ARLINGTON, Texas – Steve Sarkisian’s innovative approach backfired during a crucial moment.

Although Sarkisian is recognized as one of the top offensive strategists in the country, he fell into a common trap for coaches: attempting to outsmart the situation instead of sticking to basics.

In the final moments of the Buckeyes’ 28-14 win in the Cotton Bowl, Ohio State’s defense exposed Sarkisian’s risky play-calling.

Picture this: it’s first-and-goal at the 1-yard line, and Texas is down by a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, needing just three feet for a tying score.

On the first down, Texas shifted into a Power-I formation, but Ohio State halted a run attempt right up the middle.

No worries; they still had three more opportunities to reach the end zone.

For the second down, Sarkisian decided to dig deep into his playbook. He called for a toss sweep to the left from the shotgun, but the Buckeyes were ready. Safety Caleb Downs burst into the backfield without being touched, spoiling the play immediately.

Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner managed to get around Downs, but he couldn’t make any significant progress as he was pushed toward the sideline. Safety Lathan Ransom tackled him 7 yards behind the original line of scrimmage.

That’s a rapid transition from first-and-goal to third-and-8.

Just two plays later, Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer dashed any hopes of a Texas comeback by stripping the ball from Quinn Ewers, recovering it, and running 83 yards for a touchdown.

“That was a miraculous play,” linebacker Cody Simon remarked about Sawyer’s strip-sack and subsequent touchdown. “That moment will be remembered forever.”

Indeed, it will, but Texas’s issues stemmed from that ill-fated second down, where Ransom’s tackle flipped the momentum.

Steve Sarkisian defends controversial play call that backfired

Sarkisian backed his decision to run a toss sweep.

“That play can be effective if executed correctly,” Sarkisian stated. “We just didn’t execute.”

Ohio State, however, was well-prepared.

According to Downs, the Buckeyes anticipated the toss sweep.

“We noticed it on film,” Downs explained. “They often go for that play in critical moments.”

As soon as Ewers received the snap, Downs targeted Wisner and disrupted his path before Ransom made the tackle.

“They’ve been known for those crack tosses all season,” Downs noted. “I was just relieved that even when I missed, Lathan was there to make the stop.”

Ransom wasn’t too far behind Downs after the snap. He quickly closed in on Texas’ strong tackle, which NFL scouts have their eyes on.

“When it comes to big plays, no one hesitates,” Simon remarked. “He took initiative and made a pivotal play.”

What went wrong from Wisner’s viewpoint on the second-down play?

“Honestly, I’m not quite sure,” the Texas running back admitted.

It’s not his fault; he simply didn’t stand a chance.

“Give us an opening, and we’ll make a stand,” Simon added. “That’s precisely what occurred.”

Ohio State’s big plays lead to victory over Texas in Cotton Bowl

Texas never held the lead in the game but put up a good fight against a formidable Ohio State team, which emerged as a strong contender for the national championship. With less than seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, the game was tied at 14.

“They executed effectively when it mattered most,” said Texas linebacker David Gbenda.

This included quarterback Will Howard’s 18-yard run on a crucial fourth down that set the stage for Ohio State’s game-winning score in the fourth quarter.

Or, TreVeyon Henderson’s impressive 75-yard touchdown on a screen pass.

Texas had even managed to tie the game at 7 before sending a touchback with just 29 seconds remaining in the first half. Ohio State had the opportunity to regroup, but instead of playing it safe, they opted to take a chance.

Anyone familiar with football would expect a screen in that situation. Sure enough, that’s what Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly called.

Texas fell right into the trap.

Ohio State’s offensive tackles stuck around to block while their interior linemen moved forward to aid the screen. Four Texas defenders charged toward Howard just as the screen began to unfold. At the last moment, Howard tossed a pass to Henderson, who found a gap and dashed down the field unopposed for a touchdown.

“He’s one of the fastest players I’ve ever seen,” Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka said while praising Henderson.

Texas’ defense appeared shaky on that screen pass, just as their blocking faltered on the ill-fated second-down toss sweep later in the game.

But what prompted the decision to call such a risky run to the outside on second down?

Earlier in the game, Sarkisian had effectively called for a quarterback run with backup Arch Manning to advance the chains on a successful play.

On a crucial fourth down that concluded with a touchdown, the decision to bring Manning back might have been effective near the end zone. Alternatively, a couple more runs through the middle could have worked as well.

However, this remains speculative. What is clear is that the Buckeyes were not fooled at all by a toss sweep that may have appeared clever to Sarkisian when it was called, but unfolded messily and without finesse on the field.