The blueprint for Ohio State’s revenge tour began just over a year ago as arch-rival Michigan hoisted the trophy
A little more than a year ago as its archrival won a national championship in Houston, Ohio State landed a commitment from former SEC Freshman of the Year Quinshon Judkins.
It may have struck some as desperate at the moment, a way of trying to steal the tiniest of shine away from Michigan’s big moment, but what it really signaled was how all-in Ohio State would be for 2024.
Judkins, who rushed for 2,725 yards and 31 touchdowns in two seasons at Ole Miss, was an expensive addition as the Alabama native was one of the highest-paid running backs in the country for his sophomore season with the Rebels.
And there were moments this season when it was easy to question whether Ohio State was getting its money’s worth from Judkins. His numbers were way down — he rushed for less than 50 yards in six regular-season games for the Buckeyes — and looked like more of an expensive accessory than necessity.
When it mattered most Friday night, though, in a Cotton Bowl that was slipping out of Ohio State’s hands, there was Judkins powering through Texas‘ stout defensive front to score the go-ahead touchdown to ultimately beat the Longhorns, 28-14.
A year and two days after committing to Ohio State on the night Michigan won it all, Judkins helped send the Buckeyes back to a national championship. He finished with two touchdowns, his running back mate TreVeyon Henderson added another on a 75-yard touchdown catch and the Buckeyes are on to Atlanta to play No. 5 Notre Dame on Jan. 20.
Ohio State’s $20 million roster, one of the most expensive in college football, was on display throughout a gutsy win over the Longhorns.
There was quarterback Will Howard, the hand-picked transfer Ryan Day wanted after nudging Kyle McCord out, who broke through on a 18-yard run on a bold 4th-and-2 call late in the fourth quarter. Howard would have scored had he not tripped himself up but it was enough to help set up Judkins’ touchdown four plays later. Howard had an interception but was calm when it mattered most and put together an effective 24 for 33 for 289 yards and one touchdown performance.
There was safety Caleb Downs, who joined the Buckeyes after Nick Saban retired exactly one year ago, who extinguished any long-shot comeback efforts Texas might have had with an interception with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Downs, the 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year, was terrific this season in Columbus, earning first-team all-Big Ten honors.
It wasn’t just about the players Ohio State added, either. It was the players who chose to say no to the NFL and stay for one more year. Losses to Michigan and Missouri to cap last season left a sour taste for leaders like Henderson, defensive end Jack Sawyer and receiver Emeka Egbuka.
Sawyer delivered the play of the game in Ohio State’s goalline stand that preserved the win. Sawyer sacked Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, his former roommate at Ohio State, scooped up the fumble and sprinted 83 yards for a touchdown. The emotional leader of Ohio State, the man who physically grabbed a Michigan flag to defend Ohio State’s turf after a loss to the Wolverines, wasn’t ending his college career without a shot at the title.
“From the outside looking in you would think retention came from a lot of NIL dollars and it wasn’t as much as people would think,” former Ohio State great and The Foundation co-founder Cardale Jones told CBS Sports. “These players like Emeka Egbuka, Jack Sawyer, JTT, a lot of these guys could have gone on to be potential top two, three draft picks last year but saw the ultimate goal.”
There were moments where it looked like Ohio State’s hefty 2024 investment would be for naught. A road loss to Oregon hurt but it was the embarrassing home loss to Michigan that had many questioning whether Ryan Day would survive long-term in Columbus. In a 13-10 loss to Michigan, the roster looked less than the sum of its parts.
But Ohio State has shown during this playoff run that it was all worth it. It clobbered Tennessee in a playoff home win that silenced the large swath of Volunteers fans that made the trek to Columbus. It jumped all over the No. 1 Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl, overwhelming a team that had made a similarly large financial commitment on its roster.
Texas was the toughest battle yet and the strategy Day, former athletic director Gene Smith and other OSU supporters put together in the aftermath of a disappointing 2023 season was the difference. From the veterans who turned down NFL money to return for one more year to the talented players who flocked to Columbus to make a run at a title, Ohio State’s talent proved undeniable.
Day and his team took the pain of defeat and used it to leave no doubt in the pursuit of the ultimate goal this season. Ohio State is now one win and 10 days away from the all-in blueprint, which kicked off more than a year ago, delivering the hardware so desperately desired.
