Ohio State and Texas were locked in a tight semifinal that turned chaotic late in the fourth quarter. With the game tied at 14, Ohio State quarterback Devin Brown kept it on fourth and two, muscled forward for the first down, then handed off to his backfield, who eventually punched it in for the go-ahead score. That drive was capped with a touchdown and a solid PAT, making it 21–14.
Texas answered with a strong drive of its own. A smart fake block and release by the receiver led to a big catch and run, but it ended with an unsportsmanlike flag after the receiver tossed the DB and pointed at him. That 15-yard penalty didn’t kill the drive, but it added pressure. On the next sequence, Texas got two pass interference calls near the end zone but still couldn’t cash in. Down on the goal line, Ohio State’s defense came up big with a blown-up pitch play, near sack on third, and finally a strip sack by Jack Sawyer on fourth. Sawyer scooped up his own forced fumble and took off downfield, sealing the game with a huge momentum swing. It was extra sweet for him, since he tackled his former roommate and Texas QB, Quinn Ewers.
Despite a late possession, Texas never recovered. Their final pass was picked off by Ohio State’s No. 2, who saw it coming the whole way. That sealed the game. What was a close battle suddenly became lopsided in the final minutes. Ohio State moves on. Texas goes home.