On New Year’s Eve, Penn State became the first team to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals when it defeated Boise State 31-14 in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Texas needed double overtime to beat hard-fought Arizona State 39-31 on New Year’s Day and advance to the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, where it will face Ohio State on January 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Penn State, which has yet to play in a CFP game, will face the winner of Notre Dame-Georgia in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The College Football Playoff quarterfinals in the Allstate Sugar Bowl have been postponed until 4 p.m. ET Thursday following a deadly truck attack in New Orleans that killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more.

While Penn State waits for its opponent, here’s a first look at the semifinal duel between Texas and Ohio State. –Heather Dinich

When: January 10, 7:30 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN

What we learned in the quarterfinals: Texas has gone through quite the identity crisis on offense over the last six weeks. The Longhorns dominated their final two games of the regular season so quickly that they were unable to compete in the SEC Championship, dominating in the first round against Clemson and struggling on the floor against Arizona State. So which Texas rushing attack will take place against Ohio State? There is no doubt that Texas will need a greater rushing performance to beat the Buckeyes. Maybe offensive lineman Cameron Williams will be healthy enough to play and will help make a difference. Either way, we learned that Texas still has a lot of work to do to put together a complete offensive performance.

X factor: TE Gunnar Helm. Texas likes to use its tight ends in the offense that Steve Sarkisian runs, and Helm was big in the win over Arizona State with three catches for 56 yards – and the game-winning touchdown in overtime. Helm was also strong in the opening win against Clemson with six catches for 77 yards and a score. Sarkisian praised him before the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, saying, “The variety of things the tight end has to do in our systems make him extremely valuable. If you have a good one, I think our lives are a lot easier from a playcaller perspective.”

How Texas Wins: Texas has been ranked as the best defense in the country for most of the season for a reason, and we saw that in large portions of the win over Arizona State. The Longhorns need to continue to set the tone up front and keep Will Howard comfortable. Michigan set the stage for victory in November when it dominated the Buckeyes on both offensive lines. Texas certainly has the potential to do that with its defensive and offensive fronts. But the Longhorns absolutely need to be better on offense to even have a shot at victory. They were overwhelmed at times by a smaller Arizona State defense. –Andrea Adelson

What we learned in the quarterfinals: No one can stop Jeremiah Smith and, by extension, the Ohio State offense. Facing an Oregon team that had beaten them in October, the Buckeyes came out of the gates at the Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential ready to prove that the Ducks didn’t have their number. Thanks to Smith, who caught five balls for 161 yards and had two touchdown receptions for 40 yards in the first half alone (he finished the game with 187 yards), Ohio State seemed to be playing at a different pace while Oregon seemed helpless on both sides of the ball. The freshman wide receiver was like lightning, racing past the Ducks’ secondary with ease while making his case for being not only the best freshman in the country – or the best wide receiver – but also one of the to be the best player in the sport. It helped that almost every Ohio State skill player who touched the ball struck gold – running back TreVeyon Henderson averaged double-digit yards per carry and added two touchdowns, and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka added his own big play on a 42-yard Added a touchdown grab in the first half. It was all a reminder that the best version of this Buckeyes team might just be unstoppable.

X factor: RB TreVeyon Henderson. The Texas defense may have no choice but to sell out to stop Smith, and while Smith could still get his chance, this will certainly open the door for other wideouts in the Buckeyes’ offense in addition to Henderson. The senior hasn’t been particularly lively this season, but he has been consistent. However, in Pasadena, he looked as good as ever and recorded his first 100-yard game of the season. There’s no question that Ohio State’s aerial game is its strength, but if it can combine that with a more consistent running game from Henderson, the Longhorns will have a tough time on defense.

How Ohio State wins: Rather than accomplishing exactly what they did to dominate Oregon in Pasadena, the Buckeyes now have a clear recipe for success. The confidence they inherited from avenging their loss to the Ducks should be enough proof that they have the talent and production to beat any remaining team, especially Texas. A healthy dose of Smith will be essential, and the strong defense, which has had more sacks than any other playoff team so far, will have to put pressure on Quinn Ewers, but Will Howard will certainly have a lot on his shoulders. In the Rose Bowl, Howard looked as comfortable as he had looked all season. He didn’t make any crucial mistakes, threw three touchdown passes and repeatedly found Smith with great success. He needs to do more of that in the Cotton Bowl. — Paolo Uggetti