ATLANTA, GA — The Texas Longhorns are two-touchdown favorites heading into their College Football Playoff quarterfinal game with Arizona State on New Year’s Day.
But you wouldn’t know it by the way the Sun Devils have been talking.
Arizona State made headlines this week after quarterback Sam Leavitt said he was going to prove he was the better quarterback in the Peach Bowl, which was an interesting shot to take at Texas QB Quinn Ewers.
Running back Cam Skattebo also raised eyebrows by saying, "There's nobody out there that can stop me," when asked about facing Texas and its No. 1-ranked defense in the country.
Skattebo should be one of the best players the Longhorns have seen this year. He finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting after rushing for 1,568 yards and 19 touchdowns while catching 37 passes for 506 yards and three TDs.
Skattebo also hasn’t seen a defense like Texas, which has been the backbone of the Longhorns’ success this year.
Texas has allowed 13.3 points per game this season.
The Longhorns defeated Clemson 38-24 last week, though it got a little scary after Clemson pulled to within a touchdown with 11:43 remaining.
Texas running back Jaydon Blue broke loose for a 77-yard TD run less than a minute later, however, to help seal the win.
Arizona State was able to enjoy a first-round bye as the champion of the Big 12, but the No. 4-seeded Sun Devils (11-2) are widely considered the underdog against No. 5 Texas (12-2).
That being said, Arizona State has been proving people wrong all year.
The Sun Devils went 3-9 last season and were projected to finish in last place in their first year in the Big 12.
It’s no wonder they have so much confidence after winning their conference against those odds.
This matchup, set for noon Wednesday, will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, where Texas lost to Georgia in the SEC title game a few weeks ago.
The Longhorns have a chance to find some redemption in that stadium, and they’ll also earn a trip to play in their home state next.
The winner of this game will advance to play in the semifinals in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington against No. 1 Oregon or No. 8 Ohio State.
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