Texas fans didn’t wait for the final whistle of Friday’s Cotton Bowl loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes to criticize Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian.
“Worst play I’ve ever seen,” read one post on X after Texas blew a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, only to give up the winning touchdown moments later.
Texas had gotten to the goal line, helped by two pass interference penalties in the end zone. Trailing 21-14 with two minutes left, the Longhorns simply had to gain a single yard to put the Buckeyes behind.
But instead of running between the tackles, Sarkisian called for a sweep from a shotgun formation, placing running back Quintrevion Wisner well behind the line of scrimmage. And when Buckeyes defenders easily sniffed out the unfortunate left throw, Wisner quickly fell for a seven-yard loss.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers would throw an incomplete pass on the next play before being stripped by Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer on fourth down.
Sawyer, who actually roomed with Ewers before the quarterback’s transfer to Texas, took off, returning the fumble 83 yards to give Ohio State a 28-14 victory and a chance to play against Notre Dame in the game. national championship.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns and head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes meet after Ohio State beat Texas 28-14 in Friday’s Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
Texas fans didn’t even wait for the final whistle of Friday’s Cotton Bowl loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes to criticize Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian.
“Steve Sarkisian with some of the worst plays of all time (sic) in a big spot,” one fan wrote. “I just gave the game to Ohio State.”
“Sarkisian has to go,” added another. ‘First and goal from 1 and you give up 7 points on the other side? You have to fire him. Just absurdly stupid plays. I’ve never seen anything sillier in my entire life than that pitch game.
One fan was more succinct: “Steve Sarkisian’s goal-line decision was horrendous.”
“Ryan Day stopped calling plays this year,” one fan wrote about the once-beleaguered Ohio State coach. ‘Steve Sarkisian didn’t do it. And calling plays there will cost Texas a chance to win the national championship.
Sarkisian offered an explanation afterward, suggesting the offensive lineman botched his assignments on the play.
“When we got there, they went to the big guys,” Sarkisian said of the OSU formation. ‘I couldn’t tell, I was on the other side of where it had leaked, but it’s one of those plays, if you block it right, you get to the end zone. We didn’t do that and we lost quite a few yards.’
Quinshon Judkins ran for two touchdowns before Sawyer’s fumble return gave Day’s team a chance at its sixth national title.
The Buckeyes (13-2) achieved the semifinal victory in the same stadium where they were champions 10 years ago in the debut of the College Football Playoff with a four-team format. Now they have a chance to be winners again in the debut of the expanded 12-team field.
Quinn Ewers is sacked by his former roommate, Jack Sawyer, who recovered the fumble
Ohio State plays Orange Bowl champion Notre Dame in Atlanta on Jan. 20
Ewers and Sawyer were roommates in Columbus during the quarterback’s semester there before transferring to Texas and helping lead the Longhorns (13-3) to back-to-back CFP semifinals. But next season will be their 20th since they won their last national title under Vince Young in 2005.
Judkins had a 1-yard touchdown for a 21-14 lead with 7:02 left. That score came four plays after quarterback Will Howard converted fourth-and-2 from the Texas 34 with an 18-yard run that was a near-score.
Howard completed 24 of 33 passes for 289 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Ewers finished 23 of 39 for 283 yards with two touchdown passes to Jaydon Blue and an interception after getting the ball back one last time.