ARLINGTON, Texas – Jack Sawyer had a moment that will last long beyond his playing days at Ohio State. Another win would of course make it even better.

Sawyer sacked Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers – his former roommate – and returned the fumble 83 yards for the game-winning touchdown in a 28-14 win over the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night, giving the Buckeyes a shot at their sixth AP national title gave.

“We talked before the game about leaving a legacy, becoming your old legend. And there are some people on this team today that I believe will become legends in Ohio State history,” said coach Ryan Day. “Now they have ten more days together and the opportunity to tell their story if they win another one.”

Led by Ohio native Sawyer and Quinshon Judkins, who scored two touchdowns, the Buckeyes (13-2) earned a semifinal victory in the same stadium where they were champions a decade ago when the College Football Playoff played a four-game format Teams debuted. Now they have a chance to be winners again with an expanded 12-team field in the first season.

Ohio State plays Orange Bowl champion Notre Dame on Jan. 20 in Atlanta. It could be quite an end for the Big Ten Buckeyes after losing to rival Michigan on November 30th.

Sawyer got to Ewers on a fourth-and-goal from the 8, batting the ball loose before picking it up and stumbling to the other end zone with 2:13 left. It was the longest fumble return in CFP history.

“I saw the ball pop out right in front of me after I tackled it. I just thought I had to stay on my feet because I almost fainted when I picked it up and saw a pile of green grass in front of me. said Sawyer.

Ewers and Sawyer lived in Columbus for a semester before the quarterback transferred to Texas. Ewers helped lead the Longhorns (13-3) to consecutive CFP semifinals, but next season will be their 20th since they won their last national title in 2005 with Vince Young.

“I felt him. I started drifting away, thinking I could get the ball away before it got there,” Ewers said. “I saw Jack running down the touchline with the ball. … Jack is a good player who made a great play.”

Texas had advanced to the 1, aided by two pass interference penalties in the end zone, before Quintrevion Wisner was stopped for a 7-yard loss. Ewers then threw a third-down incompletion while being pressured by Sawyer before the defensive touchdown.

“He’s everything we could want in a captain,” Day said. “To make a play like that in that moment… He just became a legend at Ohio State.”

Judkins, a transfer from Mississippi, had a 1-yard touchdown for a 21-14 lead with 7:02 remaining and capped a 13-play, 88-yard drive at 7:45. That score came four plays after quarterback Will Howard converted what probably should have been a score with a tumbling 18-yard run on a fourth-and-2 from the Texas 34.

“That fourth down was huge. …I fell on purpose. I’m kidding,” Howard said. “A statement drive. We needed that.”

Howard was 24 of 33 passing for 289 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He was playing his first game at AT&T Stadium since leading Kansas State to a win over undefeated TCU in the Big 12 championship two years ago. During his time at K-State, he was 0-3 as a starter against the Longhorns, including an overtime thriller in Austin last season.

Ewers finished 23 of 39 for 283 yards with two TD passes to Jaydon Blue and an interception after getting the ball back one final time. It may have been his last game for the Longhorns since entering the NFL draft.

Texas won the Big 12 title last season before moving to the SEC.

Not so fast

The Buckeyes took the lead on their first drive of the game when Judkins scored on a 9-yard run. It looked like they might get off to a fast start again after jumping out to 21-0 and 34-0 leads in their first two playoff games.

But Ohio State then stumbled on four consecutive possessions before Texas made it 7-0 with 29 seconds left in the first half on Ewers’ 18-yard touchdown pass to Blue. Arch Manning, the backup and future starting quarterback, kept that drive going as he converted an 8-yarder on fourth-and-1 from midfield – his only play of the game.

Immediately after Texas’ first TD, Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson turned a screen pass into a 75-yard touchdown, followed a wall of blockers, darted through an open gap and sprinted into the end zone.

A great escape

Blue had a tying 26-yard TD catch with 3:12 left in the third quarter. The drive featured a great play by Ewers, who was pulled down by Sawyer on third-and-10 when he managed to sneakily scoop the ball to Wisner for a 13-yard gain.

Next

As Ohio State prepares for the CFP title game, Texas awaits a rematch with the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in the previously scheduled 2025 season opener on August 30.

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