Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day speaks during a press conference at AT&T Stadium prior to the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl Classic in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 9, 2025. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the second straight game, Ohio State enters its College Football Playoff matchup as the lower seed but the betting favorite.

Stephen Means, Stefan Krajisnik and Andrew Gillis discuss the difference-making factors in Ohio State football's Cotton Bowl matchup against Texas.

The Buckeyes will meet the No. 5 seed Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The winner of Friday’s game will move on to play either Notre Dame or Penn State on January 20th in the national championship game.

Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day explains the honor of playing in the Cotton Bowl as the Buckeyes prepare to face off against the Texas Longhorns on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.

The No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes will square off against the No. 5 Texas Longhorns in a College Football Playoff national semifinal at the Cotton Bowl today. This game is available to watch on multiple streaming services for free.

Ryan Day isn't known for his flair. The Ohio State coach could double nicely as a mattress salesman, local TV ads and all that. He'd blend into the background. That's why it hurts

Coming into the College Football Playoff, there were still a lot of Ohio State Buckeyes fans who wanted to see head coach Ryan Day get fired. Those calls for his job have quieted down quite a bit after Ohio State dominated both Tennessee and Oregon over the last two games.

Fourteen games in, Ohio State's offense has snapped the ball 870 times. In terms of raw snaps, that places the Buckeyes near the middle in FBS -- 58th, to be exact. But of the 19 teams that played 14 or more games in 2024,

Ryan Day has been at odds with the rabid Ohio State fanbase for much of his tenure leaving the Buckeyes. However, him stepping down would be so beyond stupid for him. He should only leave if an NFL team gives him a head-coaching opportunity.