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Texas football lost 28-14 to Ohio State in the CFP semifinal on Friday night for a variety of reasons, and no amount of post-game analysis will ease the pain for the program's fans. However, head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns (13-3) must learn from their mistakes if they ever hope to reach the National Championship.
Who's most to blame for the collapse?
HC Steve Sarkisian
Although Sarkisian isn't a player, one could argue that he's the most at fault. With Texas down 21-14 and 3:14 left in the fourth quarter, the 2023 AP Big 12 Coach of the Year called a toss sweep on second-and-goal from the one-yard line, resulting in a seven-yard loss.
Sarkisian had just called a run up the middle that got stuffed on first down, so it was understandable to switch it up. However, running a toss sweep out of the shotgun formation put running back Quintrevion Wisner in a difficult position. The sophomore had to cover about eight yards of ground for a one-yard run in one of the most important moments of the season.
Sarkisian, though, defended the play call, via USA Today's Blake Toppmeyer.
“That's one of those plays if you block it all right, you get in the end zone,” the former Alabama assistant said. “We didn't.”
Buckeyes (13-2) safety Caleb Downs shot into the backfield untouched, almost as if he knew the play was coming.
“You could see it on film,” the sophomore said. “They like that play when big moments come up.”
Downs couldn't bring down Wisner, but his pursuit forced the tailback to the sideline, allowing fellow safety Lathan Ransom to finish the job.
“They’ve done that throughout the year – crack tosses to the boundary,” Downs said. “I’m just happy that, when I missed the tackle, Lathan made it.”
Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers threw an incompletion on the next play before fumbling on a fourth-down sack, leading to Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer's scoop and score to ice the contest.
No game is decided on one play, but it's best to keep it simple in crunch time. Sarkisian put extra pressure on his players by trying to outsmart the other team instead of letting Texas' talent take care of it.
RB Quintrevion Wisner
Wisner was reliable in the regular season, totaling 1,046 rushing yards on 226 carries (4.7 average) with four touchdowns. The 6-foot, 200-pounder also had 44 catches for 311 yards and a score through the air.
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However, Wisner was quiet on the ground in the CFP quarterfinal against Arizona State (18 carries for 45 yards), and that continued on Friday night. The Texas native totaled just 46 yards on 17 carries against the Buckeyes, good for just 2.7 yards per carry.
A team's running game is never all about the tailback, as run blocking is also a crucial part of the equation. With that being said, Wisner wasn't effective when he did have open space, as his longest run was just 13 yards.
The Longhorns' subpar rushing attack forced them to rely on the pass, creating an uphill battle against Ohio State's stout defense. Wisner did help in that area, as he had six catches for 42 yards.
In total, though, his 3.7 yards per touch wasn't enough to move the needle against an elite opponent. These games come down to whose stars shine the brightest, and the Buckeyes were more explosive.
QB Quinn Ewers
Ewers etched his name into Texas history by leading the program to its first two CFP berths. However, part of the redshirt junior's legacy will also be turning the ball over on his last two drives in a Longhorns uniform.
Ewers spoke on the ill-timed sack-fumble, via The Houston Chronicle's Kirk Bohls.
“I thought I was going to be able to get the ball off before (Sawyer) got there,” Ewers said. “Obviously, it's not like I tried to give them the game. But I saw Jack running with the ball down the sideline. He’s a great player. But it sucks, man. It just sucks.”
Ewers didn't get enough help from his supporting cast, but great quarterbacks can cover their team's warts when it counts. The 21-year-old's fumble and interception to close out the game is a bittersweet way to cap a quality collegiate career, but that's the unforgiving nature of sports.
Texas will have a new-look team going forward, similar to most teams in today's NIL era. Freshman quarterback Arch Manning will take the reigns as a sophomore next season as Ewers likely enters the NFL Draft, and the Longhorns will lose eight senior starters. However, they already have four new transfer commits, via On3.
Part of the pain of losing games of this magnitude is now knowing when the next opportunity will be. On the bright side, though, Sarkisian has built up a good enough foundation for the team to stay competitive in the post-Ewers era.
