Ohio State Buckeyes vs Texas Longhorns, Cotton Bowl 2025
Jack Sawyer had his moment taken away from him against Michigan.
He made another one happen against Texas. This one will be remembered for a long time.
With Texas down by seven points late in the game and faced with fourth-and -goal from the 8-yard line, Ohio State’s fourth-year defensive end made a play. He got around the edge and pressured Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers, forcing a strip sack.
He then scooped up the fumble and returned it 83 yards for a touchdown, putting the finishing touches on a dominating night for him and a moment that will etch the central Ohio native into Buckeye legend forever.
Ohio State beat Texas 28-14 at the Cotton Bowl on Friday night, and as a result, will head to the national title game to face Notre Dame on Jan. 20. And Sawyer’s heroics were the reason why.
It didn’t come easy for Ohio State — at least, not as easy as it did in the first two games of the College Football Playoff.
Despite rolling through wins over Tennessee and then Oregon in the Rose Bowl, Texas’ defense was able to put a lid on Ohio State’s explosive offense. After dominating performances in the first two rounds where the Buckeyes scored 42 and 41 points, the Longhorns’ defense showed up.
Quarterback Will Howard was under pressure throughout the game, as the Longhorns made a notable effort to keep everything in front of them and prevent big plays. And, their game plan certainly was executed to perfection.
What they couldn’t count on, though, was Sawyer showing up and making a play.
The two teams played a defensive battle, certainly not a surprise considering the talent on both units. The Buckeyes, one of the most explosive offenses in the sport, were slowed down by both Texas’ defense and a bevy of penalties. After committing just five for 39 yards in the first two games, Ohio State committed seven for 70 yards against Texas.
A Howard quarterback run on fourth-and-2 in the fourth quarter kept a long Ohio State drive alive down the stretch, and led to a score for the Buckeyes to take the lead midway through the quarter. Texas nearly answered with a score of their own to send the game into a nerve-wracking final few moments, but then Sawyer jumped onto the scene.
In the first half, the Buckeyes jumped out to a lead in the beginning minutes, again, with a Quinshon Judkins touchdown run on the first drive of the game. But then, the next handful of drives were littered with mistakes that included an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, holding calls and a false start. When they had the chance to jump out ahead of the Longhorns, they made repeated mistakes to keep the score at 7-0.
But after a Texas touchdown to tie the game nearing halftime, running back TreVeyon Henderson took a screen pass 75 yards for a touchdown to put Ohio State back in front entering the break. It was a game-changing momentum swing at the time, as the Buckeyes were able to turn a mistake-laden half into one that still ended with them in front.
Ohio State entered the game having not trailed at any point of the College Football Playoff, as the Buckeyes leaped out to dominating wins over Tennessee and Oregon. The Buckeyes had been tied for just over three minutes in the playoffs entering the game, and Friday’s game was far more even than the first two.
Now, Ohio State will head to Atlanta in search of its next national title and first since January 2015. Waiting for the Buckeyes will be Notre Dame, which just beat Penn State 27-24 in the Orange Bowl on Thursday.
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