Ohio State pulls away from Texas in the Cotton Bowl to reach the College Football Playoff championship game.

The monstrous video board inside AT&T Stadium showed a Texas fan at a loss for words, unable to accept what she’d just seen.

Finally, she spoke.

“Holy (expletive),” she said, in a daze, while Ohio State fans celebrated.

That just happened.

A Texas drive that reached the 1-yard line ended in a Buckeyes touchdown going the other direction.

Game over.

Ohio State to the national championship game.

Texas enters the offseason.

The Buckeyes did not make it easy for themselves in their 28-14 Cotton Bowl victory, but Jack Sawyer saved them with a strip-sack of Quinn Ewers late in the fourth.

Sawyer picked up the pigskin, rumbled 83 yards, denying Texas a chance to tie the game, and sealed Ohio State’s triumph.

Ohio State shows mettle, even when the juggernaut does not show up.
This College Football Playoff semifinal had no juggernauts, just a club that demonstrated enough fourth-quarter tenacity to defeat Texas.

In a 12-team playoff, Ohio State would have to win four games to win the championship, including one without their best fastball.

This was it.

Survive. Advance. Not every victory is intended for the Louvre.

Ohio State’s first two postseason victories were gold stars, repositioning the Buckeyes as front-runners.

This victory over Texas was hardly a perfect effort, but it did add another tick to a box.

Buckeyes stand tall in the Cotton Bowl fourth quarter.
Quinshon Judkins put his index finger to his lips after scoring the game-winning touchdown on a fourth-quarter rush.

Of course, things couldn’t be so simple. Texas had one last counterpunch in it.

Texas was three feet away from tying the game after two Ohio State pass interference penalties. Ohio State held the line on first down until Texas called a risky toss sweep on second down, which the Buckeyes fumbled for a 7-yard loss. Following a third-down incompletion, Texas’ season hinged on Ewers completing the biggest pass of his career.

He never received the pass-off. Sawyer made sure of it.

Notre Dame should take heart from this night. The Irish might compete with this Buckeyes team in the national title game. Buckeyes fans, on the other hand, should be relieved that Ohio State made enough big plays at the right time to overcome one of the nation’s best defenses.

Yeah, this wasn’t the same Ohio State team that destroyed Tennessee or blasted Oregon, but the Buckeyes won against a tenacious opponent.

Regardless of the Longhorns’ higher ranking, this is the outcome you expected if you’ve followed the Buckeyes in the postseason – if not in the way you expected.

The scary monster from the first two rounds of the CFP did not appear here. In his place came a Buckeyes team that had an answer for every time Texas tied the game.

Ohio State had to deal with drive-killing penalties as well as an interception from Will Howard.

In a devastating loss to Michigan six weeks ago, Howard threw his second interception. Not this time. Instead, he ran 18 yards on a fourth-down draw, setting up Judkins’ go-ahead touchdown.

Sawyer handled the remainder.

As the final seconds ticked away, Sawyer and coach Ryan Day rejoiced on the sidelines. Day patted Sawyer on the cheek, and the large defensive lineman, who had recovered from his lengthy dash, smiled.

Holy moly, Buckeyes, you’re heading to Atlanta.