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Texas football has cracked the gridiron version of the final four. Quinn Ewers and his arm and leadership have ignited this pursuit to the national championship with Ohio State now next.
Ewers flipped a new switch inside Atlanta's Mercedes Benz Dome on New Year's Day. The quarterback racked up 322 yards and fired three touchdown passes in guiding the 39-31 overtime win over Arizona State. That performance marked his first three-TD passing game since the five he threw on Florida back on Nov. 9.
Ewers is showing signs that he's playing his best football of the 2024-25 season. He's guided the Longhorns to two playoff wins during this first 12-team postseason format. No doubt Texas needs the red hot version of Ewers ahead of the Cotton Bowl against the Buckeyes.
But he's not the biggest x-factor on the side of Texas. Here's who earns that label for the Longhorns ahead of the highly-anticipated semifinals matchup.
Isaiah Bond, not Quinn Ewers, is the x-factor for Texas
A key weapon of Ewers rises as the x-factor against Ohio State: Isaiah Bond.
The junior hasn't seen many targets in the postseason. But there's a reason behind that. Bond got hit with a high ankle sprain against Clemson to start the playoffs. He made the attempt to play against Arizona State, but didn't record any catches.
Turns out his presence wasn't needed against the Sun Devils. Matthew Golden handled the aerial work by catching seven passes for 149 yards and scored on one of Ewers' touchdown throws — the 28-yarder late in the fourth quarter to force the first overtime.
The ‘Horns, head coach Steve Sarkisian, plus Ewers himself probably know Ohio State will lock in on Golden. The Buckeyes look bound to bracket or send two defensive backs to cover Golden. After all, Golden has averaged more than 20 yards a catch during his last four games.
And that's where Bond comes into play for “Coach Sark” and the Longhorns. The junior earns the chance to raise his production higher in the Texas helmet. But he's no stranger to rising in big moments at the collegiate level.
Isaiah Bond delivered championship performances before Texas career
Bond enters AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas with only 33 catches, 532 yards, and five touchdowns in tow. He's delivered just one 100-yard outing with the ‘Horns — a five-catch, 103-yard day against Texas-San Antonio on Sept. 14.
The Friday contest, however, won't be Bond's first playoff-like atmosphere he'll taste. Bond suited up in two marquee contests before arriving to Austin, during a time he was in Tuscaloosa.
Bond once caught and ran routes for Nick Saban at Alabama. He surfaced as a trusted target for Jalen Milroe around this time last year.
The native of Buford, Georgia snatched five passes for 79 yards to beat the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs 27-24 for the Southeastern Conference title in 2023. He then grabbed four catches for 47 yards against Michigan in the Rose Bowl, but losing 27-20 in overtime to the eventual national champions.
Bond isn't expected to have any wide-eyed moments inside the Dallas Cowboys' home venue. He's played on a similar stage. Except this time he'll need to take pressure off Golden, plus give Ewers a trusted target with a trip to the national title game on the line.
