ARLINGTON, Texas — With 29 seconds remaining in the first half of the Cotton Bowl, the Texas Longhorns had just swung momentum by tying the game at 7-7, dissolving a lead for the Ohio State Buckeyes that had held for the 22 minutes of game time since their opening drive.
For an offensive play caller in that situation, the options are typically simple — run a draw play or a screen pass in an attempt to pick up enough yardage to get really serious about scoring before halftime.
“I don’t think anyone thought that that was going for 75 yards,” Ohio State quarterback Will Howard said.