The Unsung Hero of Texas' Comeback Win Against Ohio State

For much of last season, the Texas offensive line seemed like more of a hindrance than a help.

From consistent penalty problems to allowing persistent pressure on Arch Manning, Steve Sarkisian's philosophy of needing to build an offensive line from the ground up was under intense scrutiny.

Now, it seems his decision to finally dip into the transfer portal and add pieces with proven talent has begun to pay off.

The Offensive Line May Have Been Texas’ Best Personnel Group on Saturday

Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Connor Robertson. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

While the Longhorns’ run game and Manning is what fans will be talking about for weeks to come, the offensive line may have been the unsung hero of Saturday’s comeback win against the Buckeyes.

After all, a big reason the Longhorns were even able to get the run game going was because of the lanes Kyle Flood’s revamped line was able to create. Combine that with two running backs who refused to go down, and the Texas run game became increasingly difficult to contain as the game went on.

“What I liked was the physicality that (the offensive line) played the game with,” Sarkisian said on Monday. “They moved the line of scrimmage, and they created running lanes, and I thought the runners did a really nice job. We didn’t go down on contact. We made guys miss. We ran through safeties. They were physical.”

But the offensive line didn’t just stop at the run game. They created clean pockets for Manning against a formidable Buckeyes front.

According to Pro Football Focus, they finished with a pass protection rating of 89.3 — last season their highest rating was 86.1 against Sam Houston State.

They also continued the trend of being a penalty-free unit.

Last season, the Longhorns committed the second-most penalties among all FBS teams, with the offensive line committing most of them. This season, the first-team players on the line have maintained a clean sheet.

“We’ve been in these games before when it’s eight penalties for 98 yards,” Sarkisian said. “So I was proud of our team for that too, that we’re playing a more disciplined brand of football right now.”

Trevor Goosby is a World-Class Talent

Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Trevor Goosby. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

To act like the offensive line’s success is solely because of acquisitions in the transfer portal would be ignorant.

You simply can’t talk about the Texas O-line without the name Trevor Goosby.

Goosby earned SEC Co-offensive Lineman of the Week honors along with the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week for his performance against Ohio State, where he allowed zero sacks and only one pressure.

“I think (Goosby) coming back, playing in the style in which he played the other night, we all know he’s a very good pass protector. But his ability to block the run game and do it with confidence and his leadership, I think all adds up to that,” Sarkisian said. “That kind of permeates throughout that offensive line.”

The Longhorns still have a lot of football to play and a daunting SEC schedule to conquer. But through these first two weeks, the offensive line has looked nearly unrecognizable.

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