Ohio State's spectacular seniors deliver another gem as Buckeyes head to National Championship Game

It wasn't always pretty, but the Ohio State Buckeyes prevailed as winners of the Cotton Bowl. Their 28-14 battle against Texas was sloppy for both teams, with drops, penalties, and missed throws ending drives and creating uncertainty. Although the Buckeyes were dominating much of the game, Texas hung around long enough to induce anxiety entering the fourth quarter of a tied matchup.

Throughout the Ryan Day era, Ohio State has had issues in these moments. The 2024-25 season has been a little different, with the Buckeyes beating Penn State in Happy Valley in similar circumstances, then beating Indiana, Tennessee, and Oregon to a pulp. The sharpness from the last two games was gone, but Ohio State's stellar seniors stepped up when the team was wobbled.

There were plenty of frustrating moments for the Buckeyes, and they nearly suffered an upset loss despite being a 6.5-point favorite. They converted only 3-of-10 third downs, and ran for only 81 yards. Ohio State committed nine penalties for 75 yards, again losing the discipline battle in a big game.

But the big moments belonged to the Buckeyes, and their stars swung the outcome. It seemed as though the Buckeyes were about to blitz Texas from the jump as they did the Ducks, racing out to a defensive stop and then an aggressive touchdown drive, but the Buckeyes stumbled over themselves on offense until right before halftime.

Then, TreVeyon Henderson housed a screen pass for a 75-yard score. His weaving through the traffic left Texas stunned after they had just tied the game. It was the rare haymaker Ohio State has delivered right after getting rocked.

The third quarter gave the Buckeyes the chance to extend their lead, but again, penalties, drops, a bad predetermined interception from quarterback Will Howard, and an odd pitch call ruined their drives. This shouldn't have been a tied game entering the final frame.

Special performances defined the fourth quarter, including Howard orchestrating a 7 minute, 45 second touchdown drive that featured nine straight passes and a clutch 16-yard run to convert a fourth down. Left tackle Donovan Jackson has continued to be an unsung hero, allowing zero quarterback pressures all game. And then, there was the defense.

Jack Sawyer's scoop and score for a touchdown on fourth down became an iconic moment in the program's history. Of course it was the hometown kid who came up clutch again, only six weeks after he gave the Buckeyes the chance to beat Michigan with a goal line interception. Sawyer totaled one sack and six quarterback hurries against projected 2025 first-round tackles Kelvin Banks and Cameron Williams. 

Teammated JT Tuimoloau was also on fire, logging two sacks in the first half before getting rolled up on. He suffered an ankle injury that clearly limited his effectiveness in the second half, but he still disrupted several run plays with his power. Both players helped rewrite their career narratives of strugglign with consistency and impact plays.

Cody Simon was another consistent force. The Block O representative made five run stops and set the tone against a Texas offense that had to resort to dump off passes to their running backs to have any success. 

Others obviously had huge moments, including senior Lathan Ransom, junior Sonny Styles, and sophomore Caleb Downs. The seniors, though, led the way, and have the Buckeyes as huge favorites entering the National Championship Game against Notre Dame.