The hype surrounding a top-four matchup between two blue-blood programs in Texas and Ohio State was significant, and the game delivered plenty of fireworks.
For Texas, however, the fireworks were quiet through three quarters. The Longhorns trailed 23–3 entering the fourth quarter and looked out of sorts for much of the night. Luckily for Texas, football is a four-quarter game.
Everyone watching knew Texas would have to play a nearly perfect fourth quarter to pull off the comeback. That is exactly what the Longhorns did.
There are definitely plenty of plays from the first three quarters Texas would like back. But anytime you beat the No. 1-ranked team in the country, especially after trailing by 20 points entering the fourth quarter, you take it.
The Texas Run Game Is a Strength in 2026
The Texas running game was nonexistent in 2025. I think it is safe to say that will not be the case in 2026.
After Week 1, there were questions about whether Texas could run the ball at a high level against a team like Ohio State. Against the Buckeyes, the run game—especially Hollywood Smothers—was Texas’ most consistent source of offense for much of the night.
Between Smothers and Raleek Brown, Texas ran for more than 130 yards and averaged over four yards per carry. Smothers consistently gave the offense something to lean on, and the run game played a major role in the Longhorns’ ability to keep fighting until the fourth-quarter comeback arrived.
Brown had a rough start. Between the fumble and running out of bounds short of the first down in the first half, there were multiple negative plays he would like back.
That being said, Brown made several solid plays in the fourth quarter. He finished with 10 carries for 54 yards, which is a good rebound after a difficult first half.
One underrated part of Brown’s night was Sark going back to him after the mistakes. He could have left Brown on the bench, but he trusted him in a huge moment. That is important for Brown’s confidence moving forward, especially because Texas will need both Brown and Smothers as the season continues.
The Offensive Line Deserves Credit
The offensive line was a major talking point throughout 2025 because of how poorly the group performed as a unit.
Against Ohio State, even when things looked bleak for the Texas offense, the offensive line still played well. Arch Manning was sacked only twice, and at least one of those sacks was on Arch.
When it comes to offensive line play, people usually only talk about it when things go wrong. If the quarterback is getting pressured constantly or the run game cannot get going, everyone notices. But when the offensive line plays well, people often do not mention it.
It should not go unnoticed how well Texas’ offensive line played against a quality Ohio State defense.
Sure, Ohio State lost several players to the NFL Draft, but the Buckeyes are still one of the better defenses Texas will face in 2026. Texas was able to run the ball effectively, protect Manning well enough, and put together the drives needed to pull off the comeback.
That is a major positive for a group that had a lot to prove entering the season.
Colin Simmons Imposed His Will
One of the biggest discussion points entering the game was how Jeremiah Smith and Colin Simmons would impose their will in the third matchup between Texas and Ohio State.
Smith and Simmons are two great players, but both had relatively quiet games in 2024 and 2025. That was not going to be the case for a third straight year.
Smith made his impact early and often. He dominated the first half in particular and finished the game with eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown. Smith had a couple of opportunities in the fourth quarter as well, but he had a few drops at crucial moments.
Colin Simmons finished the game with two tackles for loss and a sack. That is still a good game, do not get me wrong, but his impact was much larger than what the box score shows.
Simmons was getting held for a large portion of the night, and a lot of it was not called. Still, he continued to affect the game and eventually drew a massive holding penalty on Ohio State’s first play after Texas took the lead with 25 seconds remaining.
That penalty all but ended Ohio State’s hopes. It backed the Buckeyes up with only 17 seconds remaining and put them in a nearly impossible position.
Simmons showed Saturday night why he is the best pass rusher in the country and, possibly, the best defensive player in college football.
