The College Football Playoff is heating up, and Vegas is wasting no time setting the tone for the Peach Bowl.
Texas heads into their quarterfinal clash against Arizona State as massive favorites, with an early spread giving the Longhorns a 13.5-point edge. If you're a fan of the underdog narrative, this might be the game to keep an eye on. Interestingly enough, this is an even wider spread for Texas than the game against Clemson, which was played at home against a Tiger team that was considered a lower seed by the committee.
It’s not hard to see why Texas opened with such a commanding spread. The Longhorns are fresh off a high-stakes victory over Clemson, where they showcased a dominant run game that tore through the Tigers’ defense for nearly 300 rushing yards. Jaydon Blue was the star of the show, breaking off a 77-yard touchdown late in the game to put the final nail in Clemson's coffin.
With momentum firmly in their corner, Texas is riding high heading into this next round.
But don’t count Arizona State out just yet. The Sun Devils are no strangers to adversity and enter the playoffs on a six-game winning streak, including an impressive blowout victory over Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship.
Their high-powered offense, led by standout performances from Cameron Skattebo and a resilient supporting cast, could prove to be a wildcard against a Texas defense that showed cracks late against Clemson.
The over-under for the game is set at 50.5 points, suggesting Vegas anticipates a fairly high-scoring affair. Whether that comes from Texas running away with it or Arizona State pushing back remains to be seen. The Sun Devils will have to bring their A-game, especially if they want to shake off the doubts, but stranger things have happened.