Pat McAfee becomes dad McAfee with warm gesture to crying Texas fan at Cotton Bowl

Emotions ran high in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as the Longhorns' dream to reach the national championship game was shattered. That happened after the Ohio State Buckeyes beat them 28-14 to set up a date against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff championship game.

The loss not only put a dent in Steve Sarkisian's hopes but also one little girl who had arrived at the stadium with high hopes. When college football analyst Pat McAfee was passing by the stands, he noticed the girl crying with two minutes remaining with no hopes of a comeback following a 14-point deficit.

McAfee became dad McAfee, consoling the girl, as he shook his hands and empathized with her feelings. McAfee, who was mic'd up, found the moment as a great advertisement for college football.

"This little Texas girl was crying a bit, bummed out about the Texas Longhorns currently," McAfee said on live broadcast. "But I just wanted to tell her, 'Hey, bud, you're a great fan. They appreciate you. This is a hell of a season. They're in the final four. Only two teams get to go to the national championship. Keep that energy.

"Texas is back. Back-to-back years here, making it to the semifinal, and I assume it's only going to continue to grow.' That kid's awesome. That kid's everything that's great with college football — the passion, the pageantry, the loyalty."

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Texas Longhorns bows out of College Football Playoff despite overwhelming support

The Longhorns couldn't have asked for a better playground than their own home state, Dallas, for their CFP game. However, despite the crowd coming out in huge numbers, the Longhorns' gameplay left them disappointed.

The feeling the little girl had was shared by thousands of Longhorns fans who saw their team's dropped shoulders in the fourth quarter.

The Buckeyes started strong, with Quinshon Judkins scoring a nine-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter. Texas tied the game late in the second quarter with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Quinn Ewers to Jaydon Blue. But Ohio State immediately responded with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Will Howard to TreVeyon Henderson to take a 14-7 halftime lead.

Texas leveled the scores again in the third quarter with another touchdown connection between Ewers and Blue. However, Ohio State dominated the fourth quarter, regaining the lead with Judkins’ one-yard touchdown run after a clock-consuming 13-play drive.

The Buckeyes sealed the win when Jack Sawyer returned a fumble 83 yards for a touchdown.