ARLINGTON, Texas – Last offseason, Ohio State made its final 2024 goal clear: “Natty or bust.” The Buckeyes knew they had a team capable of winning a national championship After Friday night, the Scarlet and Gray are on the precipice of accomplishing what they set out to do.
Ohio State defeated Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl. That College Football Playoff semifinal win put the Buckeyes into the national championship game against Notre Dame in just over a week.
After consecutive blowout wins, the Scarlet and Gray played in a tight contest for the first time in the postseason. Ohio State created its own issues at times, while the Longhorn defense presented problems the Buckeyes hadn’t had to answer.
Ultimately, the Scarlet and Gray were able to do enough offensively and make the necessary defensive stops to get the victory and book their spot in the national championship game.
DONATE TO ‘THE FOUNDATION’: Click here now to assist with Name, Image and Likeness compensation for Ohio State football and basketball student-athletes.
Let’s get into our initial takeaways from the Playoff semifinal win.
JACK SAWYER CALLED HIS SHOT
A year ago, after Ohio State left the Cotton Bowl losers to Missouri in what was essentially a meaningless game, many of the Buckeye upperclassmen decided to come back for their senior seasons. The ringleader of the mass return was defensive end Jack Sawyer.
A Pickerington, Ohio native, Sawyer was a lifelong Scarlet and Gray fan and, having never beaten Michigan or won a championship, couldn’t imagine leaving Ohio State without a legacy in place.
After this year’s Cotton Bowl performance, Sawyer’s name is forever etched in Buckeye lore.
The play Ohio State fans will remember came on fourth-and-goal from the Scarlet and Gray’s eight-yard line with just over two minutes to play. Sawyer ran right by right tackle Cameron Williams, stripped the ball from quarterback Quinn Ewers and picked the ball up before going 83 yards for the game-winning touchdown. It’s a play that, assuming the Buckeyes finish the job in the national championship game, will go down as one of the greatest in the program’s long history.
Sawyer, the Cotton Bowl Defensive Most Valuable Player, finished the game with three total tackles, one tackle for a loss, one sack and a team-best two pass break ups. Since Ohio State’s mid-season loss to Oregon, when the Buckeyes “re-engineered” the defense, Sawyer has been playing the best football of his career, with 37 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks, seven passes defended, two fumble recoveries and two touchdowns.
It’s clear Sawyer didn’t want his college career to end.
