Longhorns Country

Texas Longhorns vs. Arizona State Sun Devils College Football Playoff Preview

The Texas Longhorns are taking on the Arizona Sun Devils for a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinal.

Isa Almeida

Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) and Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Ta'Shawn James (19) in action during the game between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Arizona State Sun Devils at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) and Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Ta'Shawn James (19) in action during the game between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Arizona State Sun Devils at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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The Texas Longhorns are three games away from a national championship, and for the quarterfinal matchup against Arizona State, the Horns will travel to a familiar field.

Texas will take on the Sun Devils at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, the same venue that hosted the SEC Championship loss to Georgia.

The new opponents have a similar story to Texas: a conference newcomer that dominated the veterans.

Arizona State joined Texas’ former conference, the Big 12, and had a breakthrough season. The Sun Devils defeated Iowa State in the conference championship to take the trophy home in their maiden season.

The Sun Devils are led by redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt, a transfer from Michigan State. Leavitt has recorded 192 completions in 304 passing attempts for 24 touchdowns.

The defense is also led by a transfer player out of New Mexico State. Junior defensive back Myles Rowser has recorded 88 tackles and one sack.

Arizona State only dropped two games this season, both in conference play at Cincinnati and Texas Tech. The season record and championship clinch earned the Sun Devils the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff, awarding them with a bye week in the first round.

Texas, on the other hand, fell to Georgia in the championship game and dropped to the fifth seed, while the Bulldogs earned the second. But that wasn’t enough to stop the Longhorns from advancing.

The Horns had no issues defeating ACC champion Clemson in the first round at home.

Texas and Arizona State will face each other on New Year’s Day for a spot in the semifinals.

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Isa Almeida
ISA ALMEIDA

Isa Almeida is a writer covering the Texas Longhorns for SI/Fan Nation, having joined the team on June 1, 2024. Raised in Southeast Brazil, Isa is now a third-year Journalism student at the University of Texas at Austin. Fluent in both English and Portuguese, Isa brings a diverse background and a wealth of knowledge to her writing. In addition to her work with SI/Fan Nation, Isa also covers the soccer and women's basketball beats for The Daily Texan. Her journalism journey is firmly rooted in her academic pursuits and her passion for sports.

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