Whatever Ryan Day told his team after their loss to Michigan, it obviously worked.
After facing calls to fire their head coach after Thanksgiving due to their fourth straight loss to the Wolverines — and this one is by far their worst — the Buckeyes are headed to the national championship following the 28-14 Cotton Bowl victory Friday night classic against Texas.
After Ohio State took a 21-14 lead with 7:02 left (on a drive that included a huge 4th down conversion), Texas quickly moved down the field in response, largely to a catch from 34 yards from Gunnar Helm. After back-to-back defensive pass interferences in the end zone, the Longhorns experienced another series of downs at the goal line. It was only a matter of time before the game was tied, but then a nightmare happened for Texas.
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Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) celebrates after a play during the first quarter of the College Football Playoff semifinal against the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. (Jérôme Miron-Imagn Images)
After getting stuffed on first down, Quintrevion Wisner lost seven yards on second down, putting Texas in trouble. The third pass fell incomplete and on fourth down, Ewers lost a fumble that was forced and recovered by Jack Sawyer, who took it 82 yards the other way for a touchdown.
In what seemed like another overtime game for the Longhorns, their season flashed before their eyes in a snap. Hoping for a miracle, Ewers threw a pickaxe on his next drive, and just like that, it was all over.
The Buckeyes got on the board first, scoring a touchdown right after stopping Texas on 4th down. The Longhorns’ offense was stymied throughout the first half, but they tied the game with 29 seconds left in the half and were ready to head into the locker room with the game tied at seven.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) scores a touchdown on a 75-yard touchdown run against the Texas Longhorns in the second quarter of the Cotton Bowl Classic during the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington , Texas on January 10, 2025. (Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Ohio State, however, was not. Right after a touchback, Will Howard threw a pass to TreVeyon Henderson, who got a few blocks up front and raced 75 yards to the house, giving the Buckeyes a 14-7 lead going into the locker room. It’s pretty easy to point the finger at the two plays that cost Texas the season, with hindsight being 20/20.
The two teams traded punts for most of the third quarter, but with just over three minutes remaining, Ewers found Jaydon Blue for their second touchdown of the night, tying the game. But then came the Buckeyes’ score to make it 21-14.
Before the game, it was revealed that Ewers had said he expected to play in the NFL next season, so it will be interesting to see if his plans change.
Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end JT Tuimoloau (44) celebrates a sack of Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) in the first quarter of the Cotton Bowl Classic during the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, January 10. 2025. (Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Now it’ll be the eighth-seeded Buckeyes against No. 7 Notre Dame on Jan. 20 — score one for the expanded playoffs.
Much like Ohio State, the Fighting Irish suffered an embarrassing loss this season, dropping a home game against Northern Illinois in September. But it’s been 13 consecutive victories since then.
