Joel Klatt claims Jack Sawyer will 'never pay for anything in Columbus ever again'

In the wake of the Cotton Bowl matchup between Ohio State and Texas that was effectively decided by a strip-sack, scoop and score by Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer, FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt had a bold prediction.

He knows exactly what that play will mean for Sawyer personally.

“Jack Sawyer will never pay for anything in Columbus ever again,” Klatt said on his podcast. “Ever again. I can’t remember a defensive play that was that impactful that was made by just like one guy. Maybe, oh gosh, the Steelers’ Super Bowl, didn’t they have a play kind of like that? I think that they did, if I’m trying to remember. I think (James) Harrison had a play like that in a Super Bowl if I’m not totally misremembering.

“But Sawyer strip-sack, scoop and score on the same play. Stuff dreams are made of.”

Indeed. Ohio State had been doubted at various points this season, not the least of which was at the end of the regular season following a loss to Michigan.

All the Buckeyes have done since then is knock off a pair of SEC programs and the top seed in this year’s College Football Playoff.

Much of that is credit to Jack Sawyer, who is the heart and soul of the defense. Heart and soul of the team, really, as Joel Klatt explained.

“He’s an Ohio kid. He was a five-star recruit who was one of the first players in his cycle to commit to Ohio State,” Klatt said. “And then even through COVID, when he’s losing his senior season of high school football to COVID, he kept that class intact. He was as big of a recruiting piece for that class as Ryan Day was. They’ll all tell you that.

“When you go into their building, they talk about Jack Sawyer with such reverence, with the leadership that he has and the effort that he has. All year, he was fast early in the year. He’s had a terrific season. A terrific season. And there’s not a bigger play that he might ever make in his life than the one he made tonight against Texas. That was incredible.”

Klatt couldn’t say enough about Jack Sawyer and what he means to the Buckeyes. Now he’s got a memory he can cherish for a lifetime, as well as the respect of just about everyone in the sport.

“I’ve met Jack several times. He’s a great human. He’s a great player,” Klatt said. “I was happy for him. I was happy for him, because that’s the type of play, man, I tell you that like forever, forever, forever and ever and ever… he’s going to be an old man and people are going to still come up to him and talk about that play in the Cotton Bowl against Texas.”