Texas defensive star T'Vondre Sweat heard Michael Penix Jr. and Dillon Johnson's comments about Texas's defensive line ahead of their Sugar Bowl matchup on New Year's Day. Penix & Scott downplayed the defensive line significantly.

“I’m not going to lie, their D-line is good. But at the same time, they haven’t played our O-line. So they showed a lot of great things throughout the year. Their whole defense, they do a great job. I feel like their coach (Steve Sarkisian) does a great job with their system. And they definitely play — what’s the word? They play good ball, man. But I wouldn’t say — we’re not playing, like, the 49er’s D-line or the Eagle’s D-line. So we’ll be good.”

Sweat wasn't overly complimentary of Washington's offensive line in his comments to the media on Thursday.

“It’s just another O-line to me,”  Sweat said in a quote obtained by The Seattle Times. “They’re a great group of guys. And they’re here to win, just like we’re here to win.”

T'Vondre Sweat doesn't see Penix and Scott's comments as bulletin board material, saying, “I mean, let me see how I can say this. Like I said, they’re a great group of guys, the [UW] O-line. I mean, yeah, they won awards. They’re just awards to me. And they’ve got to face guys like us, so we’ll see how it goes down.”

The Sugar Bowl will showcase a clash of contrasting styles. Washington, with just 11 sacks allowed this season, ranks second in the Pac-12, trailing only Oregon. Penix enjoys a clean pocket most of the time, leading the Huskies' explosive offense. On the other hand, the Longhorns have recorded 32 sacks this season. Additionally, they limit opponents to an average of 17 points and 80.8 yards rushing per game.

The back-and-forth between the teams makes the matchup in the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs even more of an anticipated showdown.