4 takeaways from Texas's grueling loss to Ohio State in CFP

Ohio State beat Texas, 28-14, in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Cotton Bowl on Friday night to advance to the national title game.

Quinn Ewers, Texas football
Quinn Ewers, Texas football | Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
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Steve Sarkisian, Texas football
Steve Sarkisian, Texas football | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas can't execute when it matters late in the fourth quarter

Just before the two-minute warning, Texas had the ball up against Ohio State's goal line down by just one touchdown. A pass interference call against Ohio State gave the Longhorns first-and-goal inside of Ohio State's two-yard line, and it looked like the Longhorns were very close to tying up the game and potentially going to overtime for the second game in a row in the College Football Playoff semis.

But after one run play that went for no yards up the middle against Ohio State's defensive front, Texas started going backward. Texas could've run the ball up the middle and tested the Ohio State defensive front.

On second-and-goal, the Longhorns ran a toss play to Wisner that went for a loss of seven yards. Two plays later, Ewers was sacked and stripped by Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer, which went for a touchdown to put the Buckeyes up by two scores late in the fourth quarter.

Sarkisian had some great play calls and had the Longhorns back in a great spot as a postseason contender. But this is the second postseason in a row that the Longhorns lost a game with a chance to tie things up late in the fourth quarter on the goal line.

Next season, the Longhorns begin with a road trip to Columbus against Ohio State in a game where Texas should not be lacking for a chip on their shoulder.

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