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Ohio State Buckeyes Survive Cotton Bowl Nail-Biter Against Texas

The Ohio State Buckeyes are National Championship-bound after defeating the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl, 28-14.

Dylan Feltovich

Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Gee Scott Jr. (88) and Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) gets ready to enter the field for final warm ups at the Cotton Bowl Classic for their game against Texas Longhorns in the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January, 10, 2025.
Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Gee Scott Jr. (88) and Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) gets ready to enter the field for final warm ups at the Cotton Bowl Classic for their game against Texas Longhorns in the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January, 10, 2025. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Ohio State Buckeyes are back in the National Championship after defeating the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl, 28-14.

With the Longhorns stout defense, it was the Buckeyes running back duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins that helped out the offensive efforts on Friday. The two backs combined for three of the team's four touchdowns, along with a total of 175 offensive yards.

Ohio State's offense was unable at times to generate any production through the air. Quarterback Will Howard finished with 289 passing yards and one touchdown, while also throwing a critical interception late in the matchup. The Longhorns defense came into the contest as one of the best secondary units in the country, and they proved their ability to disguise coverages before the snap on Friday. This led to freshman star Jeremiah Smith's quiet night, as he finished with one catch for three yards.

Despite all the offensive woes in the passing game, Buckeyes' sophomore wide receiver Carnell Tate emerged as the team's leading receiver against the Longhorns. The former highly-touted recruit finished with seven catches for 87 yards.

The defense, however, became Ohio State's main catalyst in the Cotton Bowl, especially with the game on the line. Even though the Longhorns' offense managed to get in the red zone with less than three minutes in the contest, the Buckeyes' goal-line defense held strong. Safety Lathan Ransom had a a huge 7-yard tackle for loss, which was followed up by a forced fumble from Jack Sawyer that he took back for a game-sealing touchdown.

Veteran defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau was a difference-maker up front, as he finished with 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for losses.

The Buckeyes are now set to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the National Championship.

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Dylan Feltovich
DYLAN FELTOVICH

Dylan Feltovich attended John Carroll University and started working for numerous sites in the On SI network in 2023 as a staff writer. He has covered high school and college events around the Northeast Ohio area for several years.

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