Jack Sawyer didn't go easy on his old roommate.
With just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter of the College Football Playoff semifinals Friday night in Arlington, Texas, an Ohio State defensive end forced a fumble by Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and recovered the ball. He made a play that changed the game that night. He scored on an 83-yard scoop.
It was the final touchdown for the Buckeyes in a 28-14 victory in the Cotton Bowl, earning them a berth in the national title game and a date with Notre Dame on January 20th.
Ewers, who was roommates with the Buckeyes and Sawyer for a semester in Columbus, Ohio, before transferring to Texas, led a drive late in the fourth quarter with just 36 inches to go from the Ohio State 1-yard line and just one point left. Ohio State came close to tying the game.
But that wasn't what was meant to be.
No gains, seven points conceded, and an incomplete pass put the Longhorns on fourth down.
With the game on the line, Ewers fired his shotgun, and before he could release the ball, Sawyer came from the right side, swung past tackler Cameron Williams and fired a clean shot to the signal man.
Not only did Sawyer force a fumble, he picked up the ball and ran down the sideline himself to score a come-from-behind goal.
ESPN play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler summed it up succinctly.
“You can't script this. Ewers' roommate when he was at Ohio State. [Sawyer] That strip sack and that touchdown ruined my dream,” Fowler said as Sawyer celebrated with his teammates in the end zone.
When Sawyer chatted with ESPN after the game, he said he had a good time with Ewers at the end of the game.
“After I tackled him, I saw the ball fly out in front of me. When I scooped it up and saw green grass in front of me, I almost passed out and had to stand up. “I thought it was okay,” Sawyer said.
“As I tried to walk away, he said, 'Fuck you,' and started laughing,” Sawyer continued. “That's my son, we were roommates when he was here. I have a lot of respect for him and the Texas team.”
Sawyer and his teammates will get one more game, but this loss could be Ewers' last at Texas.
In a pregame press conference with ESPN, the quarterback said he has no intention of playing college football in 2025.
