If opposing offenses haven't learned yet, scoring a touchdown near the goal line is a tough task against Ohio State's defense.
The Buckeyes proved that for the first time this season in their first top-five win of the year against Penn State in early November. Ohio State did it again later that month against Michigan, a goal-line stand ending with Jack Sawyer picking off Davis Warren in a game Buckeye Nation would love to forget.
Then, on the second-biggest stage of the season, they did it for a third time, proving yet again that they have a bend-but-don't-break defense to beat Texas, 28-14, and secure a spot in the national championship game.
Holding a 21-14 lead with 6:58 left, the Buckeyes needed one more stop to secure the win. Texas began the drive on its 25-yard line. Four plays and less than two minutes later, the Longhorns had the ball on Ohio State's 13-yard line.
After back-to-back defensive pass interference penalties, Texas had the ball at the 1-yard line with a chance to tie the game with just under four minutes remaining.
It was at that moment that goal-line-stand mode was activated for the Ohio State defense:
4:00 - 1st-and-Goal: Jerrick Gibson Runs for No Gain
Texas puts in its goal-line package and runs it right at JT Tuimoloau, but even with an injured ankle, the defense end pushes his blocker to the side and stops the Longhorns' running back at the line of scrimmage.
"I'm telling you, you can try (running the ball at the goal line) but it is tough to do," Chris Fowler said after the play.
He was correct.
3:19 - 2nd-and-Goal: Quintrevion Wisner Runs for 7-yard Loss
Texas tried to get cute and put in two wide receivers and used a pistol formation to switch it up against Ohio State. Caleb Downs and Lathan Ransom show off their instincts and both get in the backfield. While Downs was stiff-armed, he did enough to stop Wisner before Ransom dropped him seven yards behind the line of scrimmage.
2:36 - 3rd-and-Goal: Quinn Ewers' Incomplete Pass
Under center didn't work. Pistol didn't look. This time, Texas went in shotgun with three wide receivers on the outside. Sawyer gets passed his opposing offensive lineman on the inside even though he was held a bit and forces Ewers to throw an incompletion intended for Ryan Wingo.
2:29 - 4th-and-Goal: Jack Sawyer's Strip-Sack Scoop-and-Score
On a gotta-have-it play for Texas, Ewers is once again in shotgun, this time with four receivers out wide. Sawyer easily gets passed the right tackle, runs down Ewers, strips the ball, and takes it 83 yards for a game-clinching touchdown.
JACK SAWYER SCOOP AND SCORE pic.twitter.com/hkcJ1Mxip1
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A story in four parts. pic.twitter.com/Pdz1mhdYiU
— Garrick Hodge (@Garrick_Hodge) January 11, 2025
Pandemonium ensued.
Another angle of Jack Sawyer's scoop-and-score touchdown
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) January 11, 2025
( Instagram/timjanderson) pic.twitter.com/XDdl4rx0hb
Give Jack Sawyer his chain and give him his flowerspic.twitter.com/xS3lTDB88u
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) January 11, 2025
“Shit, I guess just don’t fall like Will did. I’m joking. I’m kidding," Sawyer said after the game. "But seriously, I hit about the 30, and I look back, and I’m like, ‘I hope I got some blockers. I’m running out of steam here.’ But they were running with me side by side. That just speaks volumes to who this team is, too. We always have each other’s backs. It was a special moment. I love the state of Ohio. I love Ohio State football. Man, like I said a million times after the game, God is great. He’s put this team in such a great spot. I’m just so fortunate to play in the national championship my last year here.”
Everything is certainly bigger in Texas, and Sawyer cemented his name in Columbus forever with one of the biggest plays in Ohio State's storied history to finish off a legendary, game-sealing goal-line stand for the Buckeye defense.
