AP

Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and coach Mac Brown after the team’s Fiesta Bowl win.

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Maybe the national championship debate will include Texas.

Maybe it won't.

Right now, Texas doesn't really matter. The Longhorns were just lucky the Valley of the Sun didn't turn into a replay of what happened on the South Plains.

Colt McCoy found Quan Cosby on a 26-yard catch-and-run for the winning touchdown with 16 seconds to play, giving the Longhorns a 24-21 win over Ohio State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Any chance of a late Ohio State comeback ended when senior Brian Orakpo sacked backup quarterback Todd Boeckman.

At various times, Texas looked like it had mentally checked out of the football season.

The destination might have been Austin or home or maybe South Beach. Well, especially South Beach, where they could be exchanging trash talk with Florida instead of Oklahoma players.

Call it Mack Brown's worst nightmare.

He had warned throughout the week before the game that the biggest factor in bowl games is motivation. Ohio State, which had been embarrassed three times in the last three seasons on the national stage, wanted all the questions about the meltdowns to end.

The Buckeyes were every bit as proud of their football tradition as the Longhorns and played that way. Ohio State was also doing its best to mend the tattered reputation of the Big Ten, which had lost five of its first six bowl games this season.

The Buckeyes led, 6-3, at halftime, just the second time all season Texas had been held without a touchdown in the first half.

Texas was every bit as ineffective in the first half against Ohio State as it was at Texas Tech.

The Longhorns' running attack in the first half totaled minus-9 yards. On a late drive in the final minute, McCoy was intercepted at the Ohio State 1-yard line by Anderson Russell.

Meanwhile, running back Beanie Wells was punishing Texas like he will someday punish NFL defenses. He was certainly bigger and better than any running back Texas had seen in the Big 12.

But after a half and 96 yards rushing on 12 carries, the Longhorns realized he was the only real threat for the Ohio State offense.

He finished with 106 yards on 16 carries.

Texas rallied in the third quarter behind McCoy.

He eluded Ohio State All-American cornerback Malcolm Jenkins on a nifty spin move for a 14-yard touchdown. Then he hooked up with Cosby for a 7-yard scoring pass and a 17-6 lead.

It wouldn't last. Ohio State freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor saw to that.

Someday, Pryor might fulfill all the Vince Young comparisons and win Jim Tressel another BCS national title. Someday. For now, he's a gifted true freshman who is better scampering for yardage on broken plays than targeting receivers under pressure.

The two-quarterback package sputtered for the most part, outside of one 48-yard completion by Boeckman.

Pryor helped lead Ohio State back with 16 straight points in the fourth quarter.

Daniel Herron scored from 15 yards out with 2:11 left for a 21-17 lead, setting the stage for the final Texas drive.