Ohio State took over at its own 20-yard-line with 1:58 to play in the first quarter. Eight minutes later, we got our first touchdown of the top-5 showdown.
The third-ranked Buckeyes and top-ranked Longhorns traded failed fourth-down tries on their opening possessions of Saturday’s highly anticipated opener. Texas went 3-and-out on its second possession. Ohio State then punted after 6 plays gained 17 yards. Texas followed that up with another 3-and-out.
Unyielding defense was the theme of the first quarter, and that was true even as Ohio State drove the field. The Buckeyes needed 13 plays to go 80 yards, and they were methodical about it, but CJ Donaldson punched in a fourth-and-goal run from the 1-yard-line to open the scoring.
First-time starting quarterback Julian Sayin completed 2 of his 3 passes for 22 yards on the drive. The Buckeyes also benefited from a pair of penalties on Texas that first converted a third-and-4 and then moved the sticks after a second-and-9 incompletion.
Ohio State called 6 straight run plays leading into the touchdown.
The Buckeyes, last year’s national champions, went 8-2 when scoring first. The 2 losses were Ohio State’s only 2 defeats of the season — at Oregon and against Michigan.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
