No. 4 Texas stunned No. 1 Ohio State 24-23 on Saturday night, wiping out a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit on Hollywood Smothers’ 1-yard touchdown plunge with 25 seconds left.
The Longhorns (2-0) scored three touchdowns in the final period after looking overmatched for three quarters at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Ohio State (1-1) led 23-3 entering the fourth.
Arch Manning directed all three scoring drives. The first ended with a touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo. Smothers then punched in a one-yard run with 7:14 remaining to cut the deficit to 23-17.
Ohio State kicker Connor Hawkins, who had already made three field goals, missed from 45 yards with 4:16 left. That miss gave Texas the ball at its own 27-yard line. Manning drove the Longhorns 73 yards in 12 plays, and Smothers leaped over the pile for the winning score.
The extra point put Texas in front for the first time. Ohio State’s last-gasp pass was intercepted as time expired.
Manning finished 23 of 37 for 196 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Smothers carried 21 times for 74 yards and two scores. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin threw for 278 yards, and receiver Jeremiah Smith caught eight passes for 164 yards and a touchdown.
The win was Texas’ first against Ohio State in three meetings over the past two seasons. The Buckeyes beat the Longhorns 28-14 in the 2025 College Football Playoff semifinal and 14-7 in last year’s season opener in Columbus.
Manning said the earlier loss still lingered.
“I had nightmares about that game last year,” he said. He also told ESPN, “We couldn’t lose to them again,” and added, “It wasn’t very pretty, but we found a way to win. That’s what good teams do.”
Coach Steve Sarkisian called it a measuring-stick night.
“We could be like other teams and play Jones Junior High and win 66-0. I don’t know what that does for us. Tonight we found out that we can (win big games),” he said.
Texas last beat a No. 1 team at home in 1950. The comeback was the program’s largest since 2007 and gave Sarkisian his most significant regular-season victory in six seasons as head coach.
Despite the late drama, Longhorns fans stayed in the stands. Players celebrated on the field, but the crowd did not rush it. That decision kept the university from facing a $500,000 SEC fine for field storming.
The conference raised the penalty last year. Every field or court storming now carries a flat $500,000 fine, replacing the old scale that started at $100,000, rose to $250,000 and then $500,000.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey explained the change when it was adopted.
“The motivation was ‘field rushing is field rushing, the first time or the 18th time,’” Sankey said. “The random nature of, if you’re the one getting rushed, it doesn’t feel good. It might be the first time (it happened) there, but it might be your sixth time in a row, literally.”
Schools can avoid the fine if the visiting team and officials reach the locker room before fans reach the field. Texas fans never tested that rule Saturday.
Ohio State had not blown a lead of 20 points or more since a 2011 loss at Nebraska. The Buckeyes return home next week against Kent State. Texas hosts UTSA.
For Manning and Sarkisian, the night offered more than a win. It offered a signature result against a program that had owned them twice in 12 months, without the half-million-dollar bill that often follows nights like this in the SEC.
