The Buckeyes battle the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl.
Nobody quite knew what to make of this Ohio State team heading into the College Football Playoff. It was clear this roster is tremendously talented, but coming off a puzzling loss to a bad Michigan team, both fans and media alike had their doubts about the Buckeyes.
Those doubts have now completely vanished, as Ohio State has thoroughly dominated each of its first two opponents — including No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl — to set up a date with Texas in the Cotton Bowl with a trip to the national title game on the line. Once viewed as a dark-horse candidate in this field of 12, the Buckeyes have become the clear favorite to win it all, but they have another tough test in front of them in the form of the Longhorns.
Here are some of the key matchups to watch when Ohio State and Texas face-off on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Donovan Jackson vs. Colin Simmons
Trench play is of the utmost importance in football, and even more so when talent is largely equated across the board in these College Football Playoff games. Heading into the Rose Bowl against Oregon, Ohio State’s offensive line going up against the likes of Jordan Burch, Matayo Uiagalelei and Derrick Harmon was a major area of focus. The unit more than handled business, allowing zero sacks in the matchup and helping pave the way for a 500-yard performance for the Buckeyes.
Texas presents another challenge for Ohio State up front, but there is one individual matchup to key a close eye on at the Cotton Bowl. That is senior guard-turned-tackle Donovan Jackson going up against Texas defensive end and Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year, Colin Simmons.
Jackson has been one of the unsung heroes of the season for Ohio State, moving from tackle to guard in his final year of college football once Josh Simmons went down. The 6-foot-4 Texas native is coming off one of the best games of his career, allowing zero pressures on 27 pass-blocking snaps and posting an 81.7 grade against Oregon, per PFF. He will be tasked with slowing down Simmons, who led the Longhorns with nine sacks to go along with 14 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles as a freshman.
As a unit, this Texas defensive line will be an even bigger test than the Ducks. Alongside Simmons, guys like Barryn Sorrell and Trey Moore are going to cause trouble, tallying 11 and 10 tackles for loss on the year, respectively, with 5.5 sacks apiece. If Jackson can keep his side of the line locked down, it’ll go a long way in keeping Ohio State’s offense on track.
Jeremiah Smith vs. Jahdae Barron
I think we’ve seen enough at this point to know that if the Buckeyes are getting Jeremiah Smith his fair share of targets, there is nobody in the country that can guard the sensational freshman one-on-one. Ohio State’s five-star phenom has 13 catches for 290 yards and four touchdowns through two College Football Playoff games, and it seems that just about every ball thrown his way ends up in a completed pass — and any one of those can turn into a touchdown from anywhere on the field.
Smith has done this against some really good defensive backs. Tennessee corner Jermod McCoy earned First Team All-SEC honors and was a finalist for the Thorpe Award, as was Oregon’s Jabbar Muhammad, who led the Big Ten in pass breakups this season. Next man up with the unenviable task of guarding Smith is Texas’ Jahdae Barron, the 2024 Thorpe Award winner and the defensive MVP of the Peach Bowl against Arizona State after recording a team-high 11 total tackles.
Barron will obviously not be alone in his assignment, but the talented Austin native will find himself matched up opposite against Smith more often than not. Smith has a pretty significant height advantage in the matchup, standing at 6-foot-3 compared to the 5-foot-11 Barron, but that doesn’t automatically spell victory for the taller receiver. Barron finished the year with an SEC-high five picks and 11 pass breakups, and his play in this game will be pivotal in keeping the Buckeyes’ top target from having another huge performance.
Caleb Downs vs. Gunnar Helm
Ohio State has done a great job against tight ends this season, and they will have to keep that going against Texas’ Gunnar Helm. The Buckeyes have played some other top players at the position earlier this year, including Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson, so this isn’t exactly a new concept to them, but the 6-foot-5 Helm is an especially prolific part of the Longhorns’ passing attack. Luckily, Ohio State has its own weapon over the middle on the other side in Caleb Downs.
Prior to the loss to Oregon in mid-October, the Alabama transfer’s presence wasn’t really felt in the Buckeyes’ defense. A big part of Jim Knowles’ overhauling of the unit involved moving Downs right into the center of the defense, functioning as almost a middle linebacker/safety hybrid. Since the change, Downs has looked every bit like one of the best defensive players in college football, making plays sideline to sideline and at all three levels. As one of the main guys over the middle, it will likely be his responsibility to keep a close eye on Helm.
The Texas tight end has been one of the team’s best offensive players in the College Football Playoff, catching nine passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns across the two wins against Clemson and Arizona State — one of which was the game-winning score against the Sun Devils in double-OT. Texas has great receivers on the outside like Mathew Golden and Isaiah Bond, but they cannot afford to lose sight of Helm. Downs will play a key part in taking away that threat.
Buckeyes vs. Complacency
It would be unfair to call either of Ohio State’s wins over Tennessee and Oregon ‘easy’ games, but the Buckeyes have made it look like they can put up points without breaking a sweat. In both victories, Ryan Day’s group got out to big early leads, allowing the defense to lock in and play more aggressive, furthering Ohio State’s momentum. It is a far cry from what we saw in the final game of the regular season, but the Buckeyes cannot afford to revert back now.
Ohio State needs to play with the same fire and intensity we saw in its first two College Football Playoff games. The Buckeyes can’t start to get conservative, even though Texas is likely the best overall defense the team has faced thus far in the postseason. Chip Kelly and Day must continue to come out firing, getting the ball in the hands of Smith and Emeka Egbuka early and often and using that dynamic passing attack to open up the run game.
The Buckeyes have been able feed into the underdog mentality to this point. First it was all the question marks following the Michigan loss and a “Tennessee takeover” in Columbus, and then it was a rematch against the No. 1 team in the country who they previously lost to. That ship has sailed, as Ohio State is favored both in this game and to win the national title. However, betting lines don’t make you entitled to wins, and this talented group of players must continue to buy in.
Ohio State is two wins away from its first national title in a decade. There is no time to take your foot off the gas now, or you risk the season coming to an untimely end in Arlington.