The Texas Longhorns will take on their biggest game of the season during the CFP Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Texas enters this game following a nail-biting overtime victory over Arizona State, where Longhorns kicker Bert Auburn had a disastrous outing. Ahead of the clash with the Buckeyes, head coach Steve Sarkisian made a blunt comment about the kickers, which may indicate that quarterbacks Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers might be relied upon even more.
Ohio State and Texas will meet again to kick off the 2025 season, meaning the loser on Friday night will have to stew over that loss for a long time, waiting for their chance at redemption. While the Longhorns left some questions on the table after their win over the Sun Devils, the Buckeyes, on the other hand, steamrolled the Oregon Ducks and showed they can be the most intimidating team in college football.
Texas could’ve avoided overtime during the Peach Bowl, but when the game came down to a last second field goal attempt from 38 yards out, Bert Auburn hit the upright. Auburn had already missed a field goal with under two minutes left from 48 yards out. Auburn has been great for the Longhorns throughout his career, but at the biggest moment he came out flat.
Ahead of an even tougher matchup, Sarkisian is relying on every player being at 100% and ready to go, yet when addressing the kicker, the head coach voiced a suspenseful statement.
Arch Manning 16 of the Texas Longhorns during pre game warmups vs the Mississippi State Bulldogs at DKR-Memorial Stadium.
“We’ll monitor that thing through pregame and make a decision and go,” Sarkisian stated during media availability, via On3. “I think that’s always the challenge of a coach. You think about some of those positions. Football is an ultimate team sport, but there are specific positions that are individualized.”
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Sarkisian’s message may hint that the Longhorns could rely on either QB Ewers or Manning in short-yardage situations on fourth down, or that they may be less inclined to settle for a field goal in certain areas of the field. It’d seem less probable that Sark and the Horns are going to make a change at the kicker position.
Sarkisian confirms starter is set to return
Offensive tackle Cam Williams will be back healthy and is set to start against the Buckeyes. Williams was injured during the College Football Playoffs first round matchup against the Clemson Tigers. He was a gametime decision against Arizona State, he even dressed and warmed up, but Sarkisian decided to roll with Trevor Goosby, then.
Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns holds the trophy after defeating the Arizona State Sun Devils 39-31 during the second overtime in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 01, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Standing at six-foot-five and weighing 335 pounds, Williams is a notable addition to the unit responsible for protecting Ewers primarily, but occasionally Manning as well. Williams and the rest of the offensive lineman will also be pivotal for Texas to assert the running game, which if efficient can turn the tide in the Horns’ favor.
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Up for a challenge like no other
Texas has faced intense competition throughout the season, going up against some of the top programs in college football, but nothing may prepare them for the challenge they’ll face at AT&T Stadium.
The Buckeyes are coming off a statement performance, a complete thrashing of what was considered the best team in the country—until Ohio State proved otherwise.
The Longhorns’ defense will have their hands full as they face elite talents who could very well be playing in the NFL already—wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka, running back Tre’Veyon Henderson, quarterback Will Howard, all led by coach Ryan Day. It could get scary for Texas, and Sarkisian knows they are facing an uphill battle.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns reacts as he arrives prior to a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Austin, Texas.
“[Smith and Egbuka] are impactful players that are real issues. We’re going to have a hard time guarding them,” Steve Sarkisian said, via On3. “They’re both big, physical players. They have speed. They have really big catch radiuses. They’ve got a quarterback who delivers them the ball.”
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The Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes will face off on January 10 in the Semifinal for a ticket to the NCAA National Championship Game. Kickoff is scheduled at 7:30p.m. ET.
