Cotton Bowl 'Prisoner of the Moment' Liveblog

Notre Dame punched their ticket to the CFP Title Game last night and I’m still riding high off that thriller. What better way to keep it going than driving myself crazy with imagined futures? Time to liveblog the Texas Longhorns vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl. Here we go:

KICKOFFMy gut feeling here is Ohio State 40-ish, Texas 20-ish. Is that just the Rose Bowl again? Yeah, sure, I dunno. You watched that game, you saw what they did! So I am rooting for Texas despite what I think are steep odds.

TEXAS - DRIVE 1 (0-0)Ewers throws a ball at his receiver’s feet on 4th & 3 and Ohio State had him blanketed anyway. Texas moved the ball pretty well through the first part of their script but that OSU defense — the scariest unit in this game, to me — stood up before things got really dangerous.

OHIO STATE — DRIVE 1 (0-7)Carnell Tate1 drops a wide open touchdown, but Quinshon Judkins zips in for a score the very next play. Bucks have both the run and the pass working early which is exactly what I didn’t want to see. Texas DL generated some pressure but will need more to make up for what looks like a weak back 7 in this matchup.

TEXAS — DRIVE 2 (0-7)Ohio State dominant up front on this one. Ewers is stepping up into collapsing pockets and the sacks are starting to pile up. Buckeye defense is serious. Punt here is foreboding…

OHIO STATE - DRIVE 2 (0-7)After getting pinned deep it felt like Ohio State just teleported to midfield before they met any resistance. TreyVeon Henderson’s unsportsmanlike conduct and a bad Howard RPO read stall things out. Texas defense settling in. Attempting to talk myself off the ledge as the quarter ends.

TEXAS — DRIVE 3 (0-7)Starts with an electric punt return with a crazy, on-the-go fumble and recovery. The rare offensive facemask! A strip sack!2 This drive has everything… except Texas gaining yards, so another punt.

OHIO STATE — DRIVE 3 (0-7)Good field position for Ohio State but uhhhh what is that on Will Howard’s hand?3 Two straight possessions where penalties have backed up OSU and they couldn’t get back on track. First time since kickoff that I’m really starting to rethink my expectations.

TEXAS — DRIVE 4 (0-7)Some push from the Texas line against 8-man boxes, that’s new! JT Tuimoloau got rolled up on which could be extremely important. Still not much of note from the Texas offense.

OHIO STATE — DRIVE 5 (0-7)Andrew Mukuba hits like a ton of bricks. So fun to watch. Penalties continuing to hold OSU down, this time into a 3-and-out. Think I got a little ‘prisoner of the moment’ with my prediction for this game.

TEXAS — DRIVE 6 (0-7)Isaiah Bond with one of the silliest drops I’ve ever seen. Good ball from Ewers, too. Texas with some fits and starts but still can’t make it work on offense. Do they have enough time before OSU figures it out?

OHIO STATE – DRIVE 6 (0-7)Texas defense didn’t even entertain giving up a first down. Longhorns might have time to get right after all.

TEXAS – DRIVE 7 (7-7)Best field position by far for Texas. Can they do anything with it and really get this game going? Quinn Ewers, scrambling and diving, sure thinks so. Arch Manning, running and fumbling, maybe doesn’t. But with some nice passing, Texas ties it up!

OHIO STATE – DRIVE 7 (7-14)Exactly what I’m terrified of. 29 seconds left, 75 yards to the endzone, and a nearly-failed screen goes for 6. The explosiveness is always lurking.

TEXAS – DRIVE 8 (7-14)Ohio State defenders break up each other’s Hail Mary interception and we go to half. Bucks get the ball first. Uh-oh.

KICKOFF5 penalties for 50 yards for OSU in the first half. If they play clean, is that it? Can Texas sustain anything on offense? My second quarter optimism has faded.

OHIO STATE — DRIVE 8 (7-14)WILL HOWARD4 INTERCEPTION. Texas has been great at taking Jeremiah Smith away and it really paid off here. Just like that, I’m back in.

TEXAS — DRIVE 9 (7-14)JT Tuimoloau is back in for OSU and immediately makes his presence felt. Three and out. I am in a glass case of emotion, no clue what to do with this game or my expectations right now.

OHIO STATE — DRIVE 9 (7-14)On balance the Texas defense is playing really well. Ohio State can’t consistently get up the middle or to the edge. Could Notre Dame replicate this with a banged up DL?

TEXAS — DRIVE 10 (14-14)Ewers opens by almost throwing a pick 6 — bad! Ewers picks up a first down by Houdini-ing a ball out of a clear sack — good! Real no no no no YES hours from the Longhorns all drive. Tied up!

OHIO STATE — DRIVE 10 (14-14)Just dropped ”my brain can’t process this Ohio State team’s capacity for fucking up” in the chat. Another personal foul for OSU followed by a 10yd sack. It doesn’t add up but it’s exciting. I’m starting to believe? I’m starting to believe.

TEXAS — DRIVE 11 (14-14)Nothing doing. Just me or is it weird that Texas’s kicker situation has yet to factor in at all?

OHIO STATE — DRIVE 11 (14-21)Worth noting at this point that goddamn these semis have been bangers.5 Both defenses are digging in. Will Howard wants to throw another pick so badly. 70 on OSU is a big, big man but he does not have the juice to be playing in this spot. Bucks get in rhythm score anyway.

TEXAS — DRIVE 12 (14-28)Chunk plays. A great taunt. Ohio State exploring the limits of “half the distance to the goal” with multiple endzone penalties. Strip sack, fumble 6, two score game. Ohio State is inevitable.6

TEXAS — DRIVE 13 (14-28)Two minute warning. Quinn Ewers finally throws the interception that’s been coming all game. It’s a wrap.

POSTGAMELow expectations. Cause for optimism. Existential dread. It’s Notre Dame vs. Ohio State in Atlanta. Fuck it we ball.

What, you thought I was gonna be reasonable about this?