Jerod Smalley commentary: Captain Jack and the greatest defensive moment in Buckeyes history
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- When I first met Jack Sawyer, he was a freshman at Pickerington North.
Even then it was clear: He was hooked up a little different. There’s a thin (but real) line between cocky and confident. Even as a first-year high school athlete, he trended toward grown-up confidence over youthful swagger.
He knew he was bigger and more talented than pretty much all of the kids he played against. Honestly, he was an even better basketball player than many of the central Ohio kids who were headed to college to play … basketball. In fact, our friend and Ohio University men's basketball coach Jeff Boals offered Sawyer a scholarship in 2018 when Boals was at Stony Brook.
Jack played quarterback as a junior at Pick North and, frankly, looked pretty good at that spot. This guy could do it all.
On Friday night in Arlington, Texas, a rugged veteran of a defensive end turned in what will be perhaps the defining moment of the 2024 Ohio State football season. Sawyer unleashed an aggressive, confident move around a projected first round NFL draft pick at tackle to create one of the most exciting moments in College Football Playoff history.
In between Friday and our first meeting, it was not a straight line of growth and success for Sawyer. He missed his senior year of high school football to fully recover from a knee injury. He had committed to Ohio State early in his high school career and constantly wore that weight of expectation. When he got to Ohio State, he earned playing time as a freshman and set the expectation that he would quickly become the latest game-wrecking Buckeyes defensive end.
That did not happen. Make no mistake — Jack has been one of the most coveted defensive end prospects for several years. His physical gifts with height, weight, speed and power make him an obvious NFL target. But typically, his running mate, JT Tuimoloau, would put up more sacks and pressures.
Despite not being the best player on the field for every snap, Sawyer did not crumble as some five-star, can’t-miss kids sometimes do. He found success in the grind. Blue collar work. Motivate others. Lead with integrity and intensity.
This year, that leadership has shown up in the biggest moments. Even when Ohio State fell to Michigan, it was Sawyer who turned in one of the most athletic plays of the season with his late interception to save a touchdown. Losing that game reduced the impact of that play and, frankly, it robbed Sawyer of the kudos he deserved for it.
After that game, Sawyer vented his frustration over having never beaten the Bucks’ rival, or even winning a rivalry game at Pick North. He had never beaten a rival team.
Friday vs. Texas, it was clear the long trail of frustration had built to a place where he refused to deal with that again. His constant pressure of, yes, his former OSU roommate Quinn Ewers set the defensive tone for the night.
And on fourth-and-goal from the 8 yard line, when Texas merely needed a touchdown to tie the score in the fourth quarter, Sawyer’s nimble hand placement quickly fought off Texas tackle Cameron Williams. Two giant strides later he was punching the football out of Ewers right hand, virtually ending the game. What happened next was the moment Captain Jack had earned—his true moment as an Ohio State legend. As the ball bounced off the turf and right up into his hands, Sawyer instinctively reverted to his quarterback days at Pick North. He took off, with no Longhorn capable of catching him.
Eighty-two yards later, running out of the gas halfway through, Sawyer scored perhaps the greatest touchdown an Ohio State defensive player has ever scored, especially considering the circumstances.
A quick Look at some of other candidates:
- Maurice Clarett’s strip fumble vs. Miami in the '02 title game.
- In that same game, the final-play pressure by Cie Grant.
- Joey Bosa’s game-ending sack to win at Penn State in ‘14.
- Steve Miller’s pick-6 to help OSU beat Alabama in the ‘14 Sugar Bowl.
There are many other elite plays, and I’m sure I’m forgetting several. But in the moment it’s hard to think of a single effort that led to a bigger, championship-level victory than what Sawyer delivered.
Clearly, he did not do it alone. Coverage was excellent, and Caleb Downs’ swooping in on second down and backing Texas up 7 yards is also a massive play on that same series of plays.
Ohio State overall is allowing 12 points per game through 15 games. A dozen. That’s it. Despite the various offensive schemes you’ll find in the sport, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has found ways to put his players in good spots to win their share of snaps. No defense stops everyone all the time. But against a Texas team with as much skill as Ohio State has, they still found multiple ways to get Texas off the field. The Horns finished 5 of 15 on third downs.
Now, as Ohio State turns toward a national championship showdown with Notre Dame, they’ll face a coach in Marcus Freeman who can personally appreciate the unique nature of the OSU defense. Marcus played on some monster groups as a Buckeyes linebacker, alongside James Laurinaitis and others. He likely appreciates players like Sawyer far more than other coaches because he’s lived the experience of a Buckeye and knows the toughness Sawyer exudes. Freeman knows how tough a job it’s going to be to score on this defense.
The evening of Jan. 20, just watch 33. Few players on the field in Atlanta will match the self-belief Sawyer displays. It’s a confidence which spreads to teammates. And it’s among the biggest reasons OSU stands 60 minutes from national title No. 9.