The Arizona Republic sports reporter Jose Romero heads to Cold Beers and Cheeseburgers to try their new Arizona State football items with players.
The fourth-seeded Arizona State Sun Devils now have an opponent for their College Football Playoff quarterfinal in Atlanta at the Jan. 1 Peach Bowl.
Texas is a blueblood program in the sport with four national championships. The Longhorns got to the CFP semifinals last year, losing in the Sugar Bowl to Washington.
The Sun Devils (11-2) and Longhorns (12-2) play in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 1 at 11 a.m. MST, 1 p.m. ET, on ESPN.
Here's what you need to know about Texas' CFP game against Arizona State.
No. 4 seed Arizona State (11-2) plays No. 5 seed Texas on New Year's Day, Jan. 1, in the CFP quarterfinals.
The game will kick off at 11 a.m. MST at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It will be broadcast on ESPN.
The Texas-Arizona State winner will play the Oregon-Ohio State/Tennessee winner in the Cotton Bowl Jan. 10, in the CFP semifinals.
The Longhorns are double-digit favorites, and one early prediction has ESPN saying Texas 33, ASU 20.
The Longhorns played a tough SEC schedule in which their only losses were to No. 2 Georgia twice. That schedule, the first for the Longhorns as an SEC program, saw Texas play five Top 25 teams and defeat four of them (Michigan, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M), all either away or at a neutral site.
Arizona State's less difficult Big 12 schedule saw the Sun Devils defeat all four of the Top 25 teams they faced -- Utah, Kansas State and BYU, and then Iowa State in the conference title game. Prior to the conference championship games, the College Football Network rated Texas No. 15 in strength of schedule, while ASU was No. 35.
Texas has two quarterbacks who can lead and run its offense, but one of those has far more experience while the other waits in the wings for his opportunity.
Entering Saturday, Quinn Ewers had completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,665 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions as the Longhorns' QB1. He threw for 358 yards against Georgia in the SEC title game but was intercepted twice. Some in Texas would prefer freshman Arch Manning (yes, from the Manning quarterback family) to take over, but Ewers is big-game tested in his third season and Manning has had a small role coming in on select plays.
Tre Wisner and Jaydon Blue are the 1-2 punch at running back. Blue ran for a 77-yard touchdown against Clemson, and he and Wisner combined for rushing yards though Wisner was banged up during the game, as were a couple of offensive linemen.
Before Saturday, Texas averaged 33.6 points per game but was held to 19 (12 on field goals) by Georgia in its Dec. 7 loss in the SEC title game. ASU has allowed an average of 21.3 points per game.
That presents an interesting matchup between Arizona State's smash-mouth running game featuring Cam Skattebo and the Texas front seven. The Longhorns give up only about 106 rushing yards per game, while the ASU offense averages 199.
Texas, heading into Saturday, was seventh in the nation in red-zone defense, allowing only 20 scores (field goals and touchdowns) on 28 opponent opportunities.
But Clemson, despite trailing by three touchdowns in the second half, found some holes in the Texas secondary and made the game closer.
Linebacker Anthony Hill is the Texas player to watch on defense, with a team-high 54 solo tackles and 99 combined tackles and the most tackles for loss in the SEC with 16. Hill also leads the SEC in forced fumbles with four and his 7 ½ sacks are second-most on the Longhorns.
Defensive back Jahdae Barron leads Texas with five interceptions and is one of college football's best cover cornerbacks, which could be problematic for ASU's passing game without injured receiver Jordyn Tyson. Former ASU defensive lineman Jermayne Lole is finishing up his college career at Texas this season, with a place in the playing rotation.
Texas is the toughest defense, statistically, that the Sun Devils will face. The Longhorns entered the CFP second in major college football in total defense, allowing 12.46 points per game, and second in touchdowns allowed with 17.
Clemson raised those numbers, though Texas had a key fourth down stop near the goal line midway through the fourth quarter.
ASU has played in one Peach Bowl, back on Dec. 30, 1970, at what is now Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. The Sun Devils, with legendary head coach Frank Kush at the helm, defeated North Carolina 48-26.
Texas has never played in the Peach Bowl despite more than 50 all-time bowl appearances. The Longhorns for decades were tied into old Southwest and Big 12 conference bowls.
Texas and Arizona State have faced each other only one other time. That was in December 2007 at the Holiday Bowl in a game won by the Longhorns 52-34.