ARLINGTON, Texas – Through two rounds of the College Football Playoff, Ohio State has looked like an unstoppable juggernaut. But deep in the heart of Texas, the Buckeyes had to fight, claw and claw their way through enemy territory en route to the national championship game.

Ohio State defeated Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl semifinals, celebrating again in the stadium where the program won its last national championship to close out the 2014 season and will travel to Atlanta on Jan. 20 looking for another seek. That’s where the Buckeyes will take on Notre Dame, which beat Penn State in the Orange Bowl semifinals on Thursday night. The two storied programs last met on September 23, 2023, a thrilling 17-14 Ohio State victory sealed by a 1-yard touchdown run with one second left and the Fighting Irish scoring a player on defense briefly brought.

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A one-yard touchdown run by Quinshon Judkins with 7:02 left in the game proved to be the game-winner Friday night, a few plays after quarterback Will Howard broke the line to convert a fourth down and keep the drive alive hold. Texas’ ensuing drive was just one yard away from tying the game just after the two-minute timeout, but defensive end Jack Sawyer sacked Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers on fourth-and-goal, threw the ball loose and returned the fumble 83 yards for one back touchdown to put the game out of reach.

The Buckeyes continued their remarkable run in this CFP, seemingly sparked by a shocking 13-10 loss to Michigan on Nov. 30 in the regular-season finale. That loss — Ohio State’s fourth straight against its archrival, this time as a 19.5-point favorite — cost the Buckeyes a spot in the Big Ten Championship and a possible bye in the CFP. It also sparked calls to fire head coach Ryan Day.

But it was an exciting moment. Unlike some previous losses to Michigan, this defeat did not end the Buckeyes’ national title hopes. At Ohio State’s next practice, the group turned inward and found their focus, knowing full well what was being said about them from the outside.

Since then, the Buckeyes have been a stunner, defeating Tennessee 42-17 in a first-round home game and topping No. 1 seed and undefeated Oregon 41-21 in the Rose Bowl quarterfinals.

At the beginning it looked as if the same thing would happen in the semifinals of the Cotton Bowl.

More than 1,000 flights to and from Dallas were canceled Thursday as a snowstorm threatened to disrupt fan travel. But as the game began, the sun shone and the snow melted, and Ohio State supporters arrived in droves. What was supposed to be a de facto home game in Texas turned out to be a sellout crowd that felt more like a 50-50 game.

The Buckeyes got off to another efficient start, scoring a touchdown on their first drive in their third straight CFP game when Judkins took a handoff nine yards into the end zone.

But from then on the offensive faltered, mainly due to self-inflicted mistakes. A personal foul on running back TreVeyon Henderson stopped the momentum of the second drive and resulted in a punt. A wide receiver holding penalty on a run stopped the third drive. Another holding penalty and a false start wiped out fourth place.

It felt like Ohio State had the edge, especially since Texas’ offense kept running into obstacles. But the Longhorns’ defense allowed Texas to hold on, and with a minute left, backup quarterback Arch Manning came into the game and ran for the first down. (With Ewers expected to head to the NFL, which he confirmed to ESPN before Friday’s game, Manning will be the starter for Texas’ trip to Columbus for an Aug. 30 rematch with the Buckeyes to open the 2025 season .) A few plays later, Ewers found running back Jaydon Blue on a wheel route for a touchdown and somehow a tying game.

But as soon as Texas got back into the game, Ohio State pounced. Running back TreVeyon Henderson took a screen pass 75 yards for a touchdown on the next offensive snap, giving Ohio State a 14-7 lead with 13 seconds left in the second quarter, putting the Longhorns back in a halftime hole.

The Texas defense made it clear all evening that a Buckeye other than star freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith would have to be the one to beat them, using Smith in double coverage all evening. He finished the game with just one catch for three yards on three targets. When Howard forced a throw on him on the first drive of the second half, Texas linebacker David Gbenda intercepted the pass.

The Longhorns continued to hold on to the ropes and kept the drive alive as Ewers threw the ball to Blue while he was about to be sacked and Blue picked up the first down. A few plays later, Ewers found Blue for the second time on a wheel route touchdown, tying the game with 3:12 left in the third quarter.

But Ohio State won the fourth quarter. Texas responded to Judkins’ second touchdown by driving to the 1-yard line, ready to tie the game again. But an ill-advised running back throw on second-and-goal lost seven yards. Two plays later, Sawyer secured the decisive victory by sacking Ewers, his former roommate at Ohio State in 2021.

Just 41 days ago, Ohio State looked as dejected as it could be after its shocking loss to Michigan, a year after the Wolverines won the national championship. Sawyer was dismayed by Michigan’s attempt to fly a flag on the Ohio Stadium turf, and in the ensuing altercations, players on both sides were pepper-sprayed.

But expanding the playoffs to a 12-team field promised that one bad loss wouldn’t end your season. It wouldn’t end Sawyer’s hopes of a national championship. Ohio State was given another chance, and the Buckeyes made the most of it.

(Photo: Alex Slitz/Getty Images)