When fans finally settle into their seats around 6:30 p.m. Friday night in Arlington for the start of the Cotton Bowl Classic, they will do so against an icy backdrop — a cold snap that brought snow, sleet, freezing temperatures and school closures in North Texas the last few days.

The University of Texas Longhorns face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium, hoping to move one step closer to a national championship.

While some people expressed concerns about the weather and the potential impact on the game, there never appeared to be any real threat of cancellation or postponement, especially as forecasts improved. And there were a lot of temporal consequences that had to be taken into account when something changed – especially in television. If the weekend game had been canceled or rescheduled, it could have competed with the NFL playoffs.

In the end, the Cotton Bowl, AT&T Stadium and local emergency management officials assured that plans were in place to make travel to and from the venue as safe as possible.

Gov. Greg Abbott, prompted by a reporter, even reiterated his confidence at a press conference on Wednesday.

“I’ve had conversations about it with several people, including in the meeting we just had before we got here, knowing you were going to ask the question about Texas football,” Abbott said. “There should be no barrier to people being able to attend the game.”

Abbott added that potential snow and ice on the roads could be a concern but urged travelers to be careful.

“If you drive very carefully, slowly and methodically, everything will be fine,” Abbott said.

The assurance came just a day before Dallas officials announced Thursday that the city was facing a spike in crashes on the slick roads.

Meanwhile, both teams arrived in the area without incident on Wednesday. As expected, however, fans planning to fly into the region on Thursday or Friday may have had major problems: Nearly half of all flights to and from DFW International and Dallas Love Field airports on Thursday were canceled due to weather.

Increased security

In addition to the weather concerns, the game also comes in the wake of the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans that left 15 people dead – including the killer – and injured dozens more. The shocking act of violence occurred just days before the Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans and led to the game having to be postponed amid increased security.

The attack in Arlington, more than 500 miles away, sparked discussions between organizers and law enforcement about security at AT&T Stadium during Friday’s game.

Arlington police said the department is not aware of any credible security threats to the game at this time, but there will be an increased police presence, particularly in and around the parking lots.

Defy the cold

By the time the game kicks off on Friday, temperatures in the region are expected to be around 35 degrees.

Of course, AT&T Stadium is no stranger to cold weather. As is well known, the week before Super Bowl XLV between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, a number of people were injured by snow and ice that fell from the stadium due to an ice storm.

To prevent similar problems, the Cowboys have now installed a ridge-like ice protection on the stadium roof. The protection is intended to stop or slow down the slipping of ice and snow and to crush larger chunks. The team also installed a system that pumps warmer water onto the roof to prevent ice and snow from forming.

However, only time will tell what problems the weather could bring this time.

Will the cold cool down the event atmosphere? Well, college football fans are pretty passionate, and there will still be a large number of people who make their way to the game come rain, sleet or shine – especially Longhorns fans. This includes numerous alumni not only from the Austin area, but also here in North Texas.

The matchup – and local ties

When it comes to the game, there’s a lot for North Texas fans to consider, but most of all is the local flavor: 31 graduates of North Texas area high schools are part of the Texas roster for the game, and some are in the midst of their success.

Star quarterback Quinn Ewers graduated from Southlake Carroll, running back Tre Wisner is from DeSoto and linebacker Anthony Hale Jr. – the team’s leading tackler – graduated from Denton Ryan. Not to mention Colin Simmons, a true freshman defensive end from Duncanville, who leads the team in sacks.

Since the four-team era began in 2014, Texas has never advanced beyond this playoff round. It finally made its first playoff appearance last year before losing to Washington in the semifinal round. And now that Texas is back at the same spot in the first 12-team lineup, the question is whether it can find a way to play in a national championship game for the first time since losing to Alabama in 2009.

And if the Longhorns can do that, they will earn their first title, as Vince Young’s legendary fourth-and-five touchdown run sealed the national championship victory over USC in 2005.

The Cotton Bowl Classic begins Friday night at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington.