How to watch the Cotton Bowl: Live stream Ohio State vs. Texas
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The final spot in the college football National Championship is up for grabs tonight, and it will either go to Ohio State or Texas. Below, you can find everything you need to know about how to watch the Cotton Bowl, including streaming options for the cord-cutters out there.
The Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns advance to the historic Cotton Bowl after winning the Rose Bowl and Peach Bowl, respectively. Ohio State (12-2) knocked out its Big Ten adversary, the undefeated Oregon, with a whopping 41-21 score, securing a spot in the semifinals. Texas (13-2), the SEC newbie, saw a much closer game against Arizona State. The two teams went into double overtime, but Texas was finally able to pull ahead 39-31 thanks to some impressive work from quarterback Quinn Ewers. Ewers is no stranger to Ohio State; the QB started his career as a Buckeye before joining Texas. Tonight's game will see if Ewers and the Longhorns can beat out Ohio State, or if the Buckeyes are Championship bound.
Keep reading to learn how to tune into the College Football Playoff without cable. For more information, you can check out our how to watch college football streaming guide.
What channel is the Cotton Bowl on?
The Cotton Bowl will be broadcast on Friday, January 10 starting at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
How to watch the Cotton Bowl in the US
Cord-cutters can watch ESPN through a live TV streaming service like Sling TV, DirecTV Stream, or Fubo. The game won't be shown on ESPN Plus, so viewers will need to opt for a live TV package. Fortunately, the options we've outlined are month-to-month and often much cheaper than cable.
Sling TV is the cheapest of the ESPN-friendly live TV streaming services out there. You'll need to opt for Sling Orange to access ESPN and 34 other live channels, including several other ESPN properties, TNT, and CNN. Subscriptions cost $46 a month, but you can get your first month for 50% off, making it just $23 up front.
DirecTV Stream and Fubo are two other popular live TV streaming services. They're more expensive than Sling, but provide a more elaborate cable alternative. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial and the cheapest plan costs $87 a month, while Fubo offers a seven-day free trial and the cheapest plan costs $80 a month.
How to watch the Cotton Bowl from anywhere
College football fans don't need to worry about missing out on any of the action just because they're traveling away from home during the game. Viewers can keep up with most of their usual streaming options (like Sling or Fubo) via a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs let you change your virtual location so that you can use your go-to websites and apps from anywhere. Since the services we've recommended require US forms of payment, this option will work best for Americans who are simply traveling abroad.
ExpressVPN is our top recommendation. It's a user-friendly option with a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee. You can read more about it in our ExpressVPN review and see below to learn how to use a VPN.
How to watch the Cotton Bowl with a VPN
- Sign up for a VPN if you don't have one.
- Install it on the device you're using to watch.
- Turn it on and set it to a US location.
- Sign up for Sling or Fubo if you don't already have an account.
- Enjoy the game.
Note: Using VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.