Texas and Washington football both have prospered in 2023, but are looking for even more blessings to start 2024.

No. 2 Washington (13-0) and No. 3 Texas (12-1) will meet in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. The Sugar Bowl is serving this season as one of the semifinals in the College Football Playoff. The other is a Rose Bowl showdown between No. 1 Michigan (13-0) and No. 4 Alabama (12-1).

Texas is just five years removed from its last Sugar Bowl appearance. But as senior offensive lineman Christian Jones noted, "This is a different trip. That was a bowl game. This is a playoff game with hopes of playing in the national championship."

Want to know more about the Sugar Bowl? That's as easy as A-B-C.

A is for Adonai

A Georgia transfer, UT wide receiver Adonai Mitchell has already won two national titles. Dating back to his freshman year, he also has scored in four straight playoff games. This season, his 10 touchdown catches rank 15th nationally.

B is for backups

Both the Longhorns' and Huskies' backup quarterbacks entered the transfer portal this month. Maalik Murphy will transfer from Texas to Duke and has left the Longhorns, which moves New Orleans native Arch Manning up the depth chart. Washington's Dylan Morris has reportedly visited Marshall, but will remain with Washington through its playoff run.

C is for close calls

Seven of Washington's games were decided by eight or fewer points. Texas dropped a 34-30 decision to Oklahoma in October, and then had three of its wins decided by eight of fewer points as well.

D is for Dubs II

Dubs II is the name of Washington's mascot. The 14th live mascot in Huskies history, Dubs is an Alaskan malamute and will celebrate his sixth birthday three days after the Sugar Bowl. But keep him away from Bevo, though. Just ask Georgia's Uga.

E is for eighty-nine

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and Washington's Kalen DeBoer have combined to lead the Huskies for 89 games. Sarkisian went 34-29 at Washington from 2009-13. DeBoer has led Washington to a 24-2 record since he took over the program ahead of the 2022 season.

F is for Ford

With 91 tackles, senior linebacker Jaylan Ford leads the Longhorns in stops. He has 28 more tackles than second-place Anthony Hill Jr. Ford led UT last year with 119 stops and is on the verge of becoming just the fifth player in the last 25 years to lead Texas in tackles in consecutive seasons.

G is for go for it

This season, Washington is 11-for-15 on fourth-down attempts. Texas is 19-for-30. Those success rates are top-25 percentages among FBS teams.

H is for Heisman

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. finished in second place in the Heisman Trophy voting this season. That was the best-ever finish for a Huskies player.

I is for interceptions

Between the two teams, 19 Longhorns and Huskies have intercepted a pass this season. Three Longhorns (Michael Taaffe, Jerrin Thompson and Terrance Brooks) and two Huskies (Jabbar Muhammad and Mishael Powell) have three interceptions each.

J is for Johnson

Over his last five games, Washington's Dillon Johnson has rushed 114 times for 683 yards and eight touchdowns. Wyoming's Harrison Waylee is the only running back to rush for 100 yards against Texas, and he earned 62 of his 110 yards on Sept. 16 on one of his 18 carries.

L is for leaving

The Sugar Bowl will pair the Big 12 and Pac-12 champions. Both Texas and Washington are leaving their conferences next summer, however. Texas is moving from the Big 12 to the Southeastern Conference while Washington is Big Ten-bound.

K is for kickers

Texas kicker Bert Auburn is 52-for-52 on extra points this season and his run of 110 straight makes that dates back to the 2021 season is the second-longest streak in school history. Washington's Grady Gross is 58-for-58 on extra points in his first year as the Huskies' kicker.

M is for Muhammad

Washington doesn't have an elite pass defense, but Muhammad has broken up 12 passes and has three interceptions as a junior cornerback. Muhammad's cousin, Malik, also has had some standout moments as a freshman cornerback at Texas this season.

N is for New Orleans

Texas owns a 9-2-1 record in the city of New Orleans. The Longhorns are 2-2 in the Sugar Bowl, and 7-0-1 in games played at Tulane. Washington hasn't appeared in the Sugar Bowl before.

O is for Odunze

A Biletnikoff Award finalist, Washington junior Rome Odunze has turned 81 receptions into 1,428 yards and 13 touchdowns. Entering the bowl season, only LSU's Malik Nabers (1,546) had more receiving yards.

P is for points

Three players — Auburn (136), Gross (97) and Odunze (90) — have scored at least 90 points this season. In the UT record books, Auburn's 136 points rank just behind the 168- and 152-point seasons by Ricky Williams in 1998 and 1997.

Q is for quarterbacks

Penix and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers were both the MVPs of their conference championship games. Penix threw for 319 yards in a 34-31 win over Oregon. Ewers had 452 passing yards — the third-highest total in Texas history — and four touchdowns in the blowout of Oklahoma State.

R is for rematch

To end the 2022 season, Washington beat Texas in the Alamo Bowl. So this will mark the first time in more than 50 years that UT has met the same team in a bowl game in back-to-back years. In 1970 and 1971, Texas battled Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl.

S is for Sweat

Texas senior defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat won the Outland Trophy, which is given annually to the nation's best interior lineman. He has recorded 42 tackles, two sacks, four pass breakups and a blocked kick in his final season.

T is for Texas

This is the first appearance for Texas in the College Football Playoff, which made its debut during the 2014 season. Texas previously won national championships in 1963, 1969, 1970 and 2005.

U is for Ulofoshio

Washington linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio is responsible for one of the four defensive touchdowns scored by these two teams this season. Ulofoshio, Powell, Thompson and UT linebacker Jett Bush have all returned an interception for a score.

V is for victory

Washington's 13 wins are already a school record. The Huskies had previously won 12 games during the 1991 and 2016 seasons. With a victory, Texas would match the school-record 13 wins that it recorded in 2005 and 2009.

W is for Washington

This is the second appearance for Washington in the College Football Playoff, which made its CFP debut during the 2014 season. Washington previously won a national championship in 1991.

X is for Xavier

Texas receiver Xavier Worthy is a known threat in the passing game. He's averaging 13.3 yards per catch. But he is also averaging 17.9 yards over his 20 punt returns, including one for a touchdown. Only USC's Zachariah Branch (20.6 yards) is doing better on special teams.

Y is for yards

Nationally, Texas is No. 9 in total offense (475.9 yards per game), No. 18 in passing (286.8 yards per game) and No. 23 in rushing (189.1 yards per game). Washington is No. 12 in total offense (469.1 yards per game), No. 1 in passing (343.8 yards per game) and No. 98 in rushing (125.2 yards per game).

Z is for Zion

Washington edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui leads the Huskies with 3.5 sacks. Texas edge rusher Ethan Burke leads the Longhorns with 5.5.

Monday's Sugar Bowl

No. 2 Washington (13-0) vs. No. 3 Texas (12-1), 7:45 p.m., ESPN, 1300

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: What to know about the Texas-Washington Sugar Bowl football semifinal