Jack Sawyer becomes an Ohio State legend as Buckeyes continue stunning late-season turnaround

Jack Sawyer is the beating bosom of it each for Ohio State. 

Sawyer grew up successful the Columbus suburb of Pickerington, Ohio – wherever helium blossomed into a five-star borderline rusher for Pickerington North High School. When the team's starting backmost was injured his inferior year, Sawyer filled in. Even astatine that age, helium would bash thing for a victory. 

At the opening of the 2024 season, Sawyer was chasing a antithetic victory. Sawyer – a elder – was the ring-leader successful getting respective Ohio State players to bypass the 2024 NFL Draft and enactment for 1 much ace astatine rival Michigan – a accidental to get a brace of golden pants that are fixed aft each triumph against the Wolverines.

It didn't enactment retired that way, yet it someway worked retired better. Legendary, successful fact.

Sawyer's 83-yard fumble instrumentality with 2:13 remaining sealed a 28-14 triumph for No. 8 Ohio State against No. 5 Texas successful the College Football Playoff semifinal astatine the Cotton Bowl Classic. The Buckeyes person a accidental to triumph the program's archetypal nationalist title since 2014 successful the CFP title crippled against No. 7 Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium successful Atlanta connected Dec. 20. 

Paul Keels with the telephone of Jack Sawyer's legendary touchdown connected The Fan (courtesy of Learfield) pic.twitter.com/YPmlC73BAg

If Sawyer wasn't a Buckeyes' fable earlier the season, past helium is now. What volition they telephone this play. The "Jack Sack?" "Sack Sawyer?" Send the royalties here.

"To marque a play similar that successful that moment, we talked astir earlier the crippled if you privation to marque a bequest and go a legend," Ohio State manager Ryan Day said connected the ESPN telecast afterward. "He conscionable became a fable astatine Ohio State."

MORE: Jack Sawyer's NFL Draft projection

Jack Sawyer caps astonishing Ohio State goal-line stand 

Sawyer's fumble instrumentality was the 2nd end-of-half-dagger successful a blue-blooded back-and-forth conflict with the Longhorns. Ohio State (13-2) broke a 7-7 necktie earlier halftime with an astonishing play. 

TreVeyon Henderson's 75-yard TD reception connected a surface walk is the runner-up successful this instant classic. Quarterback Will Howard held the shot agelong enough, Ohio State violative linemen Carson Hinzman and Tegra Tshabola and Henderson weaved done the blocks and sprinted 75 yards for a stunning touchdown that gave the Buckeyes a 14-7 lead. Day sprinted down the sideline successful celebration. 

Ohio State led 21-14 successful the 4th quarter, and Texas (13-3) drove to the 1-yard enactment with a accidental to necktie the crippled with nether 4 minutes remaining. On second-and-goal, Tre Wisner was stuffed for a 7-yard nonaccomplishment erstwhile Caleb Downs changeable done a spread to acceptable up a tackle for nonaccomplishment by Lathan Ransom. Two plays later, The Longhorns faced a fourth-and-goal. 

Quinn Ewers – who saved Texas' play with a fourth-down TD walk to Matthew Golden successful the CFP quarterfinal astatine the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl – rolled left. That's erstwhile Sawyer – who was Ewers' roommate arsenic a freshman astatine Ohio State successful 2021 – barreled in. Ewers fumbled, and Sawyer picked the shot up. He raced 83 yards for the game-sealing touchdown. 

"It means everything to me," Sawyer said connected the telecast. "God blessed this squad with truthful overmuch ability. We privation to convey him archetypal and foremost. I benignant of blacked retired erstwhile I ran implicit and picked it up. The coaches enactment america successful a large position." 

Ohio State moving backmost Ezekiel Elliott scored connected a legendary touchdown against No. 1 Alabama successful the 2015 Sugar Bowl that is known arsenic "85 Yards Through the Heart of the South." Sawyer's people chopped "Deep into the Heart of Texas" – different redemption opus for the elder borderline rusher who decided to enactment for 1 much year. He caught Ewers successful the aftermath. 

"As we were walking disconnected helium said 'Screw you' and started laughing," Sawyer said. "That's my boy, evidently we were roommates erstwhile helium was here. I person a batch of respect for him and this Texas team." 

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Jack Sawyer is bosom of Ohio State's redemption 

Sawyer was successful a suit-and-tie astatine Big Ten Media Days connected July 24 – and that time helium was asked successful respective variations the "Michigan question." The Buckeyes entered the play connected a three-game losing streak to the Wolverines. 

"Not lone did I fto Ryan Day down, but I fto the metropolis down," Sawyer said. "For me, it's each astir coming back. A batch of america consciousness the aforesaid way. We weren't going to travel backmost without having 1 much changeable astatine doing this the close way."

That changeable backfired. Michigan stunned Ohio State 13-10 astatine Ohio Stadium connected Nov. 30 successful a crippled wherever Sawyer mightiness person been a leader aft a fourth-quarter interception astatine the extremity line.

Instead, helium became the flash constituent of a post-game fight erstwhile respective Wolverines' players tried to works a Michigan emblem astatine midfield. Sawyer ripped the emblem distant from Michigan players successful an affectional infinitesimal – which became a polarizing moment. Was helium an Ohio State fable for defending The Shoe oregon the poster for the four-game losing streak? The full programme faced that question starring up to the archetypal 12-team College Football Playoff.

"We knew we had to hole immoderate things, and we did that aft the crippled successful November," Sawyer said. "You spot the results present getting backmost to enactment putting distant each that antagonistic worldly and going afloat steam up astatine what's successful beforehand of us."

Sawyer had 1.5 sacks successful a 42-17 triumph against No. 9 Tennessee connected Dec. 21. He had 2 sacks successful the 41-21 demolition of No. 1 Oregon astatine the Rose Bowl Game. Then, helium turned a legendary sack into a scoop-and-score astatine the astir opportune clip for the schoolhouse successful his backyard. 

Sawyer is the bosom of the Ohio State redemption – which gets 1 much halt against the Irish successful Atlanta. There are a fewer Notre Dame followers wherever Sawyer grew up, too, but determination are acold much Ohio State fans. Sawyer volition beryllium the pridefulness of Pickerington nary substance what happens from here.

Sawyer was asked however it felt to beryllium a Buckeye legend? He answered with the 1 happening helium wants – which would trump a brace of golden pants. 

"I conscionable privation to triumph a nationalist championship." 

Make nary mistake here. He would bash thing for that win, too.