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Ohio State, Texas will have CFP title bid on line in Cotton Bowl

AP photo by John Bazemore / Texas players celebrate after the Longhorns beat Arizona State in double overtime at the Peach Bowl, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal, on Wednesday in Atlanta.
AP photo by John Bazemore / Texas players celebrate after the Longhorns beat Arizona State in double overtime at the Peach Bowl, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal, on Wednesday in Atlanta. AP photo by John Bazemore / Texas players celebrate after the Longhorns beat Arizona State in double overtime at the Peach Bowl, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal, on Wednesday in Atlanta.

By GREG BEACHAM / The Associated Press 6 min read

PASADENA, Calif. — The Texas Longhorns will be a whole lot closer to home than Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.

The Buckeyes appear to be a whole lot closer to Atlanta.

That’s where the winner of the Cotton Bowl, which doubles as a College Football Playoff semifinal this season, will be heading next for the national championship game on Jan. 20.

But first, two powerhouse programs must meet Jan. 10 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

Eighth-seeded Ohio State (12-2) was favored by nearly a touchdown in many early Cotton Bowl betting lines, reflecting the confidence generated by the Buckeyes’ optimization of their bountiful talent over their past two games. Ohio State has looked like the best team in the nation since the first 12-team edition of the CFP began last month.