Is Matthew Golden playing today in the Cotton Bowl? Texas WR's status explored

Matthew Golden will be available for Steve Sarkisian's Texas Longhorns on Friday's Cotton Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes. The wide receiver was key for Texas's victory in the quarterfinal game against Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. He was the player who caught Quinn Ewers's touchdown pass in 4th and 13 to force a second overtime, as the Longhorns eventually prevailed 39-31.

That day, Golden was the signal caller's favorite target, catching seven passes, for 149 yards with a touchdown catch that ended up being essential for Texas's season. He averaged 21.3 yards per catch.

This season, the wide receiver has accrued 936 receiving yards, with nine touchdowns in 56 receptions. He has averaged 16.7 yards per catch.

Matthew Golden on the effect the 4th and 13 touchdown pass had on Texas's morale

Speaking with the press on Tuesday, Matthew Golden spoke about what that miraculous 4th and 13 touchdown pass meant for the Lognhorns morale-wise:

"I mean, like I don’t feel like none of us was ready to go home. So I feel like the football gods were on our side, just for that one play. Just knowing that we weren’t ready for our season to end. So just being able to capitalize on that play and keep the season going, it’s a blessing."

The wide receiver also spoke about how he expects to matchup against the Buckeyes' own star playmaker, Jeremiah Smith, in the upcoming Cotton Bowl:

"You know, just him being young and him playing at the level he’s playing at, it’s different. Congrats to him for having the season that he’s having. I see from Twitter and stuff like that, he’s a well-rounded guy on and off the field. He carries himself like a pro. So just being able to get that matchup against him and the defense that they bring. I’m looking forward to it, and I think the rest of our team are, too."

The Cotton Bowl is set for Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The venue for the CFP semifinal will be the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. ESPN will broadcast the game. At the moment the Ohio State Buckeyes are six-point favorites according to ESPN Bet.