Woah, what a game! Who would have thought that Ryan Day’s Ohio State would leave Steve Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns to pack their bags and leave? Yes, that’s the power of college football. You can’t predict anything until the last minute. The Cotton Bowl Classic is probably going to haunt Quinn Ewers and his squad for the longest time. But for Ewers, the pain is 100x more. Obviously, any loss is painful. But the Cotton Bowl loss hurts even more, as someone who had been a part of his journey has handed out the biggest blow. 

Do you know that Day’s program got the semifinal victory in the same stadium where 10 years ago they were champions? And who deserves the credit for that? None other than Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer. What a heartbreak for Ewers, as he had to accept the loss at the hands of his former teammate.

Even though Ewers is remembered as the Buckeye for his lone season, he and Sawyer have a history together. Back in 2021, both the players were roommates in Columbus. After which they parted ways. Ewers transferred to Sarkisian’s Texas in the next offseason, while Sawyer chose to stay back with the Buckeyes’ front 7. So, he had to prove his resilience to his former teammate in one way or another. 

The Longhorns drove late in the fourth quarter and threatened to tie the game. That’s when Sawyer delivered the defining moment. It turned out to be a nightmare moment for Ewers. Sarkisian’s boys were on the move, trailing 21-14 when the QB dropped back to pass on 4th-and-goal. An absolute chaos unfolded! 

Sawyer swooped in and met Ewers midfield. The Ohio State defensive end forced a fumble, recovered the loose possession, and raced 83 yards to the end zone. And VOILA! There came the game-sealing defensive touchdown. The clip of Sawyer stripping the pigskin from Ewers and taking off in a wide-open field for an 83-yard touchdown is doing rounds on the internet. Now that Sawyer has given a ‘Don’t mess with me’ warning to Ewers, how is he feeling?

Jack Sawyer and Quinn Ewers share post-game banter

It has been a treat to watch Sawyer break free of his blocker and shuffle his former roommate, Ewers, to his left. After his scoop and score, it was obvious that Sawyer would be the center of all attention. Post-game, he shared how he ran high on adrenaline right at that moment: “I saw the ba-l pop out right to me as I tackled him. I was just thinking, ‘I gotta stay on my feet.’ Almost blacked out when I scooped it, saw nothin’ but green grass ahead of me.” 

Even then, the defensive end did not hold any negative feelings for his old roommate Ewers. Sawyer confessed, “As I was walking off, he said, ‘Screw you’ and I started laughing. That’s my boy, and obviously we were roommates when he was here. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and this Texas team.” No matter what the Cotton Bowl results have been, an important chapter awaits both of them.

As the Bowl marked a bitter ending for Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns, it points out that Quinn Ewers will be bidding farewell to his college football career. The Texas QB is likely to be a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. On the flip side, Jack Sawyer will now soak in the limelight and will get his chance to return a national championship to the Buckeyes.