Longhorns Know Tuimoloau, Sawyer Must Be Neutralized

If Texas is going to beat Ohio State in the 2025 Cotton Bowl and advance to the College Football Playoff national championship game, they’re going to have to make sure quarterback Quinn Ewers has time to throw the ball. One way for that to happen is for Buckeye defensive ends JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer to have a very quiet night.

In Ohio State’s two playoff games this year, the duo has combined for 7.5 sacks, terrorizing every quarterback they’ve faced, so quiet nights aren’t exactly their thing.

The Texas Longhorns have allowed 33 sacks this season, but a full one-third of them have come in their three postseason games against Georgia (6), Clemson (2), and Arizona State (3).

Friday night in the Cotton Bowl, the Longhorns are firmly aware of the challenge facing them, and it goes well beyond the two defensive ends.

“Well, I think that they’re a really high effort group, and they play super hard,” quarterback Quinn Ewers said of the OSU defense. “They’re coached really well. Whenever you have coaches like that that put the schemes in that they have, they create mismatches, and they create one on ones that they do a good job of maximizing every opportunity that they get. And I think they do a really good job of covering on the back end. And I think they’re just a really good overall defense.”

The Buckeyes will play five defensive ends and just as many defensive tackles throughout the game. All of them will be trying to get to the quarterback.

“Yeah, just physical rushers. Not one of their guys take a play off,” said left tackle Kelvin Banks, Jr. “They give maximum effort every time. So just guys who are going to put their best foot forward for their team and give maximum effort for you. I’d say that kind of just sums up their rushers in one word.”

Banks and right tackle Cameron Williams will be the two men tasked with handling Sawyer and Tuimoloau. Both have battled injuries of late, but will need to be at their best to handle the talented Ohio State duo.

“Yeah, they’re great rushers,” Banks said. “They like to press the pocket very well. They have a high motor, so it’s not like you’re going to block them and they stop and not try to chase the quarterback. They do all that. They have good counter moves to give you if the first move don’t work. So they’re just high motor rushers and just me being locked in on the techniques that Coach [Kyle] Flood has taught me to make sure I do my best to block those two guys.”

The Texas offense has been a bit up and down in the playoffs. They’ve squandered big leads in both games but have still found ways to win. Both the Longhorns and Buckeyes have experienced some impressive first-half success in this year’s College Football Playoff, but this will be the biggest defensive test for both teams so far.

“Yeah, we’ve just got to go play our game and execute at a high level and have first and second down wins that will ultimately lead to shorter third downs and more manageable third downs,” Ewers said. “And then obviously we have to score in the red zone.

“Field goals, I don’t think, will get it done.”

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