Ohio State Buckeyes Loses a Heartbreaker to Texas Longhorns 24-21 in Fiesta Bowl

The Texas Longhorns play The Ohio State Buckeyes tonight, wanting to prove to the country, that they belong in the BCS Title game, not the Oklahoma Sooners.

Ohio State looks for some credibility in a major BCS bowl game, having not done well, over the last couple of years.

I have picked Texas to win by 14-17 points. I think Ohio State is over-matched in this one, big time.

The Longhorns have the No. 2 rush defense in the country, so expect OSU to try to pass on this team, tonight.

That means they will try to match the Colt McCoy passing offense, touchdown for touchdown???

Never going to happen. I have titled this article before the kick-off. Texas blows out Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

8:23 pm Ohio State tries to drive down the field, doesn't do anything, and punts.

8:27 pm Texas does not convert on third down, has a three-and-out, and punts also.

8:30 pm Ohio State starts their second possession. The offenses seem to be feeling out the defenses, and both teams are cautious.

8:32 pm Ohio State completes a 16-yard pass. First down. Pryor avoids the rush and fires a nice pass for nine yards. Beanie Wells runs and is stopped short. 3rd-and-one. Boeckman on a keeper, and OSU gets another first down.

8:34 Wells gets a 22-yard gain, catching a pass on a slant pattern.

The next pass is almost intercepted, 2nd-and-10. Wells runs the ball for three more yards, 3rd-and-seven.  Pryor is dropped for a sack. Field goal attempt of 50 yards by Ohio State is good!

3-0 OSU. The Buckeyes kicker had only five attempts this season, which were all good. He is six for six now. They should have tried to use him more against USC and Penn State.

Hey, nine plays for 43 yards, not bad.

8:44 pm Colt McCoy completes a pass, and the Longhorn's get a first down. McCoy hits another pass for a first down. They run the option for a short gain. Shipley catches one for a gain of six. Third-and-two.

OSU holds again as Shipley catches one, but gains nothing. OSU takes over again.

This keeps up, and I have to change the title of this article. Wells makes a nice run for another big gain. Twenty-plus yards.

Pryor scrambles for a first down. A short run, and an incomplete pass, and it's third-and-10.  This time Pryor can't run for the first down. Another field goal attempt from 51, and it's no good.

Well, he missed one finally, this season. Six for seven, now, and good field position for Texas, as they complete a pass right away for a first down. One more first down on a pass from McCoy to Cosby and the first quarter ends Ohio State 3, Texas 0.

The ball control offense, with OSU keeping the ball out of McCoy's hands worked that quarter. Can they keep this up? 

9:00 pm Second quarter starts. McCoy is getting loose now, and he gets them down inside the ten-yard line of OSU. McCoy is sacked and it's 2nd-and-goal. A run is stopped, and it-s third down and about 17. A short gain, and the Texas field goal kicker makes a 27-yard field goal. Tie game 3-3.

Hell, this is boring!  What's going on here? Can this be happening? Into the second quarter and it's 3-3? Ohio State only gave up 16 touchdowns in 12 games the entire season. Did USC get six or seven of those? Wow! No one else scored much on this defense.

9:08 pm OSU takes over on the 20.Wells makes another nice run for a first down. Then four more yards. Second-and-six. Wells makes a catch and races for 20 yards again.

I'm getting a bad feeling about the title of this article.

Pryor fires a short pass for a first down. Wells makes another nice run for a first down.

Pryor is almost sacked, but runs away from the linemen for a six-yard gain. Third-and-two deep in Texas territory. Oops, false start moves them back a bit. Third-and-seven, now. Texas holds and another field goal by OSU makes it 6-3.

Only three field goals and the half is almost over. Am I on Candid Camera? I am starting to feel like I know less about college football than I thought!

9:22 pm 5:29 left in the half. Please get me out of the twilight zone of football handicapping, please!

Texas is looking really uncomfortable, but McCoy hits a couple of nice passes and makes it down to the OSU 40-yard line. Two incompletions and it's 3rd-and-11. A short pass and it's fourth down. They go for it?

No one is thinking about field position?  McCoy is sacked, and OSU gets the ball at about midfield. Unreal!

9:38 pm 2:28 left. That was just poor coaching to go for it, at that part of the field. That was very questionable call by the offensive coordinator of Texas. I can't figure that one out.

Texas somehow holds and OSU has to punt, 1:03 left in the half as Texas gets it back on their own 10-yard line. McCoy unloads a long one after a roughing the quarterback penalty for 37 yards.

Texas has driven down to the OSU 25-yard line. 22 seconds left in the half. A quick one to Cosby, and they are at the 18-yard line with 13 seconds left. Shipley catches one and goes out of bounds at the 15.

Nine seconds left. Intercepted at the goal line. Unbelievable! A floater that was under thrown. The half ends 6-3 OSU over Texas.

I am in shock, as well as the entire State of Texas. Well, the second half gets better for the Longhorns or the title of the article changes completely! At least I was honest about my dumb prediction. Well dumb, so far.

Eddie George is grinning like a Cheshire Cat on the halftime highlights on Fox.

Texas is the No. 2 run defense in the country? I think no one runs much in the Big 12 conference at all. The bands are playing and then the nightmare continues, as far as my pick goes.

Like Jimmy Johnson says, it's still early! LOL. The band is playing Stairway to Heaven.

They might as well play "Going to hell in a bucket, but at least I'll enjoy the ride".

10:10 pm, the second half starts.

