This was the fourth meeting between Ohio State and Texas. Their last was in the
2009 Fiesta Bowl, which Texas won 24-21.
Texas Longhorns Texas played to an 11–1 record (7–1 in conference) during the regular season; their only loss was to
Georgia in Austin. The Longhorns qualified for the
SEC Championship Game, where they lost a rematch to Georgia. Ranked third in the final CFP poll, the Longhorns received the fifth seed in the playoff tournament. Texas beat 12th-seeded and ACC champion
Clemson 38–24 in a first-round game in Austin to advance to the
Peach Bowl. In the Peach Bowl, they defeated 4th-seeded and Big 12 champion
Arizona State 39–31 in double overtime. The Longhorns entered the Cotton Bowl Classic with an overall 13–2 record. This was Texas' twenty-second appearance in the Cotton Bowl Classic; this bowl was the Longhorn's first appearance in an in-state
New Year's Six bowl, BCS Championship, or CFP Championship game since the
2003 Cotton Bowl Classic against LSU.
Ohio State Buckeyes Ohio State played to a 10–2 record (7–2 in conference) during the regular season; their only losses were to
Oregon in Eugene and
Michigan in Columbus. These two losses resulted in the Buckeyes to not qualify for the
Big Ten Championship Game. Ranked sixth in the final CFP poll, the Buckeyes received the eighth seed in the playoff tournament. Ohio State beat 9th-ranked
Tennessee, 42–17, in a first-round game in Columbus to advance to the
Rose Bowl. In the Rose Bowl, they defeated the number one seed and Big Ten champion, Oregon, 41–21. The Buckeyes entered the Cotton Bowl Classic with an overall 12–2 record. This was Ohio State's fourth appearance in the Cotton Bowl Classic; the Buckeyes had a record of 2–1 of their prior Cotton Bowls, where they won the
January 1987 edition and the
December 2017 edition. Their loss was the
December 2023 edition, where they lost to Missouri, 14-3. This is Ohio State's first back-to-back appearances in the Cotton Bowl Classic. ==Game summary==