Ohio State football will once again play for the national championship. With a 28-14 victory over the Texas Longhorns in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl, the Buckeyes will move on to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on January 20th. With OSU clinging to a seven-point lead, and Texas driving to try and tie the game, senior edge rusher Jack Sawyer made the play of the game. His strip, scoop and subsequent score gave the Buckeyes a 28-14 lead that would remain until the game concluded.

“JACK SAWYER SCOOP-AND-SCORE 😱,” posted ESPN's official account on X, formerly Twitter. “Ohio State is one step closer to advancing to the national championship!”

It was the latest in a long line of impact plays from Sawyer. He's come up in major spot after major spot during his tenure in Columbus, and this might have been the biggest spot yet. Now, as Sawyer and his teammates set their collective focus on Notre Dame, how will they rise to the occasion to capture the ninth national title in program history? Head coach Ryan Day and his staff will need to answer that question to the best of their abilities. Or the Buckeyes could fall short once again under his direction.

Ohio State football looks forward to upcoming CFP title game

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches during the first half of the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game against the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 10, 2025.
Mandatory Credit: © Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Since their shocking season-ending loss to rival Michigan, the Ohio State football program has played like a team reborn. They were dominant in both their Round of 16 (42-17 over the Tennessee Volunteers) and Rose Bowl (41-21 over top-ranked Oregon) and had a strong performance in Friday's win over Texas. The defense, led by Sawyer and safety Caleb Downs, forced Ewers into more than his fair share of mistakes. Day discussed how much it meant to the team for the former five-star pass rusher to step up in that moment.

“‘To make a play like that in that moment … You wanna leave a legacy behind? You become a legend. He just became a legend at Ohio State,'” ESPN's account posted on X shortly after Ohio State wrapped up the win.

The Ohio State football program has produced its fair share of legends throughout its history. After his performance in the Cotton Bowl, Sawyer has certainly etched his name into Buckeye lore. Will his name become engraved after a championship-clinching performance in Atlanta on January 20th? If the OSU faithful have their way, then title number nine will be on its way to Ohio Stadium when the clock hits midnight January 21st.