The Longhorns will receive the ball. Shipley falls down catching the kickoff. Great!

The Longhorns get a first down at the 30. Then another run for nine yards, 2nd-and-one at the 39. Holding makes it 2nd-and-11 at the 30 of Texas. A pass is deflected, and it's 3rd-and-11 to go.

Pass interference on OSU, first down at the 45 of Texas. A run gets nothing. Second and 13 to go. McCoy runs for 11 yards. Third-and-two to go for a first down.

Texas is taking some time off the clock, and sustaining a long drive, finally. Texas is stopped a yard short of a first down, as the nightmare continues. A fake punt and they run it. It's really close and they get the first down.

That was huge! A direct snap to the up back barely works. McCoy passes it down to the 39 of OSU. a run, and it's third-and-three. A short pass, and it's decision time again.

One yard to go and they go for it. Another first down, barely! An eight-yard gain and another roughing the passer call, gets it down to the 14 of OSU. First down. Colt McCoy runs the next play in for the touchdown. Texas 10, OSU 6.

Wow, a four-point lead. I feel slightly better. Just slightly. That drive took half the third quarter.

I need two more touchdowns to leave the title alone.

10:28 pm OSU gets the ball back at their own 30-yard line. Three and out, and Texas gets the ball back. Whew, I'm starting to feel better about this game again.

10:34 pm McCoy completes three more passes, and he is now 27 for 37 passing. Oops, intentional grounding on Colt. Third-and-long. They run it and lose more yards. Ok, they punt, and it's nervous time again.

OSU has nice field position this time. They do nothing with the ball and have to punt again. Texas gets it back and goes to work again at their 15-yard line.

A completion moves it to the 30. First down. A nine-yard run and it's 2nd-and-one. McCoy throws to Shipley and it's another first down. Shipley catches another one for 20 yards, then trips and falls down.

Whitaker, a freshman runs for four yards, then again for six-and-first down, Texas is in a hurry-up offense now. An option plays gets another first down. The quick offense is wearing on OSU. Touchdown, Texas on a high tempo drive. 17-6 now.

It's taken a while, but the blowout is finally materializing. Will wonders never cease?

Pryor has all but abandoned the run, now and scrambles for a few yards. Pryor is sacked. 3rd-and-10 as the third quarter ends. 17-6 Texas leads.

Pryor throws a huge pass for about a 48-yard gain. Bam! They run the ball a couple of times, throw an in completion, that's almost intercepted, and then kick a field goal. 17-9 Texas leads.

All right, I can live with that. If Texas scores again, it is 24 -9 and a 15-point lead, just like I called at the start of the game. Let's see how the cards fall.

Texas starts at their own 20. McCoy gains three yards on his own. Second-and-seven. A pitch to the guy that I can't spell his last name, we will call him Chris. Shipley runs for a first down.

McCoy completes one for a first down. The hurry up offense is rolling again. McCoy fumbles, but the ball goes out of bounds.

11:06 pm Texas takes their first time out of the half with 10:20 left in this game.

This game started too late. I have to work in the morning. Thanks Fox and the BCS Bowl People. McCoy completes a long one, but the receiver is out of bounds. Texas has to punt it back to OSU.

OSU completes a pass, and then runs it into Texas territory. First down. Pryor throws one incomplete. Second and 10.8:54 left in the game. Pryor runs another one down to the 25 of Texas. First down. 7:35 to go in the game.

Two incompletions and it's third-and-12. The Longhorns are called for pass interference and an unsportsmanlike penalty. OSU first down on the seven-yard line of Texas.

Touchdown on a fade route, Boeckman to Pryor. OSU goes for a two-point conversion and a tie game. Incomplete and it's 17-15 Texas.

Hell, I have to change the title of this article, or I will never hear the end of it from Ohio State fans.

OSU has really hung in there. I have to give them credit for playing a smart game, whatever happens.

11:24 pm 7:26 left in the game. Texas takes over on the 19-yard line.

A terrible pass by McCoy to start the drive. Incomplete. Then a short pass, for a gain of three. Incomplete, and Texas has to punt.

OSU starts at their own 27-yard line. Pryor and Herron got tangled up on a handoff and fumbles but OSU gets it back.  Second-and-17 Pryor throws to the tight end for a 21-yard gain and another first down.

Another completion by Boeckman to Rabinski for a big first down. Herron runs the ball down to the 15 of Texas. Second-and-two. Touchdown, Buckeyes, and it's now 21-17 OSU. The two-point conversion gets offsetting penalties and they will try again.

The two-point conversion is no good. Texas gets the ball with 2:05 left in the game.

Good night, Irene. Utah is moving up in the world. Texas is hurting for certain. Can they come back?

1:15 left now 2nd-and-10 at the 30. McCoy gets out of bounds to the 38. 1:07 left.

Complete to midfield, first down. 1:03 left. Another short pass complete to the 42.

:47 left as Colt throws incomplete 3rd-and-three. Incomplete and it comes down to this play. Fourth-and-three. Complete, and it's very close to the marker. I think they have a first down.

:38 left. First down. Wow! The Buckeyes challenge the spot where the officials marked the ball. The spot is upheld. First down.

McCoy drops back and throws, complete. First down. Touchdown Texas, to Cosby. Wait. Flags on the play. Unsportsman-like conduct on the celebration of the touchdown.

24-21 Texas. What a heartbreaking loss for the Buckeyes.

Thanks for the chance to make an idiot out of myself in this blowout prediction of the Fiesta Bowl. Good game, OSU.

Thomas Moreland