 20 in Atlanta.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop 2025 Cotton Bowl tickets” link=”https://seatgeek.pxf.io/c/1205322/2374314/20501″]

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

How to buy 2025 Cotton Bowl tickets: Texas vs. Ohio State ticket prices

Tickets to the 2025 Cotton Bowl are selling fast. Act now to secure your seat to see Texas vs. Ohio State’s College Football Playoff semifinal in person.

The 2025 Cotton Bowl is shaping up to be a doozy.

While there was always going to be high interest in a game acting as the newly-expanded College Football Playoff semifinal, interest skyrocketed once Texas and Ohio State qualified for the game.

The Cotton Bowl is scheduled to be played on Friday, Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

The cheapest available Cotton Bowl tickets are up to $462.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop 2025 Cotton Bowl tickets” link=”https://seatgeek.pxf.io/c/1205322/2374314/20501″]

Texas earned it’s spot in the CFP semifinal after outlasting Arizona State in a double overtime thriller. The vaunted Longhorns defense has a tough task with an Ohio State offense that thrashed the previously undefeated Oregon Ducks.

If you’re looking for a better seat, tickets for the lower bowl start at about $900.

If you really want to live it up, front-row seats at the 50-yard line are only about $5,000 per ticket.

The winner of the Cotton Bowl will play for the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, Jan. 20 in Atlanta.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop 2025 Cotton Bowl tickets” link=”https://seatgeek.pxf.io/c/1205322/2374314/20501″]

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.