Entering the fourth quarter, Ohio State had scored on just two of its nine possessions in the game. After scoring on its first drive of the game, Ohio State fumbled four straight times. The Buckeyes rallied at the end of the first half with a 75-yard touchdown on a pass to TreVeyon Henderson, but then failed to score on all three possessions in the third quarter, leaving the game tied 14-14 at the start The last period ended in a draw.

Much like against Michigan, Ohio State’s defense had done everything it needed to do to keep the Buckeyes in the game, limiting Texas to just two touchdowns on its first ten possessions. But as Ohio State’s offense struggled in a way it hadn’t in the first two College Football Playoff games, and Texas star receiver Jeremiah Smith was limited to just one catch, doubts grew. whether Ohio State’s offense would be able to make the drive to beat Texas and advance to the national championship game.

Then, on their first possession of the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes imposed their will in a way they hadn’t managed all night, rushing for 88 yards on 13 plays with more than half the fourth quarter’s playing time Before Quinshon took advantage, Judkins hit the ball into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown that gave the Buckeyes a lead they wouldn’t relinquish as they ultimately won the game 28-14 won.

Jack Sawyer’s 83-yard scoop-and-score will undoubtedly be remembered as the signature play of Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl victory, but the play may never have happened without the offensive touchdown drive that preceded it. Had Ohio State not scored a touchdown on its previous possession, Texas could have kicked a field goal on 4th-and-1 to take the lead; Instead, they had to give everything just to have a chance of a draw.

A game that could have ended as heartbreakingly as the loss to Michigan instead culminated in a meaningful fourth quarter, similar to Ohio State’s first big win of the season against Penn State, when the Buckeyes tied the finale with 5:13 left after halftime to secure a 20-13 win. After that drive, Ohio State University left tackle Donovan Jackson eloquently said that the Buckeyes “had to drop our nuts”; When Jackson was asked Friday if that statement applied to the fourth-quarter touchdown drive against Texas, he said, “It certainly does.”

“We knew the momentum was going to go back and forth, and we felt as an O-line that the lanes were going to open up a little bit. And when that happened, (Josh) Fryar and I were yelling in the group, ‘We have to go now.’ Like, ‘This is the drive we have to put into action,'” Jackson said. “And so being able to run the ball and defend it for as long as we did and execute it up the field just grabbing those little chunks because they weren’t giving us the long balls there ; They did a great job making sure the defense was in control. So we knew we had to get off the field because that’s what they’re going to give us, so we’re going to take what they give us. But to be able to execute it, man, that’s a mind-blowing moment right there.”

Texas gave Ohio State some help to start the drive when Malik Muhammad blocked a Will Howard pass intended for Emeka Egbuka with a defensive pass, but Howard and the Buckeyes had to make things happen from there . On their next down, Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons beat Ohio State right tackle Josh Fryar to put pressure on 3rd-and-8, but Howard skillfully evaded him by catching an 18-yard pass Carnell Tate finished to keep the drive going.

Great throw under pressure from Ohio State QB Will Howard on 3rd-and-8.

WR Carnell Tate converted the pass for an 18-yard gain. He has a game-high 7 grabs for 87 yards tonight. pic.twitter.com/VmUEU7SM27

— Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom) January 11, 2025

Howard and Gee Scott Jr. connected on 3rd-and-9 on the next down and connected on a 7-yard pass to set up a 4th-and-2 from the 34-yard line. Howard again flashed a drive down the line, checking in a quarterback run play at the line of scrimmage before following some strong blocks up front for an 18-yard gain that likely would have been a touchdown had Howard wouldn’t have stumbled on your own.

What a call @TimTebow

FIRST DAHN OHIO STATE #PMSCFPESPN2 pic.twitter.com/wXbVkq3uYr

– Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 11, 2025

“The offensive line did a great job opening up the hole for me on that last play,” Howard said in the locker room after the game. “I fell on purpose because I wanted to – I’m kidding, you can laugh, I’m kidding – but I fucking tripped and it faded a little in the end.”

Luckily for the Buckeyes, the end result of the drive would be the same. An 8-yard gain over the middle by Emeka Egbuka was followed by a 6-yard run by Judkins to the 2-yard line. After Howard was narrowly stopped trying to hit the 1st-and-goal from the 2 into the end zone, Judkins finished the drive with his second touchdown run of the night.

BUCKEYES TAKES THE LEAD IN THE FOURTH

Quinshon Judkins hits the ball for his second touchdown of the game pic.twitter.com/TeORvLn7Kc

– ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2025

Given that Texas had run 13 more offensive plays (54 to 41) in the first three quarters of the game, Ryan Day felt the Buckeyes needed to start the fourth quarter with a long touchdown drive to win the game , and that’s exactly what they did, chewing up seven minutes and 45 seconds on the clock before giving the ball back to Texas.

“At that moment I was a little worried that the defense was going to be exhausted because we (the offense) weren’t on the field much,” Day said in his postgame press conference. “We needed a big, long ride and that’s what these guys answered, and obviously Will was the leader of the group.”

Jackson said the most important thing the Buckeyes have learned about themselves since their loss to Michigan is how resilient they are as a team, and that resilience allowed them to get a different result this time in the fourth quarter with their backs against the wall to achieve.

“We knew that if we just kept going, kept going, at some point something was going to break,” Jackson said. “We had to remember who we are. You know, things don’t always go the way you want them to. They had a great defensive plan that got us into trouble a few times. We shot ourselves in the foot with penalties half the time and so we had to find a way to push ourselves, find a way to overcome the adversity and just the ability to overcome that is a testament to the resilience of this team. “