No. 8 Ohio State punched its ticket to the national title game with a 28-14 victory over No. 5 Texas in the Cotton Bowl. The Buckeyes built an early 7-0 advantage on Quinshon Judkins’ 9-yard touchdown run, then closed the first half with a screen pass that TreVeyon Henderson took 75 yards to the house. Despite trailing 14-7 at halftime, the Longhorns showed life in the third quarter behind Quinn Ewers, who connected twice with running back Jaydon Blue for touchdown receptions.

After Texas knotted the score at 14-14, Ohio State’s Will Howard impressed with a critical 88-yard scoring drive, capped by Judkins’ second touchdown for a 21-14 lead. With Texas threatening to tie on fourth-and-goal, defensive end Jack Sawyer blindsided Ewers, scooped up the fumble, and sprinted 82 yards for a game-clinching touchdown.

Howard finished with 289 passing yards and one touchdown, while Judkins logged two rushing scores. Ewers threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns but was under pressure all night from Ohio State’s relentless defensive line. The Buckeyes forced two key turnovers, including Sawyer’s decisive fumble recovery, and held the Longhorns to just 58 rushing yards.

Ohio State now awaits a national championship showdown with Notre Dame, hoping to claim the program’s first title since 2014.