Ohio State vs Texas prediction & betting tips - Jan. 10 - College Football Playoff

The No. 6-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are on the road to face the No. 3-ranked Texas Longhorns on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET in the Cotton Bowl, which also serves as the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. The game will be shown on ESPN.

Ohio State won against Tennessee and Oregon to advance to the semifinals while Texas beat Clemson before defeating Arizona State in double overtime.

Ohio State vs Texas: Preview

Ohio State is a 5.5-point favorite and the over/under is set at 53.5 points.

The Buckeyes were a major question mark entering the playoffs after the loss to Michigan to end the regular season. Many thought Ohio State could be mentally broken, but it has proven doubters wrong.

Heading into the game against Texas, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said that limiting the Longhorns' explosive offense is key.

"I look at their offensive line, the coaches, their running backs, and I know that they're very, very talented," Day said during Friday's presser, via SI. "They're very good. So we're going to have to be at our best, I know that. And they're always looking for balance. Again, I have a tremendous amount of respect for Sark (Steve Sarkisian) and the way that he designs his offenses, the way he calls the game. So, our defensive staff is going to be working around the clock to put a great plan together."

Ohio State is led by Will Howard who has thrown for 3,490 yards, 32 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The team also has a two-headed monster in the backfield as Quinshon Judkins has rushed for 924 yards and 10 TDs while TreVeyon Henderson has rushed for 925 and 10 TDs. The offense also has star freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith who has recorded 1,224 yards and 14 TDs.

On the other hand, Texas nearly blew a big lead to ASU and needed to convert on fourth-and-13 to keep its championship hopes alive. The Longhorns will face a tough Ohio State team that is playing as good as any squad has this season.

"I need Longhorn Nation to show out in Arlington," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said, via Yahoo! Sports. "We're going to need everything we've got to try to win this game. Clearly, we're massive underdogs. Nobody's going to give us a shot. ... This is the best team in college football, and we're going to have to make sure that we put our best forward to give ourselves a chance to win the game."

Texas is led by Quinn Ewers who has thrown for 3,189 yards, 29 TDs and 11 interceptions. Quintrevion Wisner has rushed for 1,018 yards and five TDs while Matthew Golden has caught 56 passes for 936 yards and nine TDs.

This should be an entertaining game with two of the best offenses going at it. However, Ohio State is clicking and should be able to expose Texas' defense.

Ewers will likely throw an interception or two which will lead to Buckeyes points, helping them win the game.

Prediction: Ohio State 34, Texas 21

Ohio State vs Texas: Betting Tips

Tip 1: Ohio State -5.5 (-110)

Tip 2: Over 53.5 points (-108)

Tip 3: Will Howard 249+ passing yards (-110)

Tip 4: Jeremiah Smith 90+ receiving yards (+105)