The Longhorns survived against the Sun Devils to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

 

Sam Khan, Doug Haller and The Athletic College Football Staff

 

Texas holds off Arizona State in 2OT classic to advance to CFP semis: Live reaction and updates

 

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The Athletic College Football Staff

 

In the most dramatic game of the first 12-team College Football Playoff so far, No. 5 seed Texas squandered a 16-point lead, missed two field goals in the final two minutes of regulation and still somehow escaped with a 39-31 double-overtime win over No. 4 seed Arizona State in the Peach Bowl, securing a spot in the semifinals.

 

Arizona State set up to sustain success

ATLANTA — Sam Leavitt watched the game end, his pass in double-overtime deciding a thrilling contest, one that will not be forgotten for years, and the Arizona State quarterback dropped his head.

 

The momentum shifts in the final minutes of Wednesday’s Peach Bowl, a quarterfinal matchup of the College Football Playoff, came at NASCAR-like speed. Arizona State scored first in overtime. Texas responded with a do-or-die touchdown.

 

Ewers is Texas’ roller-coaster ticket to CFP glory

Ewers is Texas’ roller-coaster ticket to CFP glory

 

ATLANTA — Quinn Ewers is not the perfect quarterback, and that, for some Texas fans, may be his biggest flaw.

 

Although he entered college football with one of the highest recruiting rankings in modern history, and has prototype measurables and an NFL future, so much of his career as a Longhorn — as far as outsiders are concerned, at least — has been defined by what he’s not.

 

 

The Longhorns will have a lot to clean up after giving up that 16-point fourth-quarter lead but the Texas defense put the team in position to win through three quarters. From consistent pressure on Sam Leavitt, critical fourth-down stops and keeping Arizona State out of the end zone, the Longhorns’ defense more than did its part for the majority of the game.

 

The breakdowns late were a problem. Giving up the fourth-down Cam Skattebo touchdown pass, the backbreaking penalties and allowing Leavitt room to scramble and make plays on the run really hurt Texas. But the unit was resilient and the game-sealing interception by Andrew Mukuba gives the defense a chance to redeem itself in the semifinals.

 

At the game’s end, Texas gave up 510 yards, by far a season high. A mixed bag for sure after such a strong performance for more than half the game. Bottom line, the Longhorns have to do better late in the game if they intend to continue advancing through the bracket.

 

Quinn Ewers had his fair share of ups and downs on Wednesday, with the lowest low — a fourth-quarter interception — being especially costly — but made the plays needed to put Texas in position to win over and over in the late stages. He put Texas in position for go-ahead field goals twice late in the fourth quarter then made the clutch overtime touchdown passes to Golden and tight end Gunnar Helm.

 

In his three-year Texas career, Ewers has seen and been through it all but has rarely been tested in the way he was against Arizona State. His resilience and poise in the face of the adversity he and the Longhorns faced were critical to the win.

 

At the end of the day, his line was pretty good: 20-for-30, 322 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

 

 

Texas will undoubtedly have home-field advantage in the semifinals no matter who it plays against, as the Longhorns will play at AT&T Stadium for the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas.

 

Texas’ side of the bracket was assigned the Cotton Bowl semifinal on selection Sunday because No. 1 seed Oregon is closer to the Cotton Bowl than the other Orange Bowl semifinal. Rather than wait to see who advances, the CFP and bowls wanted to give the semifinal bowls a set number of schools to prepare for, so the locations were set from the jump.

 

It certainly wasn’t ideal for the CFP to give such a locational advantage in the semis to a team that didn’t even get a first-round bye, but when you’re trying to fit the bowl system into a playoff, this is what happens.

The Texas Longhorns are on their way to Arlington and the College Football Playoff Semifinals after winning a thriller vs. Arizona State.

Texas defense, including Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Dorian Black (86) stop Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) in the first quarter as the Texas Longhorns play the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Jan. 1, 2025.

Texas defense, including Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Dorian Black (86) stop Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) in the first quarter as the Texas Longhorns play the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Jan. 1, 2025.

The Texas Longhorns are advancing to Arlington.

Following a nailbiting 39-31 overtime win over the Arizona State Sun Devils on Wednesday, Texas has advanced to the Cotton Bowl where they will take on the winner of the Rose Bowl matchup between Ohio State and Oregon.

But it was far from a perfect outing for the Longhorns. Particularly offensively.

Things got off to a blazing-fast start for Texas. After trailing 3-0 with an opening drive, the Longhorns marched down the field on a two-play drive to take an early 7-0 lead.

