Ohio State will face Notre Dame for the national title.

The Buckeyes’ defense stopped Texas near the goal line with less than three minutes left when Jack Sawyer’s fumble return with 2:13 left gave the Buckeyes a 28-14 victory over the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night.

Sawyer sacked Quinn Ewers on fourth down and recovered the ball himself before officially running it 83 yards for the score.

“I saw the ball pop out right in front of me after I tackled it and I thought I just have to stay on my feet because like I said, I almost fainted when I saw all that green grass in front of me” Sawyer said in a postgame interview on ESPN.

Trailing by seven, Texas had first score and goal from Ohio State’s 1-yard line after consecutive pass interference penalties were called in the end zone. Jerrick Gibson was stopped on first down on a run up the middle for no gain. That led to Texas throwing the ball outside to Quintrevion Wisner in the second.

That worked out badly. Ohio State’s defense read the field perfectly and stopped Wisner for a seven-yard loss. Ewers’ third-down pass to Ryan Wingo was deflected at the line of scrimmage, and then Sawyer came off the edge on fourth down to tie the game.

Ewers began his college career at Ohio State before transferring to Texas after his first and only season with the Buckeyes. Sawyer was his roommate at Ohio State.

Ohio State took a 21-14 lead with 7:02 left when Quinshon Judkins scored his second touchdown of the night. That TD was the 13th play of an 88-yard drive that lasted nearly eight minutes. It also came after Will Howard converted a crucial fourth down on a QB run up the middle after Ohio State moved all of its receivers to the right side of the formation to spread out the Texas defense.

Any hope Texas had of a miracle comeback disappeared shortly after the two-minute warning when Caleb Downs intercepted Ewers with 1:44 left.

The Buckeyes will face the Fighting Irish in Atlanta on Jan. 20 after Notre Dame defeated Penn State 27-24 in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night. It is the third meeting between the two teams in four seasons, and all met during Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman’s time as head coach of the Irish. Freeman is a former Ohio State linebacker and his alma mater has won each of the previous two meetings.

In total, Notre Dame and Ohio State have played six times. The Buckeyes are 6-0 since their first game in 1995.

Texas kept Jeremiah Smith quiet

If you had told Texas fans before the game that Ohio State freshman star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith would have a catch for three yards, they would have thought Texas would be the team to beat Notre Dame for the national title title takes place.

The Longhorns did a phenomenal job containing Smith on three targets. Texas’ pass defense was one of the best in the country and they beat Smith after he scored four touchdowns in the first two games of the College Football Playoff.

But with Texas covering Smith, other players lined up for Ohio State. Carnell Tate, the team’s No. 3 wide receiver, led the Buckeyes with seven grabs for 87 yards. And running back TreVeyon Henderson gave Ohio State the lead before halftime with a 75-yard TD on a screen pass.

Texas tied the game 7-7 less than a minute before halftime. While the Texas defense played back to prevent a big play, Ohio State screened Henderson, and he broke through his blocker wall and got into the end zone.

It was Henderson’s only catch of the game as he ran six times for 42 yards.

The Longhorns’ best offensive weapon was running back Jaydon Blue. And not on the ground. Blue had five catches for 59 yards and caught both of Texas’ touchdowns. The Longhorns had the most offensive success by stretching Ohio State’s defense horizontally near the line of scrimmage. Especially with wide receiver Matthew Golden limited by an ankle injury. Blue and Wisner combined for 11 of Ewers’ 23 completions.

Uneven performance from Ohio State

The Buckeyes were the most impressive team in the playoffs through the first two rounds and appeared primed for another loss in the first quarter after stopping Texas on fourth down on the Longhorns’ first drive and then scoring their own first drive with a TD Judkins crowned.

But Texas held on for most of the game as Ohio State’s offense was unable to get consistent momentum against one of the best defenses in the country. Ohio State made four punts between touchdowns in the first half, while eight consecutive drives ended in punts after Judkins’ first score.

And in the second half, Ohio State opened the third quarter with an interception and hit two punts before a 13-play drive to take the lead.

Those mid-game lulls were a big reason why Ohio State looked underwhelming at times in 2024 despite boasting a roster that could be the best in college football. But this talent is no surprise, which is why the Buckeyes will play for the national title despite two losses in the regular season.