A battle of two college football heavyweights became an instant classic, and Ohio State fans will forever remember defensive end Jack Sawyer chugging down the sideline to put away Friday’s 28-14 College Football Playoff semifinal win over Texas.
Ohio State’s vaunted offense was slowed. The defense stood firm when needed. And the Buckeyes now prepare to face Notre Dame in the Jan. 20 championship.
How did the Buckeyes grade in Friday’s game? Leaves are awarded on a zero-to-five basis.
Ohio State offense (2 leaves)
Sloppy and ineffective. That summed up most of the night for the Ohio State offense, as the Buckeyes looked electric at the beginning before Texas’ defense got the upper hand.
Untimely penalties plagued a team that had been clean for so long. Freshman phenom receiver Jeremiah Smith was not a factor, with one catch for 3 yards. A screen pass that TreVeyon Henderson turned into a stunning 75-yard touchdown just before halftime changed the game.
More:Does Ohio State have best college sports tradition? Vote now!
Give credit to the Texas defense, though. Certainly, Notre Dame will take note of the fits Longhorns defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski gave the Buckeyes with a two-deep safety approach. He was determined to avoid big plays. His plan worked because, as the game went on, the Ohio State offensive line was getting worked over.
Quarterback Will Howard was OK, completing 24 of 33 passes for 289 yards, a touchdown and an interception. But a QB who hadn’t been sacked since Nov. 9 was put down twice for 17 yards. He did have a huge run on fourth down late in the game, and it made many wonder why Ohio State doesn’t run him more. (But one question: Why does Howard always fall down when he’s in the open field?)
Ohio State defense (4 leaves)
Jim Knowles went against the grain, seemingly unafraid of Steve Sarkisian’s play-calling prowess. The Buckeyes defense was in attack mode, intent on making Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers panic. The pressure mostly worked, but they were beaten twice for TDs on the exact same wheel route. On the first, linebacker Sonny Styles got beat one-on-one by Jaydon Blue. On the second, Styles blitzed and Blue was left all alone for an easier score.
More:Is Ohio State the best college for sports fans? Vote now!
Credit the Ohio State secondary for making life difficult on former teammate Ewers, who likes to get rid of the ball quickly. Ewers is fairly immobile, so when he had to hold the ball, he was in trouble. He was sacked four times and hurried a lot. He completed 23 of 39 passes for 283 yards, the two TDs and an interception in what is expected to be his final college game.
Styles led all tacklers with nine and had a sack. J.T. Tuimoloau had seven tackles and 1.5 sacks. And, of course, Sawyer had the strip sack/TD that will go down in Buckeye lore.
Ohio State special teams (3 leaves)
Joe McGuire had a nice punting day, averaging 42 yards on six tries, including one that ended at the Texas 9 in the second quarter.
There were no Ohio State field goal attempts or kickoff returns. Emeka Egbuka returned one punt for minus-1 yard.
Ohio State coaching (3 leaves)
This game was close because Texas played the Buckeyes tough, but also because Ohio State couldn’t figure out the Texas defense. The Buckeyes also appeared undisciplined, committing nine penalties for 75 yards after being called for only five for 39 yards total against Tennessee and Oregon.
Knowles had a better day than offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
Fun quotient (5 leaves)
These were two legendary programs fighting until the end. After Ohio State’s fairly easy opening drive, every possession carried drama on a big stage.
For the football junkies, these were two great matchups: Sarkisian vs. Knowles and Kwiatkowski vs. Kelly. Two chess matches right down to the end.
Texas Longhorns (5 leaves)
Sarkisian’s crew was a big underdog, with the Buckeyes getting 6 points in most betting books. The Longhorns had a good defensive game plan and executed it very well. The offense hung around against a good, fast defense.
Until Sawyer’s magic, this game could have gone either way.
Officials (3 leaves)
The Buckeyes caught a big break in the second quarter when officials missed pass interference on safety Jordan Hancock, who pulled the jersey of Texas receiver Ryan Wingo on a deep pass on third-and-6. It was 7-0 and could have been a play that kept a drive alive.
Officials made good use of replay in the second quarter to show Ewers didn’t make a first down on a scramble, and also to determine that Arch Manning didn’t fumble on a fourth-down run later in the quarter. The Longhorns scored three plays after Manning’s run.
Get more Ohio State football news by listening to our podcasts
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