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Silas Bolden (11) returns a punt for a touchdown against the Arizona State Sun Devils

 Texas Longhorns wide receiver Silas Bolden (11) returns a punt for a touchdown against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the first half of the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Then, after the next Sun Devils possession, the Horns were back on the board again with a Silas Bolden punt return touchdown, expanding the Texas lead to 14-3.

Things then cooled off for Texas in a big way offensively, as it was only able to manage a field goal the rest of the first half. Fortunately for the Horns, the defense was up to the task, stuffing Arizona State and holding them to just three points in the quarter, and allowing Texas to take a 17-3 lead in the half.

In the second half, the Sun Devils scrapped their way back into the game with a field goal and a safety to cut the Texas lead to 17-8, while the Longhorns offense was unable to put anything together for the entirety of the third frame.

Then, the Horns’ offense came to life in the fourth, with the running game and passing game pushing the ball down the field and into scoring position. Quinn Ewers would cap off the drive with a touchdown run, expanding the Longhorns lead to 24-8.

Then, it was Arizona State’s turn, with head coach Kenny Dillingham getting into his bag, and calling a half back pass from Cam Skattebo that went for a long touchdown. The Sun Devils then added a two-point conversion, cutting the score to 24-16 Texas.

On the very next drive, the Sun Devils rose up again, intercepting Ewers to give the ball back to their offense. Texas then allowed Skattebo to dictate the rest of the drive with a long catch down the sideline, followed by a short touchdown run to cut into the Longhorns lead even more. On the two-point conversion attempt, Arizona State converted, tying the game.

Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) loses his helmet while being tackled by Texas DB Michael Taaffe

Jan 1, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) loses his helmet while being tackled by Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) during the second half of the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

 

Then, the ball was back in the hands of the Texas offense, which immediately moved the ball into Arizona State territory behind the arm of Ewers. The Longhorns were unable to covert that into a touchdown, however, and were forced to settle for a field goal. That field goal was no good, and Arizona State took over.

The Sun Devils were unable to move the ball offensively on their next possession, punting the ball back to the Horns, and giving Ewers one more chance to win the game for his team.

And that’s exactly what he did, moving the ball down the field with his arm to put Texas in Arizona State territory with completions to Matthew Golden, Gunnar Helm and Ryan Wingo, setting Burt Auburn up for redemption. However, Auburn would go on to miss the field goal, sending the game to overtime.

In the first overtime period, the Sun Devils struck first, getting into the end zone on a Skattebo run, giving Arizona State their first lead since the first quarter.

Texas responded on fourth and 13, with Ewers connecting on a pass to Golden for a touchdown, tying the game, and giving the Longhorns life.

In the second overtime period, Texas was on offense to start things off, and took advantage immediately, with Ewers hitting Helm for his third touchdown pass of the game, and fourth score overall. He then his Golden for the two-point conversion, giving Texas the lead back at 39-31.

Longhorns defensive back Andrew Mukuba then intercepted Leavitt on the next Sun Devils possession, sealing the win for the Longhorns.

With the win, Texas now advances to the semi-finals in Arlington at the Cotton Bowl, where they await the winner of the matchup between Ohio State and Oregon.

 

Quarterback Quinn Ewers has led the Texas Longhorns to the quarterfinals of the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff in what many expect to be his last season with the program.

 

After defeating the Clemson Tigers 38-24 in the first round, Texas will go on to face the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Peach Bowl.

 

Although Ewers is coach Steve Sarkisian’s guy going forward in the postseason, backup Arch Manning is expected to take over the starting role in 2025. Ewers, the junior out of Southlake, Texas, is projected by many to declare for the 2025 NFL draft following the Longhorns’ playoff run.

 

Still, even if Ewers does decide to return for one more season, Texas still appears to be ready to start the Manning era, which could prompt a potential transfer from Ewers.

 

“Arch Manning is going to be the quarterback at Texas next year,” ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. “So if you want to play college football, you probably have to move on somewhere. I would do that if I’m Quinn Ewers.”

 

Texas quarterbacks Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers. Sara Diggins/American-Statesman

Texas quarterbacks Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers. Sara Diggins/American-Statesman /

On Saturday, Ewers was asked about Manning taking over the offense for the Longhorns in the future. The former Ohio State quarterback gave a blunt response to being replaced.

 

“Yeah, I think over the past two years, he’s definitely grown and matured for sure to be able to be successful at Texas,” Ewers said of Manning.

 

Manning, a redshirt freshman from New Orleans, has started to see more play calls involving him down the stretch, mostly runs. He even scored the game’s first touchdown in Texas’s win over Texas A&M on Nov. 30.

 

Manning also got the nod as a starter for two contests early on in the season, with Ewers sidelined with an injury. The nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning went 2-0 in those games.

