Texas vs. Arizona State Picks, Predictions and Odds: Back the Longhorns Defense to Thrive in the Quarterfinals

• Arizona State received a first round bye after finishing the year ranked higher than Clemson

• The Sun Devils' top wideout Jordyn Tyson has been ruled out for the rest of the season

• The Longhorns' front seven ranks top-35 in Def Rush Success Rate, PPA, and Explosiveness

After finishing the year ranked as one of the top four conference champions, the Arizona State Sun Devils received a bye for the first round of the playoffs. They are now set to make their playoff debut as a sizable underdog against the Texas Longhorns who are fresh off of an impressive win against the Clemson Tigers.

Texas vs. Arizona State Odds

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Texas vs. Arizona State My Pick

• My Pick: Arizona State Team Total Under 18.5 (+100) at BetMGM

Not only are the Sun Devils severely outmatched as the spread implies, but they will also be without their top receiver Jordyn Tyson as he has been ruled out for the rest of the season. A massive loss as Tyson hauled in more than double the amount of receptions than their next top target. Without Tyson, the Longhorns' defense will have the opportunity to stack the box at a heavy rate to help slow down Arizona State’s star running back Cam Skattebo.

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Texas vs. Arizona State Predictions 

Texas Preview

After losing to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Conference Championship, the Texas Longhorns were bumped out of the projected top four and were forced to host a game in the first round of the playoffs. Against the Clemson Tigers, the Longhorns offense had no issue with methodically moving the ball down the field and capitalizing on their scoring opportunities.

Their ability to score inside the 20 was intriguing to watch as that has been a thorn in the Longhorns side this season. Fortunately for Texas, their offense should face minimal resistance in their efforts of putting up points on the board when in scoring position against the Sun Devils as their defense ranks 123rd in Def Finishing Drives. By capitalizing on their trips to their red zone, Texas will have a great opportunity to set a scoring pace too fast for the Sun Devils to keep up with.

Especially with their defense in a position to thrive as they get the opportunity to stack the box at a heavy rate to help slow down the Sun Devils' star running back Cam Skattebo. With Tyson out, Arizona State fails to field another pass catcher who is capable of stretching out the Longhorns coverage. This allows Texas to send more bodies to the trenches and outside the tackles, potentially forcing Arizona State into a high rate of early outs and stalled-out drives.

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Arizona State Preview

The Arizona State Sun Devils were arguably the biggest surprise of the season as they entered the year with a projected win total of 4.5 and listed near the bottom of the oddsboard for the Big 12 Conference Championship. By winning the conference championship, the Sun Devils received a first round bye in the playoffs as they ranked above the Clemson Tigers in the final playoff rankings.

Unfortunately for Arizona State, their reward is a date with the surging Texas Longhorns in a contest that has them projected as a two score underdog. Neutralizing the Longhorns offense will be a tall task as the Sun Devils secondary has struggled in coverage while Texas enters the quarterfinals ranked 11th in Pass Success Rate, 5th in PPA, and 24th in Explosiveness.

To make matters worse for the Sun Devils, their offense will struggle to recapture the same success they had this season as they face off against a Longhorns defense who ranks above league average in Def Success Rate, Explosiveness, Havoc, and Finishing Drives. Especially with Cam Skattebo expected to deal with a heavy rate of contact before reaching the trenches, hurting his chances of breaking free and generating an explosive play to help sustain drives down the field.

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Texas vs. Arizona State How to Watch

• When: Wednesday, January 1

• Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

• Where to Watch: ESPN

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Texas vs. Arizona State Injuries

Texas

• RB Quintrevion Wisner - Probable

• WR Isaiah Bond - Questionable

• OL Cameron Williams - Questionable

Arizona State

• WR Jordyn Tyson - Out

• DB Cole Martin - Out

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