The college football world rallied around Texas Longhorns mascot Bevo after the live longhorn was banned from the Peach Bowl due to concerns about his safety, the players’, and others due to a lack of space on the sidelines. Naturally, this did not sit well with fans, who found the move distasteful and unnecessary.
Recent reports, however, state that Bevo will make a comeback in the upcoming Cotton Bowl game.
Texas Longhorns Mascot Is Back After Being Cleared for Cotton Bowl
Bevo had previously been banned from Texas’ SEC title game against the Georgia Bulldogs, but this time, fans took it personally. The slogan Free Bevo echoed through college football media as fans appealed for Bevo to be brought back.
Peach Bowl President and CEO Gary Stokan addressed the issue, saying, “With the cameras that drive up and down from ESPN on the sidelines, with the cheerleaders, with the photographers, with the teams and their staffs on the sidelines, it’s just really difficult to fit Bevo in there.”
The appeal was heard and attended to, though, as the beloved Bevo has now been cleared for the Cotton Bowl game between Texas and the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Longhorns worked with stadium officials to determine if AT&T Stadium would be suitable for the iconic mascot.
Once this had been confirmed, Bevo was cleared to make his return. As a result, fans took to Twitter to pour out their reactions to the news.
One fan commented “Free Bevo,” repeating the triumphant slogan that overturned the mascot’s banishment.
Free Bevo
— Relax Trumps Got This (@ChadCoo30346954) January 3, 2025
Another fan said, “The best mascot in college football! We will see you in Dallas big guy!”
The best mascot in college football! We will see you in Dallas big guy! 🤘#HookEm
— 💯 Gary Boshears 💯 (@GaryBoshears) January 3, 2025
A fan also commented, saying, “Good because Texas is gonna need all the help they can get to slow down heavy favored Ohio State.”
Good because Texas is gonna need all the help they can get to slow down heavy favored theee Ohio State
— Kelly (@hannasch_1961) January 4, 2025
Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian Labels Ohio State ‘Best Team in College Football’
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian holds his team’s Cotton Bowl opponents in high regard. Sarkisian referred to Ohio State as the “best team in college football,” highlighting the challenge that the Longhorns had ahead of them.
“I need Longhorn Nation to show out in Arlington,” Sarkisian said. “We’re going to need everything we’ve got to try to win this game.
“Clearly, we’re massive underdogs. Nobody’s going to give us a shot. … This is the best team in college football, and we’re going to have to make sure we put our best forward to give ourselves a chance to win the game.”
Ohio State crushed the No. 1-seeded Oregon Ducks in the quarterfinals, instantly becoming the most feared team remaining in the College Football Playoff. As the Longhorns gear up to face Ohio State at AT&T Stadium, Coach Sarkisian has analyzed all the potential threats on the Longhorns team that could squash Texas’ chances of winning.
Sarkisian pointed out the challenge that the Buckeyes’ offense posed, mentioning wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka as the biggest threats.
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“They’re both big physical players,” Sarkisian said. “They have length, they have speed, they have playmaking ability on the ball. They have really big catch radiuses. They’ve got the scheme to go with it, with Coach [Chip] Kelly and Coach [Ryan] Day, and they’ve got a quarterback who delivers on the ball.
“So you add that all up, these guys are impactful players that are real issues and we’re going to have a hard time guarding them.”
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