WATCH: Ohio State scores shocking 75-yard TD against Texas on screen pass before halftime

The Horns had tied the game at 7-7, but the tie only lasted 16 seconds when the Buckeyes unexpectedly produced a game-changing play.

ARLINGTON, Texas — With 29 seconds remaining in the first half of the Cotton Bowl, the Texas Longhorns had just swung momentum by tying the game at 7-7, dissolving a lead for the Ohio State Buckeyes that had held for the 22 minutes of game time since their opening drive.

For an offensive play caller in that situation, the options are typically simple — run a draw play or a screen pass in an attempt to pick up enough yardage to get really serious about scoring before halftime.

Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly opted for a running back screen to his speed back, Treveyon Henderson, and got more than even he expected — a game-changing 75-yard touchdown that swung the win probability from virtually even to 72.9 percent in favor of the Buckeyes at halftime.

And although Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian called the play “unfortunate” before heading into the locker room, more apt descriptions include “devastating” and “inexcusable.”

So, what happened?

Any successful running screen requires a lack of recognition from the defensive front, exactly what happened as junior edge Trey Moore, senior Jack end Barryn Sorrell, and redshirt senior defensive tackle Vernon Broughton all went hard after Ohio State quarterback Will Howard.

Such a shocking play also generally requires a poor defensive play call and Longhorns coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski obliged by sending junior nickel back Jaylon Guilbeau on a blitz, taking him out of the play.

Then there’s the bad angles and questionable effort on the back end as Texas failed to even make contact with Henderson on the play. Not only did the defensive backs on the other side of the field fail to take conservative angles, the safeties for the Longhorns — senior Andrew Mukuba and redshirt junior Michael Taaffe, ran into each other on the play as the Ohio State offensive linemen led the play near the first-down marker.

The result was not only catastrophic, but also at odds with how the Horns have played defensively this season and throughout most of the first half in holding the Buckeyes to four straight scoreless possessions.