Breaking News: 4 Texas Longhorns is blamed for College...

Well, Texas is back. Back at home and will be watching the College Football Playoff national championship on their respective couches after the Longhorns fell to Washington in the semifinal Sugar Bowl game.

It’s definitely not the ending those in Austin had hoped for this season, but nonetheless, it still has to be recognized as nothing short of a great season for Texas football as they now set off for the SEC in 2024.

Monday night’s New Year’s Sugar Bowl game, which went into the early hours of the second day of the young year, was the endcap to what has to be considered one of the better semifinals in the CFP. For most of the game, it was a back-and-forth scoring affair between two teams, with Washington taking a 34-21 lead with just over 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter after a Longhorns turnover.

But Texas came reeling back, if not by a sheer stroke of luck thanks to Washington’s running back Dillon Johnson being injured late in the fourth quarter while trying to run out the clock, causing a timeout to be taken, giving the Longhorns enough time on the clock to drive down the field.

But unfortunately for Texas football, their season came to an end after hope was revived, leaving many to wonder what could have been if they could have only been playing for their first national title in almost two decades, in their home state no less in Houston, TX.

But who’s to blame for this Texas Sugar Bowl loss to Washington? Let’s take a look.

Winning the coin toss and deferring to the second half, Washington received the ball to start the third quarter and drove down in eight plays to score a touchdown to go up 28-21. One play in on the ensuing drive, freshman running back CJ Baxter ran for eight yards but fumbled, with the Huskies recovering at the Texas 33. Five plays later, Washington went up 10 for a lead they never lost after that.

Jaydon Blue fumbles in the fourth quarter

After Washington went up by 10, Texas punted on their ensuing drive, but Washington then went on a 12-play, 5:48 drive that resulted in another field goal to go up 34-21. With the game starting to feel out of reach, the Longhorns had to score on their next drive.

Four plays in, Texas got down to the Washington 43. But on a first-and-10, Quinn Ewers’ pass to Jaydon Blue went for 19 yards, but the wide receiver fumbled, and it was recovered at the Washington 24. Officials originally said he was down, but it was clear the ball was well out and bouncing around well before Blue hit the ground.

That would be the last of the Longhorns’ turnovers on the evening, but that’s all Washington needed.