 

In nine games played so far during the season, Manning has thrown for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions while adding 100 yards and four more scores on the ground. He has proven he is ready to take over for Ewers in the near future.

 

Texas will take on Arizona State in the Peach Bowl at 1:00 p.m. ET on Jan. 1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

 

 

The Texas Longhorns received encouraging news as they gear up for their Peach Bowl matchup against the Arizona State Sun Devils. Both injured starting offensive linemen seem ready to return for the College Football Playoff.

According to Orangebloods’ Anwar Richardson, veteran center Jake Majors and starting tackle Cam Williams are “expected to play against Arizona State.”

These two linemen have played a significant role in the success of the Texas offense. Their efforts were instrumental in the Longhorns’ 292 rushing yards against Clemson in the first round of the playoff, although both were sidelined for parts of the game.

Texas’ backups performed admirably in the absence of Majors and Williams. Backup linemen Cole Hutson and Trevor Goosby kept the offense moving forward with two starters missing. However, with Majors and Williams returning, Texas will be nearly at full strength.

Arizona State enters the Peach Bowl riding a six-game winning streak. Recently, the Sun Devils have found another level, having routed the Arizona Wildcats 49-7 in a rivalry game before defeating the Iowa State Cyclones 45-19 in the Big 12 Championship.

Majors and Williams will aim to help the Longhorns slow down the Sun Devils and advance to the College Football Playoff Semifinal. The two teams will compete for a spot in the semifinal on Jan.

 

The Texas Longhorns defeated the Clemson Tigers 38-24 in the first round of the College Football Playoffs. Up next for Texas is a matchup against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the next round of the playoffs.

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Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian argues a call during the game against Clemson in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.
This season, Texas holds a 12-2 record, while Arizona State stands at 11-2. The Sun Devils won the BIG12 Championship this year, a conference Texas claimed the title in last season before moving to the SEC. Steve Sarkisian has led the Longhorns throughout the season.

Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian Praises Arizona State Sun Devils Ahead of the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl
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Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian celebrates with running back Quintrevion Wisner (26) after defeating Clemson in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Dec. 21, 2024.
On Monday, the Longhorns head coach addressed the media about the upcoming game against Arizona State after Texas’ win over Clemson. Sarkisian has consistently shown respect for his opponents this season. About Arizona State, he said:
“We were in the Big 12 for 27 years, won four championships. This is their first year, and they won the Big 12 Championship. That’s a really tough achievement… Over the last two months, I think they’ve been playing some of the best football in the country.”

Sarkisian’s comments show great respect for the Sun Devils. Kenny Dillingham has had a remarkable season with Arizona State. Texas is favored by double digits in the matchup.
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Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian talks with an official in the first half against Clemson Tigers during an NCAA College Football Playoffs first-round game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.
Texas may dominate the line of scrimmage and control the ground game against the Sun Devils. The Longhorns are far more talented across the board compared to Arizona State. It would be a huge upset if Texas were to lose. Still, Sarkisian understands the importance of showing respect, as he doesn’t want to give Arizona State any extra motivation.

 

 

One of the most highly-coveted transfer portal players, former Texas Longhorns receiver Johntay Cook II, is predicted to transfer to the Florida Gators over the Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies and Texas A&M Aggies. Fresh off a visit to Florida coach Billy Napiers’ Gators and meeting quarterback DJ Lagway, will Cook II become a Gator?

 

Sep 14, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns receiver Johntay Cook II (1) celebrates a touchdown catch during the game against UTSA at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium.

Sep 14, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns receiver Johntay Cook II (1) celebrates a touchdown catch during the game against UTSA at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium.

In this story:

One of the most highly-coveted transfer portal players, former Texas Longhorns receiver Johntay Cook II, is predicted to transfer to the Florida Gators over the Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies and Texas A&M Aggies.

 

Fresh off a visit to Florida coach Billy Napiers’ Gators and meeting quarterback DJ Lagway, On3 has predicted that Cook II will become a Gator.

 

The Oregon Ducks have been connected to Cook II since his high school recruitment. Oregon and Texas A&M were also the two early teams to watch during his portal recruitment. Cook II also just visited Washington.

 

 

Texas Longhorns receiver Johntay Cook II (1) makes a touchdown catch over UTSA safety Elijah Newell (22) during the game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, l

If Cook II does chose to transfer to Florida, it extends a Gators hot streak.

 

Florida flipped five-star receiver Dallas Wilson from the Oregon Ducks 2025 recruiting class. Wilson was committed to Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s Ducks since January of 2023. Oregon released Wilson from his Financial Aid Agreement as Tampa (Fla.) Tampa Bay Tech prospect reportedly wants to live closer to a sick family member.

 

Cook announced in November that he’d be entering the portal after catching eight passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns playing in a backup role for Texas.

 

During his high school recruitment, Cook traveled to Eugene for an official visit in June 2022. His five finalists at the time were Michigan, Texas, Florida, Jackson State and Texas A&M.

 

Since entering the portal, Cook II has posted about Oregon quite a bit on social media. Cook II reposted photos he took during his Oregon official visit in 2022 along with reacting to posts from other accounts that have brought up the idea of Cook II teaming up with incoming five-star receiver Dakorien Moore and current Ducks receiver Evan Stewart.

 

Dan Lannin

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning celebrates defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten Championship in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning would potentially have three Texas talents at receiver next season if Stewart decides to stay another year and Cook II picks Oregon. Cook II (DeSoto), Stewart (Frisco) and five-star receiver recruit Dakorien Moore (Duncanville) all reign from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

 

Currently, Oregon’s 2025 recruiting class ranks No. 5 in the country from On3 Rankings with six incoming transfer commits. New Ducks players include:

 

Jamari Johnson – redshirt freshman tight end, Louisville

 

Dillon Thieneman – sophomore safety, Purdue

 

Theran Johnson – redshirt junior cornerback, Northwestern

 

Alex Harkey – senior offensive tackle, Texas State

 

Isaiah World – redshirt junior offensive tackle, Nevada

 

Lanning is a relentless recruiter to find and sign elite talent from the transfer portal, with top-10 transfer portal classes the past three years. Receiver is a position that Oregon could address in the portal, with the departure of top receiver senior Tez Johnson at the end of this season.

After a 22-19 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game, where Texas struggled with just 31 rushing yards, the Longhorns’ strategy for their opening College Football Playoff game against the Clemson Tigers was clear, and could be summed up in three words:

Actually, that’s not the right ‘run’ related three-word phrase. I must have Tom Hanks on the mind. Let me start over:

“Run to win,” said Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian after the Longhorns’ 38-24 victory over Clemson, according to Dave Wilson of ESPN.com. “We needed to run the football to win this game, and we’ll need to run the football to advance in these playoffs. That’s what playoff football’s all about.”

The four winners in the College Football Playoff’s opening round — Texas, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Ohio State — averaged 120 more rushing yards than their opponents, proving Sarkisian’s point. And no team was more dominant on the ground than the Longhorns.

Behind Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner’s combined 256 rushing yards and four touchdowns, the Longhorns out-rushed Clemson by an eye-popping 216 yards. This effort made Blue and Wisner the first duo of backs in 25 years to record at least 110 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and multiple receptions in a postseason game.

After the win, Blue revealed this focus on the ground game began after Texas’ SEC Championship loss.

“After the SEC Championship, we didn’t run the ball well at all,” Blue said. “[Sarkisian] really stayed on us in practice. The O-line, the running backs, the whole offense took that in, and we were more physical in practice. He made running the ball a huge priority.”

Repeating this performance against Arizona State in the Peach Bowl may prove challenging.

Led by Cam Skattebo, a powerful running back who rushed for over 1,500 yards and finished 5th in the Heisman Trophy voting, the Sun Devils out-rushed their opponents by 81 yards per game on their way to a conference title in their first Big 12 season.

 

 

 

 

Notre Dame look ready for tougher test against Georgia after beating Indiana in first round

 

The first round of the newly expanded College Football Playoff is in the books with Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas and Ohio State advancing to the quarterfinals of the 12-team tournament.

 

Before the first round began, top-seed and undefeated Oregon was the favorite to win the title at +325 odds. But sportsbooks, or at least our friends at BetMGM, were impressed with the way that fifth-seeded Texas stomped ACC champ Clemson in the first round, convincingly winning, 38-24, even without Isaiah Bond.

 

Heading into the quarterfinals, the Longhorns are the betting favorites to win the national championship now at +300 odds. Oregon is closely behind Texas at +300, while Ohio State checks in at +400, and Penn State is +450.

 

 

 

Odds to win the College Football Playoff

The quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff marks games moving from on-campus venues and to neutral site locations. Texas and Arizona State will face off in the Peach Bowl, Oregon takes on Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, Penn State and Boise State clash in the Fiesta Bowl and Georgia meets Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. The Nittany Lions and Broncos will play on New Year’s Eve, while the other three games will kick off on New Year’s Day.

 

After Notre Dame’s impressive beatdown of Indiana in the first round, the Bulldogs are favored over the Irish by just 1.5 points. That narrow line may also be due to Georgia quarterback Carson Beck being injured.