Texas vs. Washington, Sugar Bowl 2024: Five keys to help pick College Football Playoff semifinal matchup

The second College Football Playoff semifinal game on New Year’s Day features a couple of top 10 offenses in the country going toe-to-toe as two coaches on the rise look to punch their first-ever ticket to the CFP National Championship. 

No. 2 Washington is making its second appearance in the College Football Playoff, last losing in the semifinals to Alabama in 2016. No. 3 Texas, on the other hand, is not only making its first College Football Playoff appearance but is also coming off its first Big 12 Championship since 2009 — the season after which the Longhorns came up short in the BCS National Championship Game to Alabama. 

Kalen DeBoer, in his second year as Washington’s coach, guided the Huskies to a 13-0 season that extended the nation’s longest active winning streak to 20 games. DeBoer has plenty of experience competing for championships from his title-winning time at the NAIA level at Sioux Falls, but this is his first time coaching for the top prize at this level. 

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has been to the CFP before, though not with the Longhorns. He served as Alabama interim offensive coordinator for the CFP National Championship in 2016 after the departure of Lane Kiffin. He then served as the full-time offensive coordinator for the 2019 and 2020 seasons in Tuscaloosa, the latter of which ended with a national championship. In just three years, Sarkisian has guided Texas back to elite status, which made this 2023 performance a huge statement as the Longhorns prepare for an SEC move in 2024. 

So what are the keys to winning the game when the Sugar Bowl kicks off on Monday night? Let’s have a look.

College Football Playoff cases: No. 1 Michigan | No. 2 Washington | No. 3 Texas | No. 4 Alabama

Keys to the Sugar Bowl…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/texas-vs-washington-sugar-bowl-2024-five-keys-to-help-pick-college-football-playoff-semifinal-matchup/

Author : Chip Patterson

Publish date : 2024-01-01 17:11:00

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