The stakes are high for the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes.
The two college football powerhouses will face off in Friday night’s Cotton Bowl Classic to travel to the national championship game later this month.
The race will also demand tremendous bragging rights between two of the biggest names in politics: Vice President-elect JD Vance and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
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Sen. Ted Cruz, left, and then-Sen. JD Vance looks on during the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on Thursday, March 2, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Cruz, of course, is a Texas native, while Vance is an Ohio native who has outwardly shown his Buckeyes fandom.
With the game approaching, Cruz offered a friendly bet to Vance on X.
“Hey @JDVance – would you like to place a bet on the UT-Ohio State game? Does the loser bring beer and food from their home state and deliver it with the winning jersey?” Cruz posted, also adding “#HookEm.”
Vance radiated confidence in his Buckeyes.
“Alright, what Texas ice cream should I ask Ted to bring when the Buckeyes win?” Vance responded. He added: “To be clear, @tedcruz, you’re ready!”
Vice President-elect JD Vance (R-OH) reacts after the Electoral College vote was ratified during a joint session of Congress to ratify the 2024 presidential election at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2025 in Washington, D.C. D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Before the season began, Vance called this year’s Ohio State team “maybe the best” he’s ever seen. Their two losses this season were to Oregon (whom they beat in the quarterfinals) and an unranked Michigan team, but they seem to have avenged that embarrassment pretty well.
The Buckeyes received the eighth seed in the playoffs, as Oregon and Penn State battled for the Big Ten title game. Top-seeded Oregon remained undefeated on the season until last week’s loss to the Buckeyes: No. 6 Penn State will face No. 7 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.
Cruz’s Longhorns earned the fifth seed after falling short in the SEC title game, giving the No. 2 seed an automatic bye to Georgia, which lost to the Fighting Irish in the Sugar Bowl.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during an election night watch party on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, at the Marriott Marquis in Houston. (LM Otero/AP)
Texas has never made it past the semifinals, while Ohio State is in its sixth tiebreaker, aiming for its third championship appearance since the tiebreaker was implemented.
