"Refs helped lots"; "Nightmare matchup": CFB world goes wild after Ryan Day dominates Steve Sarkisian's men at Cotton Bowl

Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes are headed to Atlanta for the College Football Playoff national championship game after a 28-14 win Friday night. Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns are headed home.

College football fans everywhere let their opinions be known on the Cotton Bowl semifinal and the pairing of the Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a week and a half.

"Refs helped Lots," @ItsTheeBobbyC replied to a Hayes Fawcett final graphic on X/Twitter.

Ohio State was flagged nine times for 75 yards in the win, including a personal foul penalty on TreVeyon Henderson that did its part in killing a promising early drive. Texas totaled 54 yards on five penalties, notably an unsportsmanlike conduct credited to tight end Gunnar Helm on the Longhorns' second-to-last drive. Helm pointed in the direction of Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs on the sideline after a 34-yard gain.

That infraction seemed inconsequential as Quinn Ewers hit Matthew Golden for 27 yards on the next play. Shortly after came the sequence that did Texas in, when Sarkisian decided to try a pitch play on second-and-goal from Ohio State's 1-yard line.

The Buckeyes will aim to ride their wave of momentum to a national title against the Fighting Irish, who arrive in the big game by way of a 27-24 win over Penn State on Thursday night. The tilt between two of the sport's true blue-blood figures is quite a big draw.

Another fan had a bold prediction, unless they were being sarcastic:

The last time Ohio State and Notre Dame crossed paths was early in the 2023 regular season when the Buckeyes scored the game-winning touchdown with little time left on the clock. If this battle between Ryan Day and Marcus Freeman's teams is any similar, it's likely to do much better on television than some fans believe.

Maybe some won't tune in out of disgust for the participants, such as @baemar888:

What to make of Ryan Day's offense Friday night

Ohio State's contest with the Longhorns was its most closely contested this postseason. The Buckeyes had previously made easy work of Tennessee and Oregon, a rebound that seemed entirely unlikely after a crushing loss to Michigan on Nov. 30.

One interesting figure in the box score was freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith's one reception for three yards. That paltry performance came after what will be remembered as an iconic Rose Bowl showing against the Ducks.

Carnell Tate, regarded for most of the season as Ohio State's No. 3 receiver, led the Buckeyes with 87 yards receiving on seven grabs. Henderson had a 75-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter of the win.