Here are 5 things we learned from the Ohio State Buckeyes' 28-14 win over Texas

Here are 5 things we learned from the Ohio State Buckeyes’ 28-14 win over Texas

Posted by Admin January 11, 2025 Football

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ARLINGTON, Texas — Here are five things we learned from No. 8 Ohio State’s 28-14 win over No. 5 Texas in their College Football Playoff semifinal on Friday night.

The Buckeyes can handle frontrunner status

The expectations surrounding the Buckeyes changed over the last month.

As a loss to Michigan sent them to rock bottom at the end of the regular season, they entered the postseason under a cloud of uncertainty.

But drubbings of Tennessee and Oregon reestablished the Buckeyes as the team to beat in the playoff, putting a bull’s-eye on them as they advanced further in the bracket.

They didn’t wither under the mounting pressure. Though they missed opportunities to extend their lead against the Longhorns after another fast start, they never fell behind and proved resilient.

Texas would twice even the score in the second and third quarters before Ohio State responded.

With a loaded roster, the Buckeyes entered this season as one of the favorites to win it all. But they never quite met those expectations during the regular season and it remained to be seen if they could live up to them as they returned in January. They proved capable as they moved on to the final.

Jim Knowles’ defense got redemption

If there has been a knock on the Buckeyes’ highly ranked defenses since Knowles took over as coordinator in 2022, it has involved a drop-off in the fourth quarter.

They have crumbled late in losses.

When they fell to Georgia in the semifinals two years ago, they blew a 14-point lead, surrendering two touchdowns within the final nine minutes.

In a narrow defeat at Michigan last season that kept Ohio State from reaching the playoff, the defense couldn’t get off the field. The Wolverines went on a seven-minute field goal drive to milk clock.

But the defensive side of the ball delivered against Texas with a clutch goal-line stand that sealed their victory.

The Longhorns had reached the 1-yard with just under four minutes left, needing only a touchdown to tie the score at 21. But the Buckeyes never allowed them to cross the goal line, a series that culminated with a strip sack by defensive end Jack Sawyer that he returned 83 yards for a score.

Penalties are costly

The Buckeyes have been disciplined this season.

Ahead of the semifinals, only five Football Bowl Subdivision teams had averaged fewer penalties per game.

But flags crippled a series of drives in the first half that prevented the Buckeyes from building on early momentum.

Ohio State committed a penalty of 10 yards or more on three straight drives that pushed it behind schedule and led to punts.

“We were stopping ourselves,” coach Ryan Day said.

The first penalty was especially costly. After running back TreVeyon Henderson went down at Texas’ 37-yard line late in the first quarter, he got up from the turf and smacked the facemask of defensive lineman Alex January, resulting in a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Instead of at least moving into field-goal range, the Buckeyes ended up facing second-and-24 from their 48-yard line, and the drive soon stalled, costing them a chance to build a two-score lead.

Their nine penalties for 75 yards were season-highs.

Texas wanted to take away Jeremiah Smith

The Longhorns were the best pass defense the Buckeyes had seen this year.

It was evident with their coverage of star freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith, limiting him to one reception for 3 yards, a dramatic departure from his hot start to the playoff.

Smith, who caught 13 passes for 290 yards and four touchdowns over the previous two playoff wins, was often covered by Jim Thorpe Award winner Jahdae Barron and saw frequent double teams with an extra safety drifting toward his side of the field.

The extra attention led quarterback Will Howard to target him only three times, the fewest in his 15 games with the Buckeyes.

Even when Howard tried to feed Smith, it proved difficult. Linebacker David Gbenda picked off Howard on the opening drive of the second half when he tried to layer a pass to Smith.

The coverage prompted Howard to lean on other weapons, including tight end Gee Scott Jr. and wide receiver Carnell Tate, on a go-ahead drive early in the fourth quarter.

The Longhorns were committed to not let Smith beat them.

Will Howard’s legs mattered

After Ohio State added Howard as a transfer from Kansas State last offseason, Day pointed to his mobility as a valuable trait.

Howard has not been a prolific rusher with the Buckeyes, but he has been swift enough in the red zone or other situations to run for the needed yards.

His biggest impact to date came on the their go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. As they faced a fourth-and-2 at Texas’ 34-yard line, he took off running to move the chains, and had he not slipped on the turf at AT&T Stadium, he was headed for the end zone.

Howard said he had the option to audible at the line of scrimmage, but Texas left a lighter box for him to run on a power play.

“The front they came out was perfect for it,” Howard said. “They weren’t really expecting it.”