by Photo via Alex Slitz/Getty Images
On Friday night, the Ohio State football team beat Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl Classic and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff. While the Buckeyes didn’t get off to the blistering start that they did against Tennessee and Oregon, it was enough to advance to the National Championship game for the first time since the 2020-21 season.
While the game was more or less a defensive battle, Ohio State got on the board first off of a methodical drive in the first quarter that was capped off by a 9-yard touchdown run by running back Quinshon Judkins. Both sides’ offenses remained stagnant for the next few drives, until Texas tied the game with less than a minute remaining in the first half. However, with 29 seconds to go and everybody expecting the game to be even going into halftime, quarterback Will Howard found running back TreVeyon Henderson on a short pass and with the Longhorns defense closing in, Henderson found a crease and took the ball to the house to open up a 14-7 lead going into the break.
With the momentum in the Buckeyes favor, Howard squandered an opportunity to start the third quarter by throwing a costly interception. Thankfully, the Ohio State defense held strong and forced a subsequent punt. Texas didn’t go away, though, and scored a touchdown two drives later in almost identical fashion to their first one.
In a tie game, the Buckeyes got the ball in the early part of the fourth quarter and went on a long drive, pushing deep into Texas territory, scoring a touchdown from Judkins and taking over seven minutes off the clock in the process. Then, down just seven points, the Longhorns calmly marched their offense down the field, eventually getting to Ohio State’s 1-yard line with four minutes to go in the game. After losing seven yards on a blown up pitch play, Texas was forced into a fourth-and-goal from the eight.
With the game on the line, edge rusher Jack Sawyer came off the left edge and hit quarterback Quinn Ewers, knocking the ball free. Sawyer then recovered it and ran all the way back for a Buckeye touchdown, sealing the game and recording one of the most memorable moments in Ohio State history.
Overall, Howard had a pretty good day, throwing for 289 yards with a touchdown and an interception along the way. Henderson led the ground attack with six carries for 42 yards, while Judkins recorded nine carries for 36 yards and his two touchdowns.
Carnell Tate, the third receiver in the offense, was perhaps the unsung hero of the game as he had seven catches for 87 yards. Henderson also had 75 yards on his receiving touchdown and Emeka Egbuka had five catches for 51 yards. Jeremiah Smith, the hero of the Rose Bowl, was held to just one catch for three yards.
Defensively, the team wreaked havoc once again. Sawyer’s the one we’ll remember with his sack, scoop, and score, but fellow edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau had 1.5 sacks after returning from an ankle injury in the first half. Linebacker Sonny Styles had a sack and a forced fumble and defensive tackle Ty Hamilton had a half a sack as well. Star safety Caleb Downs also secured Ohio State’s victory with an interception in the waning seconds. Lastly, it should be noted that cornerback Denzel Burke only played a limited amount of snaps in favor of backup Jermaine Mathews Jr.
The Buckeyes’ return to grace is almost finished, but not quite yet, as a Notre Dame team that has both won the hearts of the country and is seeking revenge for the last two years remains in their path.
