Texas erases 20-point deficit to stun No. 1 Ohio State 24-23

Texas overcame the largest fourth-quarter deficit ever erased in a win over the Associated Press's No. 1-ranked team, rallying from 20 points down to beat Ohio State 24-23 on Saturday night at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin. Running back Hollywood Smothers scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard run with 25 seconds left, capping three consecutive Texas touchdown drives after Ohio State had built a 23-3 lead early in the fourth quarter. The result moved Texas to 2-0 on the young season and dropped Ohio State to 1-1.

The result, recorded in the NCAA's official game log, knocks Ohio State from the top of the rankings and puts Texas in position to be voted No. 1 for the first time this season when the Associated Press releases its updated Top 25 on Sunday afternoon.

The numbers

Ohio State led 20-3 at halftime and 23-3 to start the fourth quarter after building on an early 10-0 advantage. Quarterback Julian Sayin completed 17 of 32 passes for 278 yards, and receiver Jeremiah Smith caught eight passes for 164 yards and a touchdown, according to Ohio State's own recap of the loss. The Buckeyes were then shut out over the final quarter as Texas scored 21 unanswered points. Arch Manning, who had managed just 76 yards passing through three quarters, completed 11 of his final 15 attempts and directed three straight scoring drives of 12 or more plays. Smothers scored twice in that stretch, the second on the decisive 1-yard leap. Ohio State kicker Connor Hawkins, who had made three field goals earlier in the game, missed a 45-yard attempt with roughly four minutes left that would have pushed the lead to two scores, a sequence detailed in ESPN's account of the fourth-quarter collapse.

How Ohio State's cushion disappeared

Texas opened the game by fumbling on its first possession and then throwing an interception on a deflected pass, handing Ohio State short fields it converted into points. The Buckeyes' lead grew to 20-3 by halftime and to 23-3 early in the third quarter, with Sayin repeatedly finding Smith against a Texas secondary that had no answer for him. The Longhorns did not find their rhythm until the fourth quarter, when Manning shifted to shorter, quicker throws after a night of misfiring on deeper attempts. Texas players and wire reports described it as the program's largest fourth-quarter comeback since a 2007 win over Oklahoma State, long cited inside the program as its benchmark for late-game resilience. Manning's three scoring drives covered nearly all of the fourth-quarter clock, forcing Ohio State's defense, which had dominated for three quarters, into extended stretches on the field late in a warm September night.

The win also closes the book, for now, on a rough stretch for Manning. A year ago, Texas lost 14-7 at Ohio State's stadium in Columbus, a defeat that preceded an uneven finish to Texas's season, and Manning had drawn criticism for erratic play in his first year as the full-time starter. "I always knew we were going to be in it in the end," Manning said afterward, a line featured in wire coverage of his turnaround against the same opponent that had defined his shakiest stretch as a starter.

Who is affected

The result reshapes the sport's power rankings one week after Ohio State opened the season atop the preseason poll. Texas, which needed a signature nonconference win to reestablish itself after a mixed finish to last season, now has the marquee victory to support a College Football Playoff push. For Ohio State, the loss ends an early run of dominance built around Smith and likely means the Buckeyes need to win out in Big Ten play to reclaim a top playoff seed. It also raises fresh questions about a defense that had entered the season as one of the country's most experienced units yet could not close out a 20-point lead once Texas started converting on fourth down. According to wire reporting on the coming AP Top 25, Texas is expected to take over the No. 1 ranking when that poll is released.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian defended his decision to keep attacking on fourth down late in the game rather than play conservatively to protect field position.

"No, that's how losers think. Winners win, baby. You got to go for it. They didn't hire me to keep it close. They hired me to win."

The remark, made in Sarkisian's postgame comments on his fourth-down aggression, came after a reporter asked whether he had considered punting from his own 42-yard line rather than going for it. Ohio State coach Ryan Day took responsibility for his team's second-half performance, telling reporters the Buckeyes played well for three quarters and then did not play well enough in the fourth, calling it the bottom line of the loss. Day also faced questions about a late defensive call on Texas's final drive, when Ohio State chose to keep its defense on the field rather than allow a shorter Texas touchdown that would have left more clock for a response. Day said the staff considered letting Texas score on second down and instead opted to try to get a stop. "It didn't work out," he said.

What happens next

Both programs return to nonconference schedules before Big Ten and Southeastern Conference play intensifies. The final score is logged in the NCAA's box score for the game, while Ohio State faces a short week to fix its second-half defense before conference opponents carry more weight in the playoff conversation. Sunday's AP poll release will formalize the rankings shift, and both teams will be measured for the rest of September on whether Saturday's fourth quarter marks a genuine turning point for Texas or a costly aberration for Ohio State. Texas fans pointed to the win as validation of a roster many had questioned after last season's uneven finish, while Ohio State's coaching staff said in postgame interviews that fixing the fourth-quarter breakdowns, on both sides of the ball, would be the focus heading into next week's preparation.