The Cotton Bowl provided us with Ohio State practice notes from Monday (only one behind-the-scenes practice report from each team this week)
Ohio State
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-2, 7-2 Big Ten) held a late afternoon practice as they continued preparations for the playoff semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
The Buckeyes practiced for approximately two hours on the indoor field at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center as they ready to face the No. 5 Texas Longhorns (13-2, 7-1 Southeastern Conference).
As temperatures plummeted below freezing in the North Texas region heading into Classic week, the Buckeyes were greeted to similar conditions as a winter storm in Central Ohio cancelled the first day of spring classes.
The Ohio State offense has been anything but cold in their first quarter starts so far in the playoffs, with five touchdowns scored in the opening period through two games. The Buckeyes have set tempo in impressive fashion in their playoff wins over No. 9 Tennessee and No. 1 Oregon State, scoring touchdowns on each of their first three drives against the Volunteers, and scoring on six of their first seven possessions against the Ducks (four touchdowns, two field goals).
Defensively, Ohio State has combined for six three-and-outs in the first half in the playoffs, including four in the first quarter. The Buckeyes have yielded one touchdown in each game before halftime, with both scores coming in the final 30 seconds of the second quarter.
“We've always wanted to have fast starts, we all know that,” said Ohio State head coach Ryan Day. “But I do think we've talked about, early in games, you want to set the tone for the game as an individual, but also as a team, as a unit. Both games, we've started off with the ball, and we've gone right down and scored. And so execution fuels emotion, and that certainly has a big part of it. They go together. And we've executed well in those first couple drives, and that's had a big part of it. Defenses got some three and outs early in the game, and we've been able to jump on the last two opponents.”
TE Gee Scott Jr., who made a 30-yard reception on the opening snap against Oregon, said the goal is to set a tenor at the start.
“Yeah, I think the intention behind that was to set the tone early and kind of almost send a message that we're not here to play conservative offense,” Gee said. “That we're going to come right after you guys from the first play, and we'll be at you guys all four quarters. And so whenever you start a game like that -- I don't condone street fighting, but if you're in a street fight, he who throws the first punch likely comes out with the win. So our mindset going into that was throw the first punch, and I think we did that to open the game with a gain of 30.”
The Cotton Bowl provided notes from Texas' practice on Sunday, but it did not have the same detail as Ohio State's:
Texas
AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 5 Texas Longhorns (13-2, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) continued their preparations for the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the 89th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at a familiar location on Sunday.
Texas worked for approximately two hours under warm and sunny skies at Frank Denius Fields, in anticipation of Friday's matchup with the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
"Practice was amazing today," Texas senior DB Jahdae Barron said. "The weather was great, and we were working hard. We love the opportunity that is in front of us. We won't take anything for granted. It's a blessing to be back in the position we were in a year ago."
The Longhorns are coming off consecutive CFP victories including a 38-24 first-round win over Clemson and a 39-31 double overtime victory over Arizona State at the CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Texas is making its second-consecutive appearance in the CFP Semifinals. The Horns will be aiming for a different result this time around after falling to Washington last season, one step short of playing for a national championship.
While the stakes of a top-10 matchup and a berth in the CFP National Championship Game are high, Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian says that he is more focused on the opportunities the game presents for his team and the Longhorn Nation.
"I think of this as more of a great opportunity to play in the Cotton Bowl and the Semifinals of the College Football Playoff against an unbelievable opponent in Ohio State," Sarkisian said during a media opportunity on Friday. "They've got a great fan base. They're going to travel. I've played against them in the Rose Bowl and different opportunities.
"So, their fans travel really, really well. And so the challenge for us is to stay composed in that arena. The challenge for our fans is to show up, buy tickets, and support us so that we can make it as tough an environment as we can.
"Because like I said, we're going to need all those factors in this game. 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 will continue its prep on campus prior to traveling the short distance to Arlington on Wednesday afternoon.
Ohio State
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-2, 7-2 Big Ten) held a late afternoon practice as they continued preparations for the playoff semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
The Buckeyes practiced for approximately two hours on the indoor field at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center as they ready to face the No. 5 Texas Longhorns (13-2, 7-1 Southeastern Conference).
As temperatures plummeted below freezing in the North Texas region heading into Classic week, the Buckeyes were greeted to similar conditions as a winter storm in Central Ohio cancelled the first day of spring classes.
The Ohio State offense has been anything but cold in their first quarter starts so far in the playoffs, with five touchdowns scored in the opening period through two games. The Buckeyes have set tempo in impressive fashion in their playoff wins over No. 9 Tennessee and No. 1 Oregon State, scoring touchdowns on each of their first three drives against the Volunteers, and scoring on six of their first seven possessions against the Ducks (four touchdowns, two field goals).
Defensively, Ohio State has combined for six three-and-outs in the first half in the playoffs, including four in the first quarter. The Buckeyes have yielded one touchdown in each game before halftime, with both scores coming in the final 30 seconds of the second quarter.
“We've always wanted to have fast starts, we all know that,” said Ohio State head coach Ryan Day. “But I do think we've talked about, early in games, you want to set the tone for the game as an individual, but also as a team, as a unit. Both games, we've started off with the ball, and we've gone right down and scored. And so execution fuels emotion, and that certainly has a big part of it. They go together. And we've executed well in those first couple drives, and that's had a big part of it. Defenses got some three and outs early in the game, and we've been able to jump on the last two opponents.”
TE Gee Scott Jr., who made a 30-yard reception on the opening snap against Oregon, said the goal is to set a tenor at the start.
“Yeah, I think the intention behind that was to set the tone early and kind of almost send a message that we're not here to play conservative offense,” Gee said. “That we're going to come right after you guys from the first play, and we'll be at you guys all four quarters. And so whenever you start a game like that -- I don't condone street fighting, but if you're in a street fight, he who throws the first punch likely comes out with the win. So our mindset going into that was throw the first punch, and I think we did that to open the game with a gain of 30.”
The Cotton Bowl provided notes from Texas' practice on Sunday, but it did not have the same detail as Ohio State's:
Texas
AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 5 Texas Longhorns (13-2, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) continued their preparations for the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the 89th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at a familiar location on Sunday.
Texas worked for approximately two hours under warm and sunny skies at Frank Denius Fields, in anticipation of Friday's matchup with the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
"Practice was amazing today," Texas senior DB Jahdae Barron said. "The weather was great, and we were working hard. We love the opportunity that is in front of us. We won't take anything for granted. It's a blessing to be back in the position we were in a year ago."
The Longhorns are coming off consecutive CFP victories including a 38-24 first-round win over Clemson and a 39-31 double overtime victory over Arizona State at the CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Texas is making its second-consecutive appearance in the CFP Semifinals. The Horns will be aiming for a different result this time around after falling to Washington last season, one step short of playing for a national championship.
While the stakes of a top-10 matchup and a berth in the CFP National Championship Game are high, Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian says that he is more focused on the opportunities the game presents for his team and the Longhorn Nation.
"I think of this as more of a great opportunity to play in the Cotton Bowl and the Semifinals of the College Football Playoff against an unbelievable opponent in Ohio State," Sarkisian said during a media opportunity on Friday. "They've got a great fan base. They're going to travel. I've played against them in the Rose Bowl and different opportunities.
"So, their fans travel really, really well. And so the challenge for us is to stay composed in that arena. The challenge for our fans is to show up, buy tickets, and support us so that we can make it as tough an environment as we can.
"Because like I said, we're going to need all those factors in this game. 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 will continue its prep on campus prior to traveling the short distance to Arlington on Wednesday afternoon.
