Jack Sawyer’s game-clinching play will be talked about forever. Will Howard was the game’s offensive MVP. TreVeyon Henderson had an electrifying touchdown. J.T. Tuimoloau was a constant disruption. Plenty of high-profile stars from Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl win over Texas. But this game had plenty of unsung heroes as well.
Quinshon Judkins
So, why do I consider someone who scored two touchdowns an unsung hero? Because Quinshon Judkins played the most physical game I’ve seen by an Ohio State running back in some time. He carried the ball just nine times for 36 yards, but he punished Longhorn tacklers on each of those carries. The former transfer from Mississippi also flattened a defender with a devastating block. Judkins played with a chip on his shoulder and brought an attitude to the offense.
Gee Scott, Jr.
With Texas doing everything possible to shut down Jeremiah Smith, Scott was relied on much more than usual. He caught five passes for 30 yards, but none was more important than one he made on the go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. After a false start penalty, the Buckeyes were faced with a third and nine from the Texas 41-yard-line when Scott caught a short pass from Howard near the sideline.
Texas defenders quickly closed and the play looked like it would go for a short gain, but Scott kept fighting his way up the field until he was finally brought down just two yards shy of a first down. Instead of being in an obvious passing situation on fourth and seven, his effort put the Texas defense in a much more difficult situation to defend and set up Howard’s 18-yard run.
Sonny Styles
When Jack Sawyer was rumbling down the field on his way to becoming an Ohio State legend, Styles was more responsible for him scoring than any other Buckeye on the field. Instead of making the stupid move of grabbing the only Texas player capable of running down Sawyer, Styles sprinted ahead of the Longhorn pursuer, cut him off, and stayed in front of him.
In addition to this heads-up play, Styles had nine tackles, a sack, three tackles-for-loss, and broke up a pass when he put a big (and clean) hit on the Texas tight end. Yes, he was beaten for a touchdown late in the half, but I’m not going to let that keep me from considering him an unsung hero. Styles deserves to be recognized for his overall play against the Longhorns.
Kayden McDonald
The sophomore defensive lineman from Suwanee, Georgia is a very large person. McDonald is 6’3”, 326 pounds and he used every bit of that size when he lined up across from the Texas center on the first play of the Buckeyes’ epic goal line stand late in the fourth quarter. When the ball was snapped, McDonald got under the center, stood him up, and drove him a step backward.
All of that alone will get a guy a pat on the back, but he wasn’t done just yet. After blowing up the center, McDonald shed the block and met the ball carrier in the hole at about the same time Tuimoloau came in from the side. Everything that happened after this on the goal line stand can be traced back to Kayden McDonald making this outstanding play.
Kickers
Texas has a feared return game, but placekicker Jayden Fielding and punter Joe McGuire completely nullified it. Fielding consistently put his kickoffs into the end zone and also executed a perfect pooch kick that forced a fair catch at the end of the first half.
After Silas Bolden returned McGuire’s first punt for 16 yards, the Ohio State punter used good placement and height on his kicks to limit Bolden to just one more return for zero yards. McGuire averaged 42 yards per punt and put two inside the 20-yard line. Shutting down the Texas return game meant the Longhorns’ offense continually had to play with a long field.
If the Buckeyes go on to beat Notre Dame, you can bet there will be more unsung heroes. You don’t win big games without them.