The Cotton Bowl pits two of college football's most iconic brands against each other as Ohio State and Texas will tangle Friday night for a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Texas claims four national championships and Ohio State claims eight. But the historic powers have only met three times previously and never in a postseason game with such high stakes. The CFP semifinal showdown will mark the first meeting since the 2009 Fiesta Bowl.
Regardless of how it plays out, the loser won't have to wait long for a rematch.
Ohio State and Texas are set to open the 2025 season against each other in a marquee Week 1 showdown on Aug. 30 at Ohio Stadium. It will be the first leg of a home-and-home series that was pushed back from its originally scheduled dates in 2022 and 2023. Texas will then host the Buckeyes in Week 2 of the 2026 season to conclude the series.
All three of the prior meetings came in a span of four seasons in the 2000s when both programs were led by national-title winning coaches and operating at or near the top of the sport on an annual basis. One of them turned out to be especially consequential to the eventual national title picture that season.
Here's a look back at the limited history of the the Ohio State-Texas series. Each meeting, Friday's included, has come with both teams ranked in the top 10.
Highly anticipated first dance
No. 2 Texas rallied for a dramatic 25-22 win over No. 4 Ohio State at Ohio Stadium during the first-ever meeting between the programs in Week 2 of the 2005 season. Vince Young found Limas Sweed for a 24-yard touchdown with 2:37 remaining to put Texas ahead 23-22 after the Buckeyes had led for the entire second half.
Ohio State got the football back twice in the final 2:31 needing just a field goal to take the lead. But those possessions ended with a fumble and a safety as the Longhorns escaped with a monumental victory that fueled their national title run. The Ohio State game was the only single-digit contest Texas played in 2005 until it beat USC 41-38 for the BCS National Championship in a classic Rose Bowl game.
Ohio State's revenge
No. 1 Ohio State secured revenge in 2006 with a 24-7 win at No. 2 Texas in Week 2. Tight end Anthony Gonzalez opened the scoring with a 14-yard touchdown reception from Troy Smith and led the Buckeyes with eight grabs for 142 yards. Smith finished with 269 yards passing and two touchdowns, while linebacker James Laurinaitis led the Buckeyes defensively with 13 tackles and an interception.
Smith won the Heisman Trophy, and Ohio State spent the entire season at No. 1 in the AP poll before falling 41-14 to Florida in the BCS Championship Game. Texas finished 10-3 with a win over Iowa in the Alamo Bowl.
A dramatic Fiesta Bowl
The third and most-recent meeting between Texas and Ohio State came on Jan. 5, 2009 in the Fiesta Bowl as No. 3 Texas beat No. 10 Ohio State 24-21. Colt McCoy found Quan Cosby for a go-ahead touchdown with 16 seconds remaining to cap a thriller. McCoy finished 41 of 58 passing for 414 yards and totaled three touchdowns after coming in second in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Oklahoma's Sam Bradford. Texas finished 12-1 with the victory while Ohio State finished 10-3.