2. The Ohio State football team will shutout Texas in the first half
Ohio State has been able to strike so quickly against both Tennessee and Oregon that neither team really knew what hit them. The Buckeyes were up 21-0 on the Vols in the first quarter. Oregon fell down 31-0 in the first half before scoring a late touchdown.
The Ohio State Buckeyes haven't gotten enough credit for what they have been able to do on the defensive side of the ball in the CFP. The offense has shot out to early leads, but the defense has allowed those leads to stay there. Oregon got the ball to start the Rose Bowl, and they couldn't do anything with it.
Texas's offense is much less explosive than Oregon's offense. If the Buckeyes score fast, they won't be able to catch up. There's a very good chance that the Longhorns get shut out in the first half. Quinn Ewers hasn't shown the ability to pass the ball with enough consistency to score early and often in games.
That is what's going to be required of Texas in this game. With how quickly Ohio State's offense has been striking, Texas will need to answer right away before things get out of hand. That leads us to our final bold prediction for the Cotton Bowl.