Can Michael Penix Jr. lead Washington past Texas in the CFP semifinals?
USA TODAY Sports' Dan Wolken breaks down the CFP semifinal game between Washington and Texas.
Michigan will play for a national title after defeating Alabama in overtime at the Rose Bowl in the first CFP semifinal game on Monday. Who will the Wolverines face on Monday in Houston, Texas or Washington? That will be decided in the second semifinal – the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
One season before leaving the Big 12 Conference to join the SEC, Texas (12-1) is participating in the College Football Playoff for the first time. Texas wins four national football championships, the last coming in the 2005 season after winning an epic Rose Bowl against USC in 2006.
Undefeated Washington (13-0) won the Pac-12 championship and is participating in the College Football Playoff for the second time (first in 2016). The Huskies have won eight of their last nine games by single digits, including the last four by a total of 15 points.
Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was one of four finalists for the Heisman Trophy, finishing second to LSU QB Jayden Daniels.
USA TODAY Sports brings you the latest updates, scores, highlights, wild plays, analysis and more from across the Sugar Bowl between Texas and Washington. Consequences.
Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer is showing he's not afraid of anything, and this time it paid off as Washington was back in the end zone and took back the lead over Texas.
The Huskies scored a fourth-and-1 at their own 33-yard line, and even after a miss early in the quarter, DeBoer wasn't afraid to try again. This time it worked with a run from Dillon Johnson and Washington put the chains on.
Michael Penix Jr. then moved his team right down the field, and Penix capped it off by finding Ja'Lynn Polk, who tipped the ball up and caught it in the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown pass.
Penix continues to perform in the first half as he is already 11-for-14 with 255 passing yards and a touchdown throw. Polk also had a big day with two catches for 106 yards after catching a 77-yard pass on Washington's first drive.
It wasn't a threesome, but a foursome is just as bad.
Texas couldn't do anything to force Washington's turnover on downs on the previous drive. Jaydon Blue had a 12-yard run on the first play, but that was followed by two incomplete passes and a run for a loss of yardage.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers was forced to throw his third pass earlier than desired due to Washington's pressure on the defensive line.
Now Washington has a chance to take the lead in the second half with 5:55 left until halftime.
The Washington Huskies were able to move the ball effectively in the first half, but the Longhorns made a big stop.
Washington was in the red zone when faced with a fourth-and-1. Coach Kalen DeBoer decided to keep the offense on the field and lined up in the Wildcat with Dillon Johnson behind center.
It didn't work as the Longhorns defensive line stuffed Johnson and got the ball back to prevent the Huskies from taking the lead again.
We have a big touchdown!
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers completed a 17-yard pass to Jordan Whittington to the 1-yard line. And then No. 90 Texas called into play.
Texas handed the game over to junior defensive lineman Byron Murphy II, who scored a 1-yard run with 10:08 left in the second quarter to make the Sugar Bowl 14-0.
For Murphy, listed at 6-1 and 308 pounds, it was his second touchdown of the season and the third big man touchdown for Texas this season.
It seemed like the Washington defense was going to take control of the Texas offense, but the Longhorns now have a chance to gain momentum thanks to a weakened punt.
The Huskies forced a Texas three-and-out, but Germie Bernard clumsily tried to catch the ensuing Texas punt. It slipped out of his hands and the Longhorns recovered, giving Texas the ball at the Washington 22-yard line and prime position to tie the game.
Washington's Dillon Johnson easily entered the end zone for his second touchdown of the game. Washington leads Texas 14-7 entering the second quarter of the Sugar Bowl.
Washington needed three chances inside the 2-yard line against the Texas defense, but the Huskies struck, completing a nine-play, 80-yard drive and taking the lead again.
It's a 7-7 game after one quarter in the Sugar Bowl, with Washington and Texas showing signs that it could be an offensive game.
Washington scored first on the opening drive thanks to a big pass from Michael Penix Jr., while Texas responded with a score of their own on the following drive using a combination of air and ground attack. Both teams fumbled on their next drive, but Washington approached the red zone early in the second quarter.
Penalties are already a concern for the Longhorns, as they picked up four 30-yard penalties in the first 15 minutes.
Quinn Ewers had a poor first drive and took a 4-0 lead, but a much-improved second drive got Texas into the end zone and made it a 7-7 game.
Ewers shook off the rust from the first drive with a 31-yard pass to CJ Baxter on the second play of the drive, getting to the Washington side of the field. At that point, the running game took over, with Ewers, Baxter and Jordan Whittington doing damage on the ground to get the Longhorns to the 5-yard line. That's when Jaydon Blue completed the drive and scored the equalizer through the goal line, which could lead to an offensive shootout.
Michael Penix Jr. entered Monday's game with the most passing yards in the country and is making an early impact in the Sugar Bowl.
Penix hit Ja'Lynn Polk for a 77-yard strike that took Washington to the 2-yard line on its first drive, and Dillon Johnson knocked it in on the following play to give the Huskies an early 7-0 lead provide.
Penix, the Heisman Trophy runner-up to Jayden Daniels, entered New Year's Day with 4,218 passing yards and averaged 324.5 passing yards per game. The score fell after Texas punted on its first drive.
Things are going wild in the Sugar Bowl, as both Texas and Washington are bringing their live mascots with them to the semifinals.
The legendary Bevo Longhorn was spotted courtside in his pen while Washington's Dubs was spotted watching from the Superdome. Given what happened the last time Bevo was around a dog, perhaps bringing the two mascots together wouldn't be a good idea.
“It just means more” in the Southeastern Conference. But it will have greater meaning for other college football fans nationally knowing that no SEC team will be playing in the College Football Playoff championship game this year. Alabama's loss in the Rose Bowl early Monday ended a 10-year streak with an SEC representative in the national title game. It will be the first time since 2014, the first year of the College Football Playoff, that no SEC team will be in the title game. Only Alabama, Georgia and LSU have represented the SEC in the CFP title game since its inception.
The Texas-Washington Sugar Bowl game can be seen on ESPN. Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Molly McGrath (sideline reporter) and Katie George (sideline reporter) will cover the game for ESPN.
ESPN will also offer cross-platform presentation for every college football semifinal game.
According to BetMGM odds, Texas is the favorite to beat Washington in the Sugar Bowl.
- Distribution: Texas (-4)
- Money line: Texas (-185); Washington (+150)
- Over/under: 63.5
USA TODAY Sports' personnel picks for this game:
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