Texas will be a whole lot closer to home than Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.

The Buckeyes appear to be a whole lot closer to Atlanta.

That’s where the winner of the Cotton Bowl, which doubles as a College Football Playoff semifinal this year, will be heading next for the national championship game.

But first, two powerhouse college football programs meet Jan. 10 at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium.

No. 6 Ohio State (12-2, CFP No. 8 seed) was favored by nearly a touchdown in many early Cotton Bowl betting lines, reflecting the confidence generated by the Buckeyes’ optimization of their bountiful talent over their last two games. Ohio State has looked like the best team in the nation since the first 12-team CFP began last month.

Coach Ryan Day’s team has rebounded from two regular-season losses to rout a pair of elite opponents by a combined 45 points. Ohio State beat No. 7 Tennessee 42-17 in Columbus before jumping to an early 34-point lead in a 41-21 thrashing of top-ranked Oregon in the 111th Rose Bowl on Wednesday.

No. 4 Texas (13-2, CFP No. 5 seed) only has to travel 200 miles north from Austin to Arlington for its second straight trip to the CFP semifinals, needing one win to reach the Longhorns’ first CFP championship game.

The Longhorns have been much less convincing than the Buckeyes in their first two CFP victories, but the Texas train somehow keeps rolling in coach Steve Sarkisian’s fourth season.

Big 12 commissioner calls for standards’ for targeting >> Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is calling for more consistency in determining what constitutes a targeting penalty after no call was made on Texas safety Michael Taaffe’s high hit on Arizona State receiver Melquan Stovall late in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Peach Bowl.

Taaffe struck Stovall with a helmet-to-helmet hit as Stovall caught a pass near midfield with 1:15 left in regulation and the game tied Wednesday. No flag was thrown, but referee Larry Smith of the Big Ten halted play to check the replay for possible targeting. As Stovall was being helped off the field, Smith announced there was no penalty.

Had a 15-yard penalty been called, ASU would have been in range to attempt a tiebreaking field goal. Instead, the Sun Devils punted and Texas won 39-31 in two overtimes.

Yormark said in a statement Thursday he was proud of how ASU represented the Big 12 and that the Sun Devils proved they were one of the most talented teams in the nation. He then addressed the no-call.

“As a member of the College Football Playoff management committee, I have had multiple discussions seeking clarity surrounding the targeting call on Arizona State’s final drive of the 4th quarter with Richard Clark,” Yormark said, referring to the CFP executive director.

“Moving forward, we need to address CFP officiating to ensure national standards are developed,” Yormark added. “These standards will be crucial to the CFP’s future, and I look forward to discussing them with my fellow committee members when we meet next.”