The No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off a dominant win over the No. 1 Oregon Ducks on New Year’s Day, defeating the unbeaten Ducks 41-21 in a thoroughly commanding performance to advance to the semifinals. They’ll now face the No. 5 Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas.
The Longhorns, on the other hand, escaped a dramatic battle against the No. 4 Arizona State Sun Devils, who pushed Texas to overtime and had a chance to win on a 4th-and-13. However, Texas executed under pressure and emerged victorious.
Now, the Longhorns and Buckeyes will meet for just the fourth time in their histories, with Texas holding a 2-1 series lead. Ahead of Friday night’s matchup, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum revealed his updated national title prediction and confidently stated that he believes Ohio State will win the game, as well as Notre Dame over Penn State. Finebaum anticipates that it will be Ohio State and Notre Dame facing off for the national championship on Jan. 20…