With Round 1 of the CFP behind us, the Arizona State Sun Devils will kick off against the Texas Longhorns in the 2025 Peach Bowl. This game is 1 of 4 games in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Arizona State, coming off an impressive 11-2 season, locked in the fourth seed as Big 12 champs, while Texas, with their 12-2 record, landed the 5th seed after a tough loss in the SEC title game. Nonetheless, Texas made it through the first round and now sits as a 12.5-point favorite over ASU, with an over/under set at 51.5 points.
Date: Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time (12:00 p.m. Central Time)
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Broadcast: ESPN
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Texas enters this game with a bit more confidence from a recent playoff win over Clemson in the first round, where their run game really shined.
Despite some struggles in the SEC Championship against a dominant Georgia, the Longhorns are riding high after dominating the Tigers 38-24 in a blowout win.
Their rushing duo of Tre Wisner and Jaydon Blue has been pivotal for this new SEC team, with both contributing heavily in recent wins and keeping the pressure off of Ewers. On the flip side, Quinn Ewers has been somewhat inconsistent as of late, throwing 4 picks over the last 3 games. Of course, these were against some solid teams, but then again so is ASU, which could be a concern against an opportunistic Arizona State defense.
Arizona State, led by quarterback Sam Leavitt, has been quite a revelation this season.
Leavitt’s efficient play (24 TDs and only 5 interceptions on the season) has kept the offense rolling, of course, but the real star is running back Cam Skattebo.
With well over 1,500 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, he’s the engine of their attack. That’s not to say Leavitt is a slouch, but Skattebo is simply amazing. The Sun Devils are also riding momentum, having won 6 straight games and covering the spread in all of them.
The line heavily favors Texas due to their raw talent on paper and the perception that their SEC pedigree is much stronger than that of the Big 12. However, Arizona State’s ability to create turnovers (a whopping 14 on the season) could keep this closer than the odds make it seem to be.
So, this being one of the biggest games each of these teams have faced all season long, who are we watching?
Skattebo’s ability to break tackles and find open space is astonishing; however, it will be tested against a Texas defense that has held 4 of its last 5 opponents under 100 rushing yards. If Skattebo can get rolling, and we’re sure he’ll definitely try, Arizona State’s chances of an upset increase quite a bit. He’s scary good on the ground.
Ewers will need to limit mistakes against the ball-hawking secondary of the Sun Devils. They’re a unit that thrives on forcing turnovers and has their eyes set on the Texan starter. If Ewers can avoid throwing costly interceptions, Texas should be able to control the pace of the game and ride off with the win without ever looking back. He’s capable of outpacing Skattebo on the scoreboard.
Texas has leaned on its rushing attack in the last few games. Wisner and Blue combined for over 200 yards against a solid Clemson team, and they’ll need some similar production to keep the Sun Devils’ offense off the field. We’re thinking that Texas will balance their attack to keep the clock rolling and to minimize mistakes by Ewers.
This game has all the makings of a great physical battle.
Texas boasts more firepower, more so in the trenches, which gives them the edge in this Quarterfinal game. Arizona State’s reliance on Skattebo might just be a potential liability if Texas shuts down the run, forcing Leavitt to win the game with his arm, which we’re not so sure he can pull off.
While Arizona State has been a fantastic story this season, we thoroughly enjoyed watching them make it this far, Texas’ overall balance and depth should carry the day and carry them into the semifinals and the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
Look for the Longhorns to dominate the line of scrimmage, using their rushing attack to control the clock and grind down the Sun Devils into oblivion.
BettorsInsider Prediction: Texas 34, Arizona State 20
Best Bet: Take Texas -12.5
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