Ohio State sophomore Carnell Tate (17) and senior running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) celebrate after Henderson’s touchdown in the dying seconds of the first half to make it 14-0 in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Texas Jan. 10. The Buckeyes defeated the Longhorns 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
ATLANTA — Though the final score showed a 28-14 Ohio State victory over Texas in the Cotton Bowl, those who watched saw an alarmingly neck-and-neck game.
In fact, if it were not for Jack Sawyer’s 83-yard touchdown with two minutes left, the Buckeyes may not have traveled to Atlanta for the National Championship this weekend.
Despite the semifinal win, Ohio State has plenty to correct and clean up ahead of Monday’s College Football Playoff title game against Notre Dame.
In the Buckeyes’ first two playoff games against Tennessee and Oregon, they combined for five penalties, which cost them 39 yards.
Against Texas alone, the Buckeyes committed nine penalties for 75 yards.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day acknowledged that this penalty pattern stalled numerous drives.
“We’re disappointed in the fact that we really let four drives get away, five with the turnover in the game, with penalties,” Day said in a post-Cotton Bowl press conference Jan. 12.
Running back TreVeyon Henderson and offensive lineman Austin Siereveld each accounted for a dead ball, 15-yard penalty against Texas. That was on top of multiple offensive holding calls and an illegal procedure late in the game.
Most of the Buckeyes’ penalties resulted in an Ohio State punt.
“The fact that we turned the ball over once and then had the four drives that really got behind the sticks, two 15-yarders and two holding calls, we certainly have the right and opportunity to persevere through those penalties, but [it] certainly sets us way behind the sticks, and we cannot have that in this game,” Day said.
To “leave no doubt” against the Irish, Day said the Buckeyes must play a clean game in order to put themselves in the best position to win.
“We feel like we need to play our best game in this game, and we know that,” Day said. “There’s nobody that came back on offense and was pleased with the fact that we had those penalties.”
In the spirit of playing more disciplined, Ohio State must also limit turnovers.
Against the Longhorns, Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard was nearly picked off early on, before ultimately throwing an interception in the third quarter.
In the turnover margin, Notre Dame’s defensive unit is the best in the country, as it has amassed 32 turnovers in 15 games.
Day knows the Buckeyes must play mistake-free football to ensure their first National Championship in 10 years.
“This is a team here that we’re about to play against that has been unbelievable about creating turnovers and creating scores after their turnovers,” Day said. “So efficiency is going to be something that we’ve got to do a much better job of in this game if we’re going to win it.”
Ohio State’s defense also struggled to contain the Texas running backs out of the backfield in the receiving game. Longhorns rushers Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner were the top two receivers for Texas and combined for 11 receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
The Buckeyes must also be prepared for Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love out of the backfield, with Love being one of the country’s best overall running backs.
If Ohio State manages to correct its wrongs from the Cotton Bowl, there’s no stopping the Buckeyes from winning the 2024 National Championship.
