ARLINGTON, Texas — Through two College Football Playoff rounds, Ohio State looked like an unstoppable juggernaut. But deep in the heart of Texas, the Buckeyes had to fight, scratch and claw through enemy territory on their way to the national championship game.
Ohio State beat Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl semifinal, celebrating once again at the site where the program won its last national championship in 2015, and will head to Atlanta looking for another against Notre Dame, which beat Penn State in the Orange Bowl semifinal on Thursday night.
A one-yard touchdown run by Quinshon Judkins with 7:02 to play proved to be the deciding score, a few plays after quarterback Will Howard pushed through the line to convert a fourth down and keep the drive alive. Texas’ ensuing drive came one yard away from tying the game with , defensive end Jack Sawyer sacked Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers on fourth-and-goal and returned Ewers’ fumble 83 yards for a touchdown to put the game out of reach.
The Buckeyes continued their remarkable run in this CFP, seemingly sparked by the shocking 13-10 loss to Michigan on Nov. 30 in the regular season finale. That loss — Ohio State’s fourth in a row to its archrival, this time as a 19.5-point favorite — cost the Buckeyes a spot in the Big Ten championship and a potential bye in the CFP. It also prompted calls for head coach Ryan Day to be fired.
But it turned into a galvanizing moment. Unlike some previous losses to Michigan, this one didn’t end the Buckeyes’ national title hopes. At Ohio State’s next practice, the group turned inward and found its focus, well aware of what the world said about them on the outside.
The Buckeyes had been an absolute buzzsaw ever since, dispatching Tennessee 42-17 in a first-round home game and running through No. 1 seed and undefeated Oregon 41-21 in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal.
Early on, it looked like the Cotton Bowl semifinal would be the same story.
A snowstorm that lasted from Thursday into Friday threatened to disrupt travel. More than 1,000 flights into and out of Dallas were canceled Thursday. But the sun was out and the snow melting by the time the game came around. Ohio State fans showed up in droves. What was thought to be a de facto Texas home game given the proximity turned out to have a sold-out crowd that felt more like a 50-50 split.
The Buckeyes got off to yet another efficient start, scoring a touchdown on their opening drive for the third consecutive CFP game when Judkins took a handoff nine yards into the end zone.
But the offense began to sputter from there, largely because of self-inflicted mistakes. A personal foul on running back TreVeyon Henderson stopped the momentum of the second drive, leading to a punt. A wide receiver holding penalty on a run halted the third drive. Another holding penalty and a false start wiped out the third drive.
It felt like Ohio State was carrying the play, especially as Texas’ offense kept running into roadblocks. But the Longhorns’ defense let Texas hang around, and facing fourth-and-1 at midfield with a minute left in the half, backup quarterback Arch Manning entered the game and ran to pick up the first down. A few plays later, Ewers found running back Jaydon Blue on a wheel route for a touchdown and, somehow, a tie game.
But as soon as Texas climbed back into the game, Ohio State struck. Running back TreVeyon Henderson took a screen pass 75 yards for a touchdown on the very next offensive snap, giving Ohio State a 14-7 halftime lead.
Texas’ defense made clear all night that a Buckeye other than star freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith would have to be the one to beat them, bracketing Smith with double coverage all night. He finished with just one catch for three yards on three targets. When Howard forced a throw to him on the opening drive of the second half, Texas intercepted the pass.
The Longhorns kept hanging onto the ropes, keeping a drive alive when Ewers tossed the ball to Blue while on the verge of getting sacked and Blue picked up the first down. A few plays later, Ewers found Blue on a wheel route touchdown for the second time, tying the game at 14 with 3:12 to play in the third quarter.
But Ohio State won the fourth quarter. Texas responded to Judkins’ second touchdown by driving all the way down to the 1-yard line, primed to tie the game again. But an ill-advised running back toss on second-and-goal lost seven yards. Two plays later, Sawyer iced the game with the sack of Ewers, his former Ohio State roommate in 2021.
Just 41 days ago, Ohio State looked as down as it could be after the shocking loss to Michigan, one year after the Wolverines won the national championship. Sawyer was distraught over Michigan’s attempt to plant a flag on the Ohio Stadium turf, and the ensuing fracas saw players get pepper-sprayed.
But the promise of the 12-team CFP was that one bad loss wouldn’t end your season. It wouldn’t end Sawyer’s national championship hopes. Ohio State was given another chance, and the Buckeyes have made the absolute most of it.
(Photo: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
