Welcome to the new year! First things first in 2025: the Peach Bowl! No. 12 Arizona State has been champing at the bit to face No. 3 Texas in their College Football Playoff debut ever since this matchup was set in stone back in early December.
Texas comes into this game as a heavy betting favorite, but the Sun Devils have had most of their wins this year as the underdog. Arizona State is also 4-0 against ranked teams on the year. Can they make it five wins?
Our cast of experts have finished analyzing this game from every possible angle and are now prepared to give their final predictions before kickoff. We also welcome in Longhorns expert Andrew Miller from our Texas counterpart Hook 'Em Headlines.
Austen Bundy
Arizona State is in unfamiliar territory, returning to the Peach Bowl for the first time since 1970 but this time in its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. For any team that kind of pressure can lead to mistakes and withering under the spotlight. But ASU isn't just any team. This squad is special and they've been playing with house money all season.
Is Texas strong? Absolutely. There's a reason the Longhorns are near two-touchdown favorites, and the extended time off could come back to bite the Devils. But if there's anything head coach Kenny Dillingham and Co. have proven all year is that if you doubt them they will prove you wrong. I'll be present in Atlanta, hoping to be proven wrong.
Prediction: Texas 37 Arizona State 28
Jared Page
There is no bigger underdog in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals than Arizona State. Oddsmakers say Texas will beat ASU by nearly two touchdowns, but the Sun Devils have defied the odds all season. They won the Big 12 title after being picked to finish last as newcomers to the conference.
They’ve been fueled by the doubters and naysayers all season long, and I expect that to continue on New Year’s Day. I agree with Sam Leavitt, who believes he’ll be the best quarterback on the field. And I believe Cam Skattebo when he says, “There's nobody out there that can stop me.” The Sun Devils’ confidence is contagious, and they have the talent to back it up.
Prediction: Arizona State 28, Texas 24
David Howman
No team is a bigger favorite in the CFP quarterfinals than the Longhorns, and for good reason. By my count, Texas is the best all-around team in the nation. That said, if there's any team in this playoff that could get frisky and surprise them, it's these Sun Devils. Sam Leavitt is feeling a different level of confidence, and Cam Skattebo poses the toughest challenge this elite Texas defense has seen all year.
Ultimately, I believe this one will come down to experience. Kenny Dillingham has proven to the world that he and Arizona State are here to stay, but right now Steve Sarkisian is the better coach and the Longhorns are the better team. I see this being a back-and-forth affair until the fourth quarter, when Texas manages to make just a few extra plays and pull ahead in the end.
Prediction: Texas wins 34-24
Andrew Miller
The turnaround job head coach Kenny Dillingham has pulled off at Arizona State this season has been a tremendous storyline to watch this fall. Arizona State went from being picked to finish last in the Big 12 in the media preseason poll to winning the conference championship. Arizona State star running back Cam Skattebo leads a physical Sun Devils' ground game that will test the Longhorns' strength and depth up front along the front seven. Texas's No. 3 ranked run defense will be a fantastic matchup against Arizona State and Skattebo, who finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2024.
Texas needs an efficient game from quarterback Quinn Ewers, who played a solid contest for the Longhorns' offense in the first-round playoff win over the Clemson Tigers. Ewers looked much healthier and effective spreading the ball around to his playmakers in the receiving corps and to the outside with the deep ball vs. Clemson. The Longhorns need to rely on the ground game that led Texas to a victory over Clemson in the first round, achieving nearly 300 yards on the ground and multiple scores from running backs Tre Wisner and Jaydon Blue.
Prediction: Texas 31, Arizona State 14