Entering Saturday, the question was whether the Longhorns could finally win the big game. After two previous losses to the Ohio State Buckeyes during Steve Sarkisian’s tenure at Texas, the Longhorns needed a statement win to set the tone for the rest of the season. They got just that. Despite trailing 23-3 at the start of the fourth quarter, Arch Manning and the Texas offense sparked a late rally, mounting an epic 24-23 comeback in an instant classic at DKR-TMS.
From the first play from scrimmage, Texas faced an uphill battle. On a swing pass to running back Raleek Brown, the transfer fumbled the ball, setting the Buckeyes up for an easy field goal attempt and an early lead.
Then, on Texas’ fifth play from scrimmage, Arch Manning threw an interception after Cam Coleman struggled to come down with a slightly errant pass. The turnover later led to a Buckeyes touchdown drive.
Finally, after a questionable fourth-down call from Sarkisian as the first half came to a close, Ohio State regained possession on a turnover on downs. The Buckeyes stormed down the field and scored on a 19-yard Julian Sayin touchdown pass to Jeremiah Smith.
Speaking of Smith, the junior wideout dominated the first half. The Ohio State star is arguably the best wide receiver in the sport, and he showed why. When it was all said and done, Smith had tallied an almost unthinkable 164 receiving yards on eight catches.
Overall, the Longhorns had no answer for Smith or the Buckeyes, and trailed 20-3 at halftime.
The Shift
After Ohio State connected on a 48-yard field goal with 8:09 left in the third quarter, Texas’ hopes looked even slimmer. The Longhorns had done almost nothing offensively and appeared destined to repeat recent history against a superior team.
But things changed.
Before the third quarter ended, something clicked for Arch Manning. The Texas gunslinger locked in, using both his legs and his arm to move the team down the field. On the same drive, Manning found Ryan Wingo for a three-yard touchdown pass, cutting Ohio State’s lead to 23-10 with 14:19 left in the game.
Although a comeback still seemed improbable, Texas had planted a seed of hope.
In the fourth quarter, the Longhorn defense woke up and allowed only 52 yards of offense. Those clutch stops gave Manning two more opportunities to lead the team down the field. He capitalized both times, setting up Hollywood Smothers for two one-yard touchdown runs.
In a nearly cathartic turn, Sarkisian’s team turned one of its biggest weaknesses into a strength. After years of struggling in the red zone, particularly in goal-line formations, Texas punched the ball into the end zone twice. Smothers’ second touchdown gave Texas a shocking 24-23 lead with just 25 seconds remaining.
Texas took its first lead of the game, and it was the only one it needed.
Ohio State threw up a prayer before the final whistle, but Longhorn defensive back Graceson Littleton came down with an interception. The Longhorns stormed the field, and accomplished the unimaginable.
Thoughts
It wasn’t pretty, but man, was it beautiful.
What do I mean? Texas’ first half was about as bad as it could have been, as Sarkisian admitted as much following the game. But his team needed to do something it had been unable to do: shock the world. And it did.
Texas has had an almost unthinkable inability to score in the red zone, particularly out of goal-line formations. Against Ohio State, the Longhorns finally broke through. Texas has also struggled to beat the nation’s best when the stakes are highest. This time, with their backs against the wall, the Longhorns upset the nation’s top-ranked team.
Again, it wasn’t pretty, but man, was it beautiful.
Now, with the Longhorns finally owning a true signature victory, the mental block can be removed. The team has unlocked its ability to pursue its true potential.
After beating Ohio State, the Longhorns will move up in the polls and position themselves to control their own destiny. The catch? There is still a lot of football left to play. As Sarkisian noted in his postgame press conference, his team will face adversity again.
But now, both the fans and players can believe in the team’s championship potential.
All it took was the biggest comeback in a top-five matchup since 1995.
