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Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian reacts as he heads to the locker room after the Longhorns’ 28-14 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semi-final at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Jan. 10, 2025. (Via OlyDrop)
The game was within Texas’ reach with about half of the fourth quarter left against Ohio State. Or, at least, tying it was within reach — until it suddenly wasn’t.
Trailing the Buckeyes by a touchdown in Friday’s College Football Playoff semifinal game at the Cotton Bowl Classic, the Longhorns were marching up the field, and with the help of a couple pass interference calls against Ohio State, they were at first-and-goal on the one-yard line with less than four minutes left.
First up was a run from Jerrick Gibson for no gain. Then it was running back Quintrevion Wisner’s turn to try, and while he briefly looked like he had a chance, he was ultimately taken down by Buckeyes safety Lathan Ransom for a loss of seven. Then an incomplete pass from Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers on third down, followed by the final dagger: a strip-sack from Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer (and Ewers’ former roommate) that he returned for a touchdown.
Ohio State won, 28-14, and advanced to the national title game, while the Longhorns lost in the CFP semifinals for the second straight year.
The goal-line play calling was certainly confusing, and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian shed some light on it after the game.
He said (just after the seven-minute mark):
“When we got down to the one, we went to a heavy package, which is Jerrick’s package. So we ran it, and we obviously didn’t get much movement at all.
“And we had a plan to try to get the ball on the edge when we got down there. They went to big people. I can’t quite tell — it was on the far side of where it got leaky.
“But that’s one of those plays,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/steve-sarkisian-explains-texas-baffling-195721786.html
Author : FTW Outdoors
Publish date : 2025-01-11 19:57:00
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