Texas Rallies From 20 Down to Stun No. 1 Ohio State

Yahoo Sports reports No. 4 Texas overcame a 20-point deficit to beat top-ranked Ohio State in a comeback win at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin.

No. 4 Texas appeared buried at home against No. 1 Ohio State, trailing by as many as 20 points before mounting a full recovery. According to Yahoo Sports, Texas overcame the 20-point hole to beat Ohio State, a reversal of the game's entire trajectory after the Buckeyes had built a commanding lead at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin. The matchup was billed as arguably the biggest college football game of the year, pitting Julian Sayin's top-ranked Buckeyes against Arch Manning and the Longhorns, per cleveland.com. Texas entered as a slight home favorite.

The rally defies just how completely Ohio State controlled the early going. Yahoo Sports' live blog described a disastrous start: Texas turned the ball over on the first play when cornerback Jay Timmons stripped Raleek Brown, then lost a second turnover when a Cam Coleman catch caromed to safety Jaylen McClain. At halftime, Ohio State led 20-3, had outgained Texas 240-97, and forced two turnovers plus a turnover on downs. Midway through the third quarter the lead reached 23-3 after a 48-yard Connor Hawkins field goal, making the eventual Texas comeback all the more startling.

Yahoo Sports' in-game reporting documents how dire things looked for the Longhorns. Quarterback Arch Manning was just 10-for-19 for 71 yards midway through the third quarter, hampered by drops including Ryan Wingo's dropped touchdown pass in the end zone. Steve Sarkisian's decision to run a reverse to Wingo on 4th-and-2 at the Ohio State 41 backfired with a 10-yard loss, setting up a Jeremiah Smith touchdown catch before the half. Meanwhile, Smith torched Texas for eight catches and 164 yards, a player the Longhorns had previously held to minimal production in two meetings, per cleveland.com.

The result carries immediate College Football Playoff consequences. 247Sports noted before kickoff that the nationally ranked showdown between Texas (1-0, SEC) and Ohio State (1-0, Big Ten) was sure to have playoff implications, with Ohio State holding a 3-2 all-time series edge after wins in the 2024 playoff semifinal and last year's 14-7 season opener in Columbus.

Attention now shifts to how pollsters and the playoff committee respond to a top-five upset delivered in such dramatic fashion. cleveland.com reported Ohio State arrived with Heisman hopefuls in quarterback Julian Sayin and receiver Jeremiah Smith, and under defensive coordinator Matt Patricia had led the nation in total, passing and scoring defense in 2025, making Texas's second-half surge against that unit a significant statement for Manning and the Longhorns' national credentials. With Sarkisian's team now owning a marquee win, both programs' seasons will be measured against this September night in Austin.