# Texas erases 20 points, stuns No. 1 Ohio State

> Down 23-3 in Austin, the Longhorns pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback that will get replayed for years.
- Title: Texas erases 20 points, stuns No. 1 Ohio State · OutKick
- Summary: Down 23-3 in Austin, the Longhorns pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback that will get replayed for years. Texas finally won the game it always used to lose…
- Keywords: college football, texas longhorns, ohio state, arch manning, comeback, news, politics, Texas, erases, points, stuns, Ohio
- Source: OutKick — https://foxnews.com/outkick-sports/arch-manning-texas-longhorns-erase-20-point-deficit-stun-ohio-state-shocking-comeback-ages
- Author: Trey Wallace
- Published: 2026-09-13T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: college football, texas longhorns, ohio state, arch manning, comeback, news, politics
## A statement in Austin
No. 4 Texas beat No. 1 Ohio State 24-23 on Saturday night, in one of the wildest college football games in recent memory.

> Well, I don't know if Texas is back, but they darn sure made a statement
## Two heavyweight payrolls
The rematch pitted two of the biggest spenders in the sport against each other. Texas put around $40 million into its roster this season.
## It started with a fumble
The first offensive play of the game for Texas was a fumble. Ohio State toyed with the Longhorns from there.
## Ugly for three quarters
The Buckeyes led 20-3 at halftime, holding Texas to 97 yards of offense in the first 30 minutes. It looked like a mediocre team wearing burnt orange.
## The Jeremiah Smith show
Ohio State's wide receiver made the Texas secondary look inept nearly every time Julian Sayin threw his way, including a 48-yard grab in front of the Longhorns bench.

> How many NFL receivers are better than Jeremiah right now? Maybe five?
## Manning had nothing
Overthrown passes, dropped dimes and odd play calls left Texas trailing 23-3. Arch Manning's night was headed for a letdown.
## The fourth quarter flipped it
Ohio State stopped converting, a worn-down Buckeyes team gave ground, and a Texas defense that had been shredded finally rose up in the second half.
## Smothers and a spark
Manning's scrambling brought the crowd to its feet late in the third, and a touchdown near the start of the fourth gave the stadium something to believe in.
## The monkey comes off
For once the Longhorns won with their backs against the wall, and Steve Sarkisian won a heavyweight fight at home under enormous pressure.

> What it can do is this team can understand that we can overcome adversity
## A field full of joy
Manning sprinted to the student section, took pictures, put on a cowboy hat and sang with teammates. Parents posed with kids on the grass as smoke plumed over the field.
## What happens next
A playoff rematch is possible, and nobody knows