Texas defeats No. 1 Ohio State on 21-point comeback
Quarterback Arch Manning led Texas to a 24-23 win over Ohio State, erasing a 23-point deficit in the fourth quarter, the largest comeback against a top-ranked team since 1988.
Texas rallied from a 23-point deficit to defeat No. 1 Ohio State 24-23 in Austin on Saturday, marking the biggest comeback against a top-ranked opponent since 1988. Quarterback Arch Manning, who had struggled early in the game, completed 23 of 37 passes for 196 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and was especially effective in the final quarter, finishing 11 of 15 for 128 yards and a score.
Manning said he did not want the crowd’s criticism to affect his performance and vowed to keep the team focused. > "I could not let that happen," he said after the win.
The Longhorns scored three consecutive touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a 12-yard pass to Emmett Mosley V on fourth down and a 1-yard run by Hollywood Smothers with 7:14 remaining. Ohio State’s kicker missed a 45-yard field goal that could have sealed the game.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian credited Manning’s resilience, noting that the adversity he faced last season helped him handle the pressure. > "When you talk about growth in a human being, that’s the stuff as a coach that makes you proud," Sarkisian said.
The comeback is the fourth-largest in Texas history and the first 20-point rally against a No. 1 team in nearly four decades. Texas controlled the ball for more than ten minutes in the final period and ran 40 plays across its last three possessions.