ARLINGTON, Texas — The decision got here down from the Ohio State coaches’ sales space. Not a play to be run, however a conclusion already made.
“Boy, they scored quick there,” Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Knowles remembered somebody saying from above on the headphones close to the top of Friday’s Faculty Soccer Playoff Cotton Bowl semifinal.
That was the mindset as Texas lined up first-and-goal from the Ohio State 1-yard line with just below 4 minutes to go. A tying landing to make it 21-21 appeared like a layup, a walk-in.
“They ain’t scored but,” Knowles shot again to the coaches’ sales space.
And, certainly, Texas did not. In entrance of their adoring followers of their dwelling state with a nationwide championship shot on the road, the Longhorns not solely did not rating — they have been scored on.
The satisfaction of Pickerington, Ohio, noticed to it. They’re calling defensive finish Jack Sawyer’s 83-yard scoop-and-score fumble return that sealed Ohio State’s 28-14 win the most important defensive play in program historical past.
It got here after back-to-back go interference penalties towards Ohio State arrange Texas on the one. It got here after that treasured yard to go. It got here after at the least one Ohio State coach assumed a rating. It got here after Texas was stuffed on first down, dropped for a seven-yard loss on second down, and threw incomplete on third down.
On fourth down? Sawyer time.
He got here off the left edge and consumed Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, his previous Ohio State roommate, greater than he tackled him. The ball popped free, took one hop up into Sawyer’s arms, and the previous five-star was on his approach. The Buckeyes adopted and at the moment are one sport away from a nationwide championship.
“He simply grew to become a legend in Buckeye historical past, for my part,” coach Ryan Day informed CBS Sports activities.
Sawyer’s play was a lot larger than that. It clinched a sport that, to that time, regarded altogether losable. The Buckeyes blew leads of 7-0, 14-7, and virtually 21-14 — this after dominating the primary two rounds of the playoff, outscoring opponents by a mixed 45 factors.
This after outscoring opponents 42-0 within the first quarter of three playoff video games. This sport, although, was gained by the protection. Sawyer’s protection. The nation’s No. 1 protection.
Ewers seemingly performed his final sport at Texas, coughing up that fumble and throwing an interception on the subsequent collection.
“The blokes deserve all of the reward on the earth,” Knowles mentioned. “We are the No. 1 protection within the nation. We now have a nasty play now and again.”
Not many recently.
Principally, Sawyer’s play was a bookend to what this season has turn out to be for Ohio State. This entire run may need began again on Nov. 30 following the Michigan loss.
You do not want one other retelling of how the Buckeyes rebounded from that terrible loss. You do must know Sawyer’s position within the melee aftermath.
It was the native child who was singing “Carmen, Ohio” following the 13-10 loss when he heard a disturbance, rotated, and muttered one thing like, “F-this.”
It was Sawyer who chased down these Wolverines attempting to plant the flag, ultimately wrestling it away. The ensuing ugliness overshadowed Sawyer’s sport that day: 4 tackles and his first profession interception close to the objective line to cease a Michigan drive.
It wasn’t sufficient.
Sawyer and the Buckeyes have spent the final six weeks making up for it. Late Friday evening, Buckeye Nation collectively hit its knees in thanks.
“I missed it,” Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork mentioned of Sawyer’s rating. “I used to be praying.”
For Bucknuts in every single place, will probably be a kind of video games the place you bear in mind the place you have been.
“I really like this f—–‘ — this rattling group a lot,” Sawyer mentioned, catching himself however not likely. “I would go to conflict for these guys over and time and again … Rattling, what a second.”
Sawyer was Day’s first recruit in his first full season after taking on for City Meyer, rating because the No. 6 participant within the class of 2021 behind quarterbacks Ewers and teammate J.T. Tuimoloau, amongst others. The Covid-19 pandemic meant Sawyer didn’t play his senior season at Pickerington North, however as a junior he was the OCC-Ohio Division Defensive Participant of the 12 months with 37 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 13.5 quarterback sacks.
Sawyer performed each methods, by no means coming off the sector on protection whereas additionally enjoying quarterback. As a junior, he handed for over 1,000 yards and rushed for 386 extra, with six touchdowns on the bottom, earlier than being sidelined by an damage. Sawyer additionally made the varsity basketball group as a freshman.
For some time, the Ohio State teaching workers could not work out precisely what to do with the 6-foot-5, 260-pound specimen, utilizing him as a linebacker and defensive finish. Sawyer turned down an opportunity to go to the NFL after final season. The second-team All-Massive Ten expertise then blossomed this yr with 9 sacks. He has been a part of a unit that has 16 sacks within the three playoff video games.
“Jack won’t ever purchase a drink once more within the state of Ohio,” offensive coordinator Chip Kelly mentioned. “For an Ohio child to complete the Cotton Bowl that approach …”
Sawyer completed the evening clutching the Cotton Bowl defensive MVP trophy and sporting a pretend gold chain studying “High 10.” That supposedly was a reference to ESPN’s high 10 performs. Extra to the purpose, the Cotton Bowl emblem sewn to his jersey was torn half off — an indication of the power expended.
“We talked about it earlier than the sport,” Day mentioned. “How do you create a legacy and turn out to be your individual legend? I feel he simply did it.”
It isn’t doable to quick ahead by means of the occasions that led to Sawyer’s play that vaulted Ohio State into the nationwide championship sport for the primary time in 10 years.
Ohio State scored on its first drive, punted on its subsequent 4 possessions, after which obtained a squirrely 75-yard display go go for a landing late within the first half to go forward 14-7.
With 29 seconds to go within the half, proper guard Tegra Tshabola, heart Carson Hinzman, and left guard Luke Montgomery regarded just like the Three Horsemen blocking out in entrance of tailback TreVeyon Henderson, who now has the 2 greatest positive factors of the postseason for the Buckeyes, a 66-yard run towards Oregon and that 75-yard catch-and-run.
Texas linebacker David Gbenda added a little bit of doubt when he intercepted Will Howard within the third quarter. Gbenda had gone an unbelievable 49 months between picks of Howard. He intercepted the then-Kansas State quarterback in 2020.
Ohio State obtained severe once more with a drive that took virtually half of the fourth quarter to go forward 21-14.
For what appeared like the primary time all evening, the Texas offense then sparked to life with Gunnar Helm catching a 34-yard go from Ewers. Helm then made the mind-fart choice to level on the defender he beat, incomes a misconduct penalty.
No drawback. Ewers then hit Matthew Golden tumbling backward for 27 yards to the Buckeyes’ 13. On consecutive performs from the Ohio State six, security Lathan Ransom and nook Jermaine Mathews have been referred to as for go interference.
The ball was on the one.
“That is crucial place on the sector whenever you’re that shut, attempting to punch it in,” Texas tailback Quintrevion Wisner mentioned. “We had a way of urgency.”
Not sufficient of 1. It was on this discipline a yr in the past that an Ohio State group decimated by accidents and defections misplaced to Missouri 14-3 within the Cotton Bowl.
“A bitter style in our mouth,” is how Sawyer described it. “We heard quite a lot of issues. Then we got here again and heard the identical issues a month in the past.”
Failure is one heck of a motivator. Coming off the sting to destroy the quarterback is a heck of a rush, too.
“I felt like I used to be in quicksand,” Sawyer mentioned. “I used to be attempting to get to the top zone so quick.”
For the second straight yr, Texas’ season resulted in a playoff semifinal, within the pink zone, with all the pieces on the road. Final yr, the Longhorns’ season ran out of downs on the Washington 12 within the Sugar Bowl.
“I feel that is how life is,” Ewers surmised. “You are going to get punched within the face in some laborious moments.”
