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- No. 2 Washington is a 4-point underdog to No. 3 Texas in the second CFP Semifinal
- Michael Penix Jr. outdueled Quinn Ewers in a 27-20 victory in last year’s Alamo Bowl
- The Sugar Bowl kicks off from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA on Jan. 1 at 8:45 pm ET
Washington faces Texas at the Sugar Bowl in the second of the two College Football Playoff semifinals on New Year’s Day. The Longhorns are making their first-ever CFP appearance while the Huskies are in the final-four for the first time since 2016.
Which school will advance to the National Championship Game on January 8th in Houston, Texas? Before we look at the line for this year’s Sugar Bowl, be sure to check out our 2023-24 College Football Betting sites and get the Best College Football Bowl Odds.
Washington vs Texas
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Texas | -4.0 (-110) | -180 | Ov 64.0 (-110) |
| Washington | +4.0 (-110) | +160 | Un 64.0 (-110) |
Longhorns in CFP for 1st time
Texas (12-1) defeated Oklahoma State 49-21 for the Big 12 title, becoming the first-ever team from outside the top-six in the penultimate CFP Rankings to make the semifinal. The Longhorns are also only the third Big 12 team to make the four-team CFP field, following Oklahoma and TCU.
Steve Sarkisian’s squad finished the season with four ranked wins, including a 10-point road victory over Alabama back in week 2. With the Crimson Tide awarded the No. 4 seed in the CFP, the committee almost had to the Big 12 champions in this year’s playoff field.
“We got more football left…stay tuned.” – @QuinnEwers
Postgame sound from AT&T Stadium 🤘 pic.twitter.com/VehJmZKCd1
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) December 4, 2023
Huskies look to stay unbeaten
Washington captured the Pac-12 championship with a thrilling 34-31 triumph over Oregon. Their only previous trip to the CFP semifinals was in 2016 when they lost to Alabama in the Peach Bowl. In addition to enjoying a perfect 13-0 season, the Huskies are on the longest winning streak in the nation at 20 games and counting.
Expected to finish runner up for the Heisman Trophy, Michael Penix Jr. passed for 4,218 yards and 33 touchdowns this season while throwing the ball to his electric pair of receivers, Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan.
Huskies vs Longhorns
Washington is a a 4-point underdog to Texas in the Sugar Bowl with the over/under set at a sky-high 64 total points. The Huskies defeated the Longhorns in last year’s Alamo Bowl, coming away with a 27-20 win. Kalen DeBoer’s club was also a 9.5-point dog to Oregon heading into the Pac-12 title game.
Both teams have explosive offenses with the Huskies averaging 37.7 points per game (No. 8 nationally) and the Longhorns at 36.2 points per contest. Quinn Ewers passed for 369 yards and a TD in last year’s loss in the Alamodome, getting outdueled by Penix Jr., who threw for 287 yards and two scores.
CFP bound and still undefeated 👀
Highlights from Michael Penix Jr.’s Heisman-worthy season ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/nd5KE3S1Da
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) December 7, 2023
Interesting nuggets
Steve Sarkisian is facing a Washington program he coached from 2009-13. Sark is one of the most creative play callers in the game and can be expected to cook up something good with almost a month of practice. In the Big 12 championship, Ewers passed for 452 yards and four touchdowns.
While the Huskies are on a 20-game winning streak, eight of their last nine contests have been decided by single digits. Their last four victories have also been by a combined 15 points.
Best Bet
Both schools will be representing their respective conferences for the last time with Texas headed to the SEC and Washington bound for the Big Ten next year.
While we like the Huskies to cover the spread (+4) with the UNDER 64, we think the Longhorns will win the Sugar Bowl (-180) and advance to the National Championship game.
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