The second game of the College Football Playoffs will take place on Friday night as Ohio State and Texas will face off in the Cotton Bowl. The contest will take place at AT&T Stadium in Dallas at 7:30pm.

The Buckeyes enter as favorites once again despite being the lower seed. Ohio State is a 6.5-point favorite with the total set at 53.5.

So, how will the action play out on Friday night?

Why Ohio State Will Win?

The answer is simple — if Ohio State plays like it has the last two weeks, it is the best team in the country.

This was the case against Oregon in the second round and we saw what happened there. The Buckeyes began using their best players at a high rate and have been able to score points at will. Jeremiah Smith looks like the best receiver in the nation as a true freshman while Emeka Egbuka is a first-round draft pick. Will Howard has made the necessary plays while taking care of the football but most importantly, Ryan Day has coached to win.

We have seen Day attempt to ground and pound and win in the trenches. While Ohio State has the ability to do so, it is not the preferred method. Just reference the Michigan game from Rivalry Week. Once the playoffs began, the Buckeyes went back to what they do best and it has helped the team flourish.

The way Ohio State wins this game is to keep doing what its doing. The Buckeyes have scored 83 points in two playoff games thus far. Smith totaled 187 yards and two touchdowns against the Ducks. There is enough firepower for Ohio State to win the national title this season.

Why Texas Will Win?

The second round was not an easy one for Texas despite looking like it early on. If the Longhorns are going to beat the Buckeyes, it will be on the strength of the defense.

Texas got off to a quick start against Arizona State but allowed the Sun Devils to get back in the game before a miraculous win in overtime. This will not fly against Ohio State. The defense will have to stay hot over the course of the game while Quinn Ewers takes care of the football.

The Longhorns were not able to get Quintrevion Wisner going against Arizona State. He rushed for 45 yards on 18 carries. Ewers and Matthew Golden led the way offensively. While it is important to get explosive plays against Ohio State, the Longhorns will also have to maintain drives and this happens by running the football. This means Texas can’t fall behind either because this would eliminate the threat of the run game.

Texas enters as almost a touchdown underdog and will need to find ways to overpower Ohio State defensively.