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When Texas failed to beat Georgia for the second time and failed to capture the SEC Championship, they still managed to secure a favorable No. 5 seed, courtesy of a quirky bracket system.
The Longhorns looked dominant in their first-round matchup against Clemson, defeating the Tigers 38-24 at home. What awaited them next in the Peach Bowl was an Arizona State team that appeared far less talented on paper.
For three quarters on Wednesday, that assumption held true. Texas led 24-8 at the end of the third quarter and seemed well on their way to advancing to the seminfinals in the Cotton Bowl. Then, in a stunning turn of events, the Longhorns nearly collapsed in the final frame.
Before Texas fans could comprehend what was happening, the Sun Devils mounted a furious comeback, scoring 16 unanswered points to tie the game with five minutes left in regulation. Texas still had plenty of time to secure the win and send Arizona State packing, but two missed field goals from Bert Auburn pushed the game into overtime.
Even after Arizona State opened overtime with an eight-play touchdown drive to take the lead, Texas refused to fold. They tied the game on a miraculous fourth-and-13 touchdown pass from Quinn Ewers to Matthew Golden, then clinched the win in the second overtime with a one-play touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm. The 39-31 victory was sealed when Andrew Mukuba intercepted the Sun Devils' final attempt, allowing Texas to escape with the win.
“The one thing that I know about our group is when our backs are against the wall and when our best is needed, our best shows up time and time again,” coach Steve Sarkisian said, per ESPN. “The resiliency that these guys showed today was something that as a coach makes you really proud.”
While thrilling for fans who were finally treated to an exciting College Football Playoff game after a string of underwhelming matchups, the mood was likely far different for Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns. What could have been a near-colossal disaster would have fueled further skepticism about not only Texas’ prowess but the SEC’s overall strength this season. Nonetheless, the Longhorns move on but not without concerns.
Bert Auburn is a real concern
The Longhorns are gearing up for their toughest test of the season as they prepare to face Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, a College Football Playoff semifinal. With points likely to be at a premium, kicker Bert Auburn will need to be at his best.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case in the Peach Bowl. Auburn went just 1-for-3 on field goal attempts, missing two critical kicks—one from 38 yards and another from 48 yards—that could have sealed the game against Arizona State in regulation.
This performance wasn’t an outlier for Auburn this season. His field goal percentage sits at a disappointing 64%, converting just 16-of-25 attempts, with a long of 49 yards. From the 40-49 yard range, he’s hitting a concerning 50%.
For Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns, finding the end zone will be critical if they hope to have any chance of overcoming the Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl.
Will the Texas offense be able to score against the Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl?
Arizona State’s defense was supposed to be solid, but it wasn’t expected to stifle the Longhorns the way it did in the Peach Bowl. Texas led just 17-3 at halftime, with one of those scores coming from a Silas Bolden kickoff return. The Longhorns didn’t score again until nearly five minutes into the fourth quarter, when Quinn Ewers rushed for a five-yard touchdown.
Speaking of Ewers, his performance was shaky at times. He threw a costly interception late in the fourth quarter, which helped fuel the Sun Devils’ comeback as they scored three plays later. But as mentioned, helped lead the Longhorns to victory when it mattered.
This wasn’t the first time Ewers and the Texas offense struggled with inconsistency. Outside of the Clemson game, where Sarkisian exploited the Tigers’ defensive weaknesses with a dominant rushing attack, the passing game has been underwhelming.
Against Georgia and Texas A&M, the Longhorns failed to score more than 20 points. The same appeared likely against Arizona State until their late fourth-quarter surge.
If Texas has any hope of advancing past Ohio State, they’ll likely need to put up more than 20 points. Even more importantly, they’ll need a prime Quinn Ewers to lead the charge.
Lack of running game could doom Longhorns
There were stark differences in the Longhorns’ rushing attack between their first-round matchup against Clemson and their Peach Bowl performance against Arizona State.
Against the Tigers, Texas posted a season-high 292 rushing yards, dominating on the ground. However, on New Year’s Day against the Sun Devils, the Longhorns managed just 53 rushing yards. This disparity is especially concerning because Texas has struggled to win games when their ground game falters.
Their worst rushing performances of the season came in both matchups against Georgia, where they posted just 29 yards in the first game and 31 yards in the SEC Championship—both resulting in losses.
Ohio State enters the Cotton Bowl with the nation’s fourth-ranked run defense, allowing just 92.6 rushing yards per game. Needless to say, this does not bode well for the Longhorns as they prepare for their biggest game of the season.
