Ohio State Beats Texas in Cotton Bowl as CFB Fans Hype CFP Final Berth vs. Notre Dame
Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist IIJanuary 11, 2025
Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Ohio State is moving onto the national championship against Notre Dame after defeating Texas 28-14 on Friday in the Cotton Bowl.
Buckeyes linebacker and captain Jack Sawyer’s 83-yard fumble return touchdown with 2:13 remaining in regulation sealed the Longhorns’ fate.
ESPN @espnJACK SAWYER SCOOP-AND-SCORE 😱
Ohio State is one step closer to advancing to the national championship! pic.twitter.com/BPoV5FBRGZ
With 3:54 remaining, Texas had a 1st-and-goal from the OSU one-yard line. However, Jerrick Gibson was stuffed before Quintrevion Wisner lost seven yards on a run. After an incomplete pass, Texas faced a 4th-and-goal from the eight-yard line.
Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers dropped back to pass, and Sawyer met him around the edge, knocking the ball away, scooping the pigskin up and running down the sideline for the touchdown.
Ohio State and Texas traded touchdowns for three quarters.
Quinshon Judkins began the proceedings with a nine-yard run in the first quarter.
ESPN @espnOhio State strikes first‼️
Judkins powers his way in for six 😤 pic.twitter.com/iSDGT7fNKA
With 29 seconds remaining in the first half, Ewers found Jaydon Blue for an 18-yard touchdown pass to help tie the game.
Texas Football @TexasFootballRight on target 🎯🤘#HookEm | #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/aJBFBhJIaM
However, Ohio State immediately responded when Will Howard found TreVeyon Henderson on a 75-yard screen for a touchdown. After the PAT, Ohio State went up 14-7 at the half.
ESPN @espnTREVEYON HENDERSON 75 YARDS TO THE HOUSE, WOW‼️
Ohio State immediately answers after Texas’ TD. pic.twitter.com/a0OdS0eORK
Blue found paydirt yet again, though, when he caught a 26-yard pass with 3:12 left in the third quarter.
ESPN @espnSO NICE THEY HAD TO DO IT TWICE 🤘
Quinn Ewers finds Jaydon Blue for six on the exact same route as their first touchdown 🤝 pic.twitter.com/AhIaxYZyBD
Judkins broke the 14-all tie in the fourth quarter with his one-yard run to cap a 13-play, 88-yard drive that took 7:45 off the clock.
ESPN @espnBUCKEYES TAKE THE LEAD IN THE FOURTH 👀
Quinshon Judkins punches it in for his second touchdown of the game‼️ pic.twitter.com/TeORvLn7Kc
Texas responded with a 58-yard drive, but the Longhorns fell three feet short. Disaster soon struck, and Ohio State is now going to Atlanta to play Notre Dame for the national championship.
Naturally, people are hyped about Ohio State, which has outscored its three CFP opponents (Tennessee, Oregon, Texas) by a 111-52 score after a brutal 13-10 home loss to arch rival Michigan to end its season. It’s been a tremendous response for the Buckeyes to say the least.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReportOHIO STATE FANS TO JACK SAWYER: pic.twitter.com/CVL8Ujl8HF
Ohio State Football @OhioStateFBpic.twitter.com/04VCu4dh6y
Robert Griffin III @RGIIIMichigan planting that flag woke up the MONSTER in Ohio State.
Scott Polacek @ScottPolacekJACK SAWYER BUCKEYE LEGEND
Block O @OSUBlockOOHIO AGAINST THE WORLD GOODNIGHT‼️
JIA @JeremyinAkronThink of this. Ohio State has beat Tennesee,Oregon,Texas and now plays Notre Dame. If they win no team in history has ever done anything like it. Beat 4 top ten teams four weeks in a row.
Official Ohio State DG @DylanEverydayI AM LEVITATING pic.twitter.com/9GSiQCwZu8
Jeremiah @SYRmotsagTo me Jack Sawyer became a legend after the Michigan Loss….
The raw emotions he showed in defending Ohio State were real. I felt every ounce of his pain that day.
To turn that into what he has done the past 3 games is GOAT work.
#1 seed @BrianH618It’s hard to play as well as Ohio state played in first 2 playoff games four times in a row. But great teams find ways to win without their A game. And that’s what they did.
The national championship will kick off on Monday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Ohio State is looking for its first national title since 2014 and ninth overall. Notre Dame seeks its first national title and 12th all time.
