No. 4 Texas storms back to stun No. 1 Ohio State, 24-23

AUSTIN — For three quarters Saturday night, Texas looked headed toward another painful loss to Ohio State.

Then everything changed.

No. 4 Texas erased a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit and stunned No. 1 Ohio State, 24-23, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, completing the comeback on Hollywood Smothers' 1-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds remaining.

The victory moved Texas to 2-0 and gave the Longhorns their first win over the Buckeyes in three meetings over the past three seasons. The 20-point rally was also the largest fourth-quarter comeback to defeat an AP No. 1 team, according to Sportradar.

How it happened

For most of the night, Ohio State controlled the game.

The Buckeyes built a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, carried a 20-3 advantage into halftime and added a field goal in the third to make it 23-3.

Texas' offense struggled to find any rhythm. Dropped passes, missed throws and turnovers repeatedly stalled the Longhorns, while Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and star receiver Jeremiah Smith helped the Buckeyes take command.

But Texas finally found life in the fourth quarter.

Arch Manning connected with Ryan Wingo for a touchdown early in the period, cutting the deficit to 23-10 and giving a restless DKR crowd something to believe in.

The Longhorns weren't finished.

Smothers scored from a yard out with 7:14 remaining, pulling Texas within 23-17 and putting the pressure squarely on Ohio State.

The Buckeyes had an opportunity to effectively put the game away on their ensuing possession, but Connor Hawkins missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt.

That gave Texas hope, and Manning took advantage.

Texas marched down the field on its final possession before Smothers powered across the goal line from a yard out with 25 seconds remaining, giving the Longhorns their first lead of the night.

Ohio State had one final chance, but Sayin's desperation pass was intercepted as time expired, sending the Longhorns pouring onto the field to celebrate one of the program's biggest regular-season victories under Steve Sarkisian.

Manning delivers when Texas needs him

Manning's final numbers won't fully explain his night.

The Texas quarterback finished with 196 passing yards after struggling along with the rest of the Longhorns' offense through three quarters.

When Texas needed him most, however, Manning settled in.

He completed 11 of his final 15 passes and used both his arm and legs to extend drives during the comeback. His touchdown connection with Wingo provided the spark that turned a seemingly comfortable Ohio State victory into a frantic finish.

For Manning, it was a defining response after facing enormous expectations entering the season.

Texas' defense gives the offense a chance

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin threw for 278 yards, while Jeremiah Smith delivered a huge performance with eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown.

But Texas kept the Buckeyes out of the end zone after halftime.

Ohio State managed only three second half points, allowing the Longhorns to stay within striking distance even as their offense struggled. That became critical in the fourth quarter.

Once Texas began scoring, Ohio State couldn't answer.

Why it matters

Texas didn't just beat the No. 1 team in the country. The Longhorns showed they could survive a night when almost everything went wrong.

Texas trailed 23-3 entering the fourth quarter against the nation's top-ranked team. Instead of folding, the Longhorns scored 21 unanswered points and turned what appeared headed toward another Ohio State loss into a potentially season-defining victory.

After missing the College Football Playoff with a 9-3 record last season, Texas entered 2026 with little room for early mistakes.

Two games in, the Longhorns are unbeaten, and after knocking off No. 1 Ohio State, they may have a case to become the nation's new top-ranked team.

Up next

Texas (2-0) remains home next Saturday when UTSA visits DKR on Sept. 19.