Texas vs. Ohio State Game Day Guide: How to Watch, Stream, and What's at Stake

Everything you need to know ahead of the Longhorns-Buckeyes College Football Playoff semifinal battle in the Cotton Bowl.

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl logo at midfield during the 88th annual Cotton Bowl game between the Missouri Tigers and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Friday, December 29, 2023 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. / Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The No. 8-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes take on the No. 5 Texas Longhorns in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Jan. 10. The battle of the two college football blue bloods is the second College Football Playoff semifinal taking place, one day after the Capital One Orange Bowl between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Here's everything you need to know before kickoff of the Cotton Bowl.

What's at Stake in Texas vs. Ohio State?

The stakes are incredibly high, as Texas and Ohio State will battle at AT&T Stadium with a trip to the national championship on the line. Texas enters the game fresh off of winning a thriller over Arizona State in two overtimes, while the Buckeyes' road to the College Football Playoff semifinal was far less exciting. Ohio State overwhelmed the Oregon Ducks, defeating the top seed 41-21 in a stunning rout.

These two teams haven't met often, but when they have, it's been must-see television. Of their three meetings all-time, two of the games were decided by three points, including the 2009 Fiesta Bowl won by the Longhorns.

The winner of the Cotton Bowl will advance to the title game and play the winner of the Orange Bowl between the Fighting Irish and Nittany Lions.

Notable Injuries

The Longhorns received some good news on the injury front, as wide receiver Isaiah Bond, who suffered a right ankle injury in the SEC Championship game, returned from the injury to play 22 snaps in the win over the Sun Devils, hauling in one reception for 22 yards. And Bond seems to have made it out of that contest unscathed, as the junior wideout was on the field at the team's practice on Sunday, with coach Steve Sarkisian telling the media he expects the team to be "healthy and good to go" by game time. Bond ranks third on the team in receiving yards, yards per reception and receiving touchdowns.

But perhaps in even bigger news, that means that starting right tackle Cameron Williams, who missed the Peach Bowl victory due to a right knee injury, is also on track to return. Williams was proceeding through Sunday's drills as the top right tackle, according to Jeff Howe of Horns247. That would be a boon to one of the nation's top offensive lines. Of course, it's worth checking both Bond's and Williams's statuses as the game gets closer to kickoff.

As for the Buckeyes, there are few surprises on the team's injury report this week. Ohio State is likely to be without the same group of players who missed the Peach Bowl, the likes of safety Brenten Jones, running back TJ Caffey, center Seth McLaughlin, left tackle Josh Simmons and quarterback Mason Maggs. The injuries to Simmons and McLaughlin have forced the Buckeyes to make several rotations to their starting offensive line, though they've done an outstanding job, as they have yet to yield a sack in two College Football Playoff game victories.

How to Watch Texas vs. Ohio State Live

The Cotton Bowl will be broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tx., at 7:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 10. For those watching on cable television, the game will be broadcast on ESPN, with Chris Fowler handling play-by-play duties and color analyst Kirk Herbstreit joining him. Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge will serve as sideline reporters.

Service Provider	Channel Number
Cox Communications	See local listings
Dish Network	Channel 140
AT&T DirecTV	Channel 206
Verizon Fios	Channel 70 and 570HD or see local listings
Charter Spectrum	See local listings
AT&T U-Verse	Channel 602 and 1602HD
Comcast Xfinity	See local listings

For those without cable, there are plenty of options available to stream the game.

Streaming Options Without Cable

Subscription-based Streaming Services With ABC

Streamer	Cost	Free Trial?
YouTube TV	$82.99/month	Yes, 7 days, and a discount for new users
Hulu + Live TV	$82.99/month (with ads)	Yes, 3 days
Sling TV (Orange)	$45.99/month	No, but discounts for new users
FuboTV	$79.99/month	Yes, 7 days and discounts for some new users

Keep in mind that with free trials and promotional discounts, you'll eventually be charged the full price unless you cancel before the end of the trial period.

What Time Does Texas vs. Ohio State Kickoff?

Here are the Cotton Bowl kickoff times for every time zone.

Time Zone	Start Time
Eastern	7:30 p.m.
Central	6:30 p.m.
Mountain	5:30 p.m.
Pacific	4:30 p.m.

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