CFP Semifinals - Sunday Storylines (Part 2)

Sawyer’s strip-sack seals Buckeyes victory - Jack Sawyer etched his name into Ohio State history on Friday night.

The first-ever recruit of the Ryan Day Ohio State era made the play of the night in what felt like a full-circle moment for the head coach and this football program.

With under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Texas found itself inside the two-yard line with four downs to get a game-tying touchdown. The Longhorns got stood up on first down. The very next play, they ran a sweep to the left-hand side that got blown up for a major loss. Then on third down, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers threw an incomplete pass.

On fourth and goal, Sawyer dipped around the Texas offensive tackle and nailed Quinn Ewers—his former college roommate—jarring the ball loose. Sawyer scooped the ball and took it 83 yards for the triumphant touchdown to put a bow on the 28-14 Cotton Bowl victory and to send Ohio State to the national championship game.

This game had a little bit of everything for everyone.

Lead changes. Fun schematic chess battles. And hard-hitting defense. Lots and lots of good defense.

All of the buzz entering the matchup was about the offenses, but it was the defenses that left their thumbprints all over this matchup.

Ohio State was limited to just 81 rushing yards. Texas, for as good as it’s been at rushing the ball all year, mustered just 58 yards on the ground. Both defensive lines did a great job of stuffing run lanes and forcing the quarterbacks to throw the ball downfield.

Ohio State opened the scoring in the first quarter on a Quinshon Judkins nine-yard touchdown run. Texas answered near the end of the second frame when Ewers connected with running back Jadon Blue for an 18-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7.

The game looked like it would be tied at the half, but disaster struck for Texas just before the break. Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly called an ingenious screen pass call, and the Buckeyes executed it perfectly. Trevion Henderson caught the short pass and followed his offensive line convoy 75 yards to the house to give the Buckeyes a 14-7 halftime lead.

Ewers and Texas answered in the third, however, with an impressive 12-play, 72-yard touchdown drive. One of the key plays of that drive came when Ewers narrowly avoided a sack and underhand flipped a ball to Trevion Wisner for a big play. The Longhorns capped the drive with another Ewers-Blue connection, this time for 26 yards on a wheel route out of the backfield.

Fourth quarters are where great teams make their money, and that’s exactly what Ohio State did in the final frame.

Before Sawyer's game-changing play, it was quarterback Will Howard who orchestrated an impressive 13-play, 78-yard touchdown drive that finished with another Judkins rushing touchdown.

All in all, if you’re an Ohio State fan, you have to love the way this team played. Howard was really good, outside of one pre-determined pass that led to an interception. He finished with 289 yards and one touchdown on 24 completions. Third wide receiver Carnell Tate deserves a special shoutout for how he played. Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka were limited, but Tate carried the load and finished with seven catches for 87 yards.

With the win, Ohio State moves on to face Notre Dame in the national title game. What a tremendous game, and moment, for much-maligned coach Ryan Day. The Buckeyes still need to finish the job, but it feels like the ‘Fire Ryan Day’ narrative can be put to bed now.

+2 units on the season

-6 Ohio State vs. Texas - +1 unit

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