Breaking
Texas erases 20-point deficit, stuns No. 1 Ohio State 24–23
Texas scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, and Hollywood Smothers' touchdown with 25 seconds left completed the comeback.
Texas spent three quarters making the kind of mistakes that usually end a top-five game. Then the Longhorns owned the fourth quarter.
No. 4 Texas scored 21 unanswered points in the final period Saturday night, erasing a 23–3 deficit to beat No. 1 Ohio State 24–23 at DKR–Texas Memorial Stadium. Hollywood Smothers' 1-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds left tied the score, and Gunnar Spetic's extra point put Texas ahead. Earl Little Jr. intercepted Julian Sayin on the final play to finish the comeback.
The turn was as complete as it was sudden. Ohio State led 20–3 at halftime and pushed the margin to 23–3 on Caleb Hawkins' 48-yard field goal with 8:09 left in the third quarter.
Texas finally turned that movement into touchdowns. A 15-play, 91-yard drive crossed the quarter break and ended with Arch Manning's 3-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo at 14:19. After an Ohio State three-and-out, the Longhorns went 72 yards in 13 plays. Smothers scored from the 1 to make it 23–17 with 7:14 remaining.
Ohio State had a chance to restore a two-score lead. Sayin moved the Buckeyes to the Texas 27, but Hawkins missed a 45-yard field goal with 4:16 left. Texas took over at its own 27 and drove 73 yards in 12 plays for the go-ahead score.
Manning completed four passes on the deciding march, including gains of 17 and 19 yards to Emmett Mosley V. Raleek Brown added an 11-yard run, and Smothers carried the last two plays from the Ohio State 1. His second attempt crossed the goal line, and Gunnar Spetic's extra point gave Texas its first lead of the night.
Manning finished 23 of 37 for 196 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Smothers ran 21 times for 74 yards and two scores. Mosley led Texas with five catches for 67 yards.
Ohio State outgained Texas 372–336. Sayin threw for 278 yards and a touchdown, while Jeremiah Smith caught eight passes for 164 yards and a score. But the Buckeyes managed only 94 rushing yards, went 0-for-1 on fourth down and ended their final three possessions with a punt, a missed field goal and an interception.
Texas improved to 2–0. The Buckeyes fell to 1–1 after watching a 20-point lead disappear in one quarter.