Steve Sarkisian and Texas Longhorns were this close to booking another ticket to the national title game, but fate had other plans—plans that left burned orange fans shaking their heads and wondering, “What just happened?” A semi-final matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes turned sour with a 28-14 loss on January 10, punctuated by a moment so pivotal it might as well be the stuff of Longhorn lore—though for all the wrong reasons. Sark has some explaining to do. But for now, both him and Ewers are evidently heartbroken…

A frustrated Horns camp had Sarkisian in agony, and he didn’t hold back in the post-game fallout. The Texas head coach summed it up when he said, “First and goal on the one, and we don’t score, you quite frankly probably don’t deserve to win that way.” His words, captured by Inside Texas on X, cut deep, but they were spot-on. The dagger moment came when Quinn Ewers fumbled on fourth-and-goal—a risky choice indeed, and a slip-up that not only ended Texas’ hopes but also handed Ohio State a touchdown to seal the deal. This loss, according to many—and Ewers himself is reminiscent of their 2023 season Sugar Bowl upset against the Washington Huskies.

Back then, with one second left on the clock, the QB had thrown the ball to ball toward junior WR Adonai Mitchell. However, Elijah Jackson masterfully swatted it away from Mitchell’s hand, thereby swatting their championship hopes in the process. “It was tough, especially losing a close game like this,” Ewers had said after the game. What can hurt more? Well…

Ewers relived his worst nightmare from his former Ohio State roommate Jack Sawyer, as the defensive end made the game-changing play of the night forcing a fumble from his opponent QB, and scoring a 83-yard scoop and score. Ryan Day’s team didn’t leave any opportunity to rub it in either. Sharing a string of photos recording the expensive fumble, they tweeted, “And they were roommates…😏”. But Ewers is not one to shift the blame, as reported byHorns insider CJ Vogel on X…

“Back-to-back years, a game has been decided in one play, and it’s hard,” the QB had reportedly said. On the other hand, while many might think he regrets leaving Ohio State, Ewers set the record straight there, too: “Beyond proud of all these guys. I love every single one of them. The amount of work we put in in the offseason. Winter conditioning. Summer workouts all of that. We grind together and the love grows together. It’s just been a really cool season, and I’m so proud to be a Longhorn.”

Hard indeed. The weight of two seasons’ worth of heartbreak now rests squarely on the shoulders of #3. He showed flashes of brilliance but stumbled when it mattered most. His stat line—23 completions for 283 yards, two touchdowns, and one game-sealing interception—was solid but far from spectacular. The Buckeyes’ defense, relentless in its pressure, sacked him three times and made every yard a battle. The Texas offense, sputtering through the first half with four straight punts, seemed to find a spark too late.

After the game, the 21-year-old reportedly shut Sawyer down with two words. “Just walking off, he said, ‘Screw you’…That’s my boy, we were roommates when he was here. I have a lot of respect for him and the Texas team,” the defensive end said before adding, “I saw the ball pop out right to me after I tackled him, I was just thinking, I’ve got to stay on my feet because I almost blacked out when I scooped it and saw a bunch of green grass ahead of me.”

Having said that, Sarkisian’s sticking with Ewers, win or lose, is a gamble fans aren’t sure about. With Arch Manning waiting in the wings, whispers of a quarterback controversy have grown into full-throated cries. Sarkisian’s reluctance to give Manning more than a cameo—a fourth-and-one conversion that briefly extended a first-half drive—has become a point of contention. Manning delivered in his limited opportunity, helping set up Texas’ lone bright spot of the opening half: an 18-yard touchdown pass from Ewers to Jaydon Blue. But even that fleeting moment of joy was overshadowed when the OSU Football’s QB1, Will Howard answered with a quick strike of his own, making it 14-7 just before halftime.

The reality is, Quinn Ewers wasn’t terrible—he just wasn’t great. But in the Cotton Bowl, greatness is the baseline. His interception late in the game was a dagger, sealing Texas’ fate and sending fans into a tailspin of “what ifs.” What if Manning had been given the reins earlier? What if Steve Sarkisian had leaned into his freshman phenom’s potential instead of doubling down on a veteran quarterback who had shown signs of inconsistency before halftime?

Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20, but the questions linger, amplifying the frustration of a fan base desperate for a return to glory.

Ewers, more like Errors, Steve Sarkisian and his late-game play call

The Texas Longhorns’ dreams of glory came crashing down against Ohio State, but that almost wasn’t the case. With the game on the line and 1st-and-goal at the Buckeyes’ 1-yard line, it looked like the Longhorns were about to punch their ticket to the next round. Instead, chaos unfolded.

A Jerrick Gibson run got stuffed at the line, setting a frustrating tone. Things spiraled on second down when Quintrevion Wisner lost eight yards on a second-down toss. A desperate former Buckeye, Quinn Ewers pass attempt to Ryan Wingo was swatted down on third, leading to a do-or-die fourth down. That’s when disaster struck: Ewers was strip-sacked by his ex-roommate, Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer, who scooped the ball and took it to the house. Game over, dagger delivered.

Steve Sarkisian, already under fire for questionable play-calling this season, is now catching major heat for this second-half collapse. The loss wasn’t just a game—it was a gut punch. Sark and Ewers now face the tough task of dissecting what went wrong.