4 Immediate Takeaways After Texas Longhorns' Epic Comeback vs Ohio State

The Texas Longhorns hosted the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes in Austin on Saturday for one of the most highly-anticipated regular season games in recent memory.

And despite an ugly first half for the Longhorns, they managed to put together one of the best comeback wins in program history.

Texas running back Hollywood Smothers jumped over the goal line for a game-winning touchdown with 25 seconds left as the Longhorns rallied for a 24-23 win over Ohio State after trailing 20-3 at halftime.

Texas score 21 points in the fourth quarter.

Arch Manning Guides Texas to Historic Comeback

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. (2) tackles Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the first half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Manning dealt with accuracy issues in the first half but he stayed calm and steady in the second half.

The stat line won't exactly jump off the page, but Manning passed the eye test with flying colors, at least in the second half. He finished 23 of 37 passing for 196 yards, one touchdown and one phantom interception.

Manning's best play came on 4th and 6 at the Texas 32-yard line. He found Emmett Mosley for a 12-yard completion in traffic.

If that pass had fallen incomplete, the game would had essentially been over but Manning came up clutch on that play and every play after.

Steve Sarkisian Bounces Back From Poor First Half

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian walks across the field prior to the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas on Sept. 12, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian faced criticism for some of the play-calling against Ohio State in the first half.

But he more than made up for it to help the Longhorns put together the memorable comeback.

Instead of talking about the awful end around call for Ryan Wingo in the first half that led to an Ohio State touchdown, fans will remember Sarkisian's aggressive fourth-down call on the pass to Mosley along with a commitment to the running back.

Instead of getting cute at the goal line in the closing seconds, Sarkisian kept it simple and sent Smothers up the middle for the game-winning score.

Texas Running Backs Save the Day

Texas Longhorns running back Hollywood Smothers (2) runs against Ohio State Buckeyes safety Jaylen McClain (8) at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Outside of the game-opening fumble from Raleek Brown, the Texas running backs proved to be the difference in the comeback win.

Smothers' game-winning touchdown was the highlight but he and Brown put together solid run after solid run. Nothing crazy explosive, but enough to keep Texas' chances alive.

Smothers finished with 21 carries for 74 yards and two touchdowns while Brown had 10 carries for 54 yards. Smothers also had three catches for 29 yards.

Steve Sarkisian Secures His Best Regular-Season Win at Texas

Aside from Texas' two College Football Playoff wins in 2024, this is now Sarkisian's best victory with the Longhorns.

Considering it came in comeback fashion against the No. 1 team in the country, it tops the win Texas had over Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and it really shouldn't be a debate.

But now it's about building off of this and stacking more wins. Sarkisian showed why the Longhorns are indeed a title contender.

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