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The Texas offense has really struggled to get going in the first half against Ohio State, as they trail 14-7 at halftime of the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Cotton Bowl. The Longhorns have struggled to do just about anything offensively, whether it be running, passing, catching or blocking.
During the first half, right tackle Cameron Williams was whistled for a costly false start penalty that put Texas behind the chains. The penalty was Williams' 14th of the season, which leads all FBS offensive linemen this season according to Matt Miller of ESPN.
Despite the penalty issues that Williams has had this season, Texas will be happy to have both of its starting tackles back healthy in this one. Williams missed the Peach Bowl quarterfinal against Arizona State due to an injury, and that was a big reason why the Texas offense sputtered for much of that game.
On the other side, Kelvin Banks Jr. is starting at left tackle for Texas after dealing with ankle injuries for a lot of this season. Banks has a chance to be a top 10 pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft and is one of the best offensive linemen in the country, so that is a major addition for Steve Sarkisian and company. With both Williams and Banks in the lineup, this Texas offense is much harder to stop.
The offensive line hasn't been able to generate much push in the run game so far for Texas, which leaves a lot on the shoulders of Quinn Ewers and the passing game. So far, Ewers has struggled for the most part despite some solid pass protection from that very good offensive line in front of him.
Ewers and the Texas passing game found some momentum on the final drive of the first half when they were able to finally move the ball down the field. Ewers punctuated the drive with a beautiful touchdown throw to running back Jaydon Blue to tie the game at seven. However, Ohio State answered with a 75-yard touchdown on their next offensive snap to take a touchdown lead into the half.
The Texas defense has shown that it can keep the team in the game, and it will have to continue to do so if the Longhorns are going to have a chance to advance. However, Williams, Banks, Ewers and the rest of the offense must step up in the second half to get the win and move on to the title game.
