There are plenty of storylines heading into this year’s Cotton Bowl, where two of the winningest programs in college football history will face off for a chance to play for the College Football Playoff national championship.Still, when No. 5 Texas (13-2) and No. 8 Ohio State (12-2) meet in a semifinal matchup on Friday night in Arlington, Texas, the attention will be focused on the quarterbacks.Ohio State’s Will Howard played against Texas when he was at Kansas State, but the Wildcats went 0-4 versus the Longhorns in those years. Texas’ Quinn Ewers, meanwhile, started his college career with the Buckeyes before transferring to his home state’s school.”That was the only team I didn’t beat when I was in the Big 12,” Howard said. “There’s definitely a little extra motivation because I never got the chance to beat these guys, played them for four years. They’re always a good team, but I don’t think — none of those games were unwinnable. Last year we lost in overtime. So, definitely excited to get another chance at these guys.”Ewers, who went to high school about 20 miles from AT&T Stadium at Southlake Carroll, has never faced his former team and only had positive things to say about his one semester with the Buckeyes.”I don’t regret any decision I’ve made on going or anything like that, but the main reason I went was I felt like I had a great relationship with the coaching staff,” Ewers said of his time at Ohio State. “And they were winning a lot of games, and I wanted to go be a part of something like that.”The reason that I came back to Texas was, one, to be closer to where I’m from and just closer to the resources that I have and the relationships that I’ve built over time just being from Texas.”Despite the neutral site, this is a home game for Texas. Still, the Buckeyes have a 3-1 record at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, including a 42-20 win over Oregon in January 2015 to win the first College Football Playoff national championship.Ten years later, Texas will need to contain Ohio State’s dynamic receiving corps led by Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka, who combined for 2,120 yards and 24 touchdown receptions. Each made 70 catches.”Yeah, they’ve got an impressive group out at receiver,” Texas defensive back Michael Taaffe said. “They’ve got four or five guys that are really dangerous. Obviously, Jeremiah is really good. Obviously, Emeka, No. 2, is elite. … They’ve got guys you’ve got to respect out there.”In Ohio State’s 41-21 shellacking of No. 1 Oregon in the CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, Howard threw for 319 yards, with Smith hauling in seven catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns.