ARLINGTON, Texas — Quinn Ewers and the Texas Longhorns found themselves once again on the brink of breaking their national championship curse. This opportunity may have represented the final chance for Ewers, the quarterback who led the team to the College Football Playoff semifinals two consecutive seasons.
On Friday night, Texas fell 28-14 to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl after coming within a yard of a tying touchdown. With only 2:13 remaining, defensive end Jack Sawyer’s critical strip-sack of Ewers resulted in an 83-yard fumble return for a touchdown, sealing the Longhorns’ fate. “It’s been back-to-back years where the game was essentially defined by a single play. It’s definitely tough,” Ewers reflected. “Making it to the final four in consecutive years and experiencing the heartbreak twice is difficult. But that’s just how life plays out; you face challenges and have tough moments.”
The Longhorns, finishing the season with a record of 13-3, had to navigate through two additional games this season to reach this point in the newly expanded 12-team playoff. Last year, they secured a spot in the four-team format for the first time and were eliminated after a closely contested 37-31 loss to Washington in the Sugar Bowl semifinals. As they now look forward to next season, it will mark the 20th anniversary since their last championship victory, led by Vince Young in 2005, with previous titles secured in 1963 and 1969.
“I’m incredibly proud of our players for the resilience they displayed tonight, fighting back to keep the game competitive,” commented Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. “I told them that today’s game reflects a competitor’s life; you put yourself out there and give it your all. There’s absolutely no reason to hang our heads based on their efforts, both in this game and throughout the season.”
Ewers completed 23 of 39 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns but refrained from discussing his future in the postgame press conference. Despite not addressing it directly, there have been speculations about his intention to enter the NFL draft.
This season was significant as the Longhorns made their Southeastern Conference debut and suffered two previous losses to Georgia—one during the regular season at home on October 19 and the other in overtime in the SEC championship game. “At the start of the season, not many expected us to reach this stage, especially in our first year in the SEC,” Ewers noted. “Reaching the SEC title game was an achievement in itself, even if it didn’t end in our favor. I witnessed our consistent resilience this season, which was great to see. I couldn’t be prouder of all my teammates. This season has been remarkable, and I take immense pride in being a Longhorn.”
Ewers, hailing from nearby Southlake, initially began his college journey at Ohio State, where he spent a semester and roomed with Sawyer. He eventually transferred back to Texas after only taking two snaps without a pass attempt during his time with the Buckeyes in 2021.
David Gbenda, a senior linebacker who secured an interception in his last game, expressed confidence in Sarkisian’s capability to boost the team in the future. “He’s a coach adaptable to change, and we have players eager to learn and improve. They understand the sacrifices needed, and now they recognize where we fell short,” Gbenda commented.
Ewers suggested this might have been his final outing with the Longhorns when reflecting on whether he left the program better than he found it. “As a lifelong Longhorn, playing for this team and experiencing back-to-back semifinal games has been truly special,” he stated. “I hope our fans take pride in our efforts this year. While we came up short, I genuinely believe we are on an upward trajectory as a program.”
