The News

 The Los Angeles wildfires continue to cause devastation across California.

Former child actor Rory Callum Sykes is among the growing list of victims who have lost their lives in the fires. The Australian actor—who starred on the British TV show Kiddy Kapers—was 32.

As embers rained down on their home, his mom tried to call 911 but was unable to connect to get help. “He died needlessly,” she told Australian outlet 10 News First. “He said ‘Mom, leave me,’ and no mom can leave their kid.”

X/Shelley Skyes

Throughout his life, Rory was known as a fighter. “He overcame so much with surgeries & therapies to regain his sight & to be able to learn to walk,” Shelley wrote. “Despite the pain, he still enthused about traveling the world with me from Africa to Antarctica.”

“@rorysykes was a sought after inspirational speaker for @TonyRobbins when he was only 8 years old. @CallumsCure book first published by @simonschuster in Australia was about his courage.”

(Photo by TheStewartofNY/GC Images)

(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images) / Bryan Greenberg, Instagram

 Texas was on the edge of the end zone with a chance to tie the game with only minutes remaining in the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State. The Longhorns had the ball with first-and-goal at the 2-yard line. After a pass interference call on the Buckeyes, it was first-and-goal at the 1-yard line. 

At that point, almost nothing bad can happen. As a play caller, you have four plays to reach the end zone. As long as your calls go forward, you're unlikely to lose much ground. Even if you get stuffed, the opposing offense starts in the shadow of their own end zone. Ironically, Texas learned this the hard way in the Peach Bowl when Arizona State forced a safety after a red zone stop. 

For quarterback Quinn Ewers, it was set to be a validating moment. The Longhorns were major underdogs and Ewers made a handful of miraculous plays in the second half to swing the game, including a long pass to tight end Gunner Helm and magical toss to a running back while being tackled for a third-and-10 conversion. 

There's only two rules when facing a goal line stand: Don't give up ground, and don't turn the ball over. With their season on the line, in the 16th game of the season, in the final game for numerous mainstays of the program, Texas failed on both counts in a decision that iced a 28-14 loss against Ohio State. 

Texas ran a dive with their heavy set and running back Jerrick Gibson. It went nowhere. On second down, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian dialed up a bizarre, inexplicable, unacceptable call -- a toss sweep to running back Quintrevion Wisner to the short side of the field. Ohio State's uber talented secondary jumped all over it. Thanks to the play, 2nd-and-1 turned into 3rd-and-8. A likely tie game turned into a dire situation. 

"That's one of those plays, if you block it all right, you get into the end zone," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. "We didn't, and we lost quite a bit of yardage." 

Technically, Sarkisian is correct. If any play is executed perfectly and not defended, it will result in a touchdown. But in a game where Ohio State owned the perimeter, the idea of calmly locking down the Buckeyes' secondary is ambitious to say the least. Technically, Sarkisian is correct. If any play is executed perfectly and not defended, it will result in a touchdown. But in a game where Ohio State owned the perimeter, the idea of calmly locking down the Buckeyes' secondary is ambitious to say the least. 

We asked our college football analyst Blake Brockermeyer, who was a first-team All-American offensive lineman at Texas, to take a look at the All-22 and break down the play.