Can Quinn Ewers lead the Longhorns past the stout Buckeyes defense?

Texas and Ohio State meet Friday in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium for a chance at a trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for the College Football Playoff national championship.

The two teams have had drastically different paths to the semifinals with the Buckeyes blowing out both Tennessee and Oregon, while the Longhorns had to hold off a Clemson comeback and hold off in overtime against Arizona State.

Texas-Ohio State preview: The Longhorns could live or die on this X-factor

Last meeting: Texas beat Ohio State 24-21 in the Fiesta Bowl on January 5, 2009.

Lia Assimakopoulos, College Insider

Ohio State’s dominant start to its College Football Playoff run will continue at AT&T Stadium as the defense’s No. 1 in the nation will be too much for Quinn Ewers and the Texas offense to overcome. The Longhorns’ hopes of reaching the national championship will fall one game short for the second year in a row. Ohio State 42, Texas 24

Tim Cowlishaw, columnist

I wouldn’t dismiss Steve Sarkisian as a tough underdog, but the recent bias is too strong right now. Ohio State has beaten two better teams in the CFP than the Longhorns have beaten all year, and neither game was close. Texas’ pressure will need to get to Will Howard early and often to give the Longhorns a fighting chance. Ohio State 33, Texas 21

Shawn McFarland, Rangers insider

It took a miraculous fourth quarter and overtime from Quinn Ewers for Texas to outlast Arizona State and reach the national semifinals. If the Longhorns’ ground game can’t wake up (the Buckeyes’ top-ranked run defense isn’t exactly a great alarm clock, for the record) he’d have to replicate that ten times for Texas to keep pace with Ohio State . It’s not impossible, but it’s too much to count on. Ohio State 34, Texas 31.

Kevin Sherrington, columnist

Texas picked the wrong side of the bracket to start its national title chase. Everything Texas can do, Ohio State does a little bit better. Or a lot. The Longhorns will need to be successful running the ball to keep the heat off Quinn Ewers, who will have to play four quarters, as he did in OT against Arizona State. Ohio State 31, Texas 24

Brad Townsend, Sports Business Journalist

Buckeyes freshman Jeremiah Smith might be the most physically imposing receiver since Calvin “Megatron” Johnson, and his 290 yards and five TD receptions in two CFP games reflect that. Above all, though, Ohio State is better in the red zone, Texas’ running game has stalled of late, and Bert Auburn has been shaky to say the least. Ohio State 31, Texas 23

Myah Taylor, high school reporter

Ohio State’s loss to Michigan is a distant memory at this point — the Buckeyes look like the best team in college football right now. Texas managed to cook up just enough magic on offense to hold off Arizona State in overtime, but the Longhorns will have to play a much better game to overtake Ohio State. Ohio State 30, Texas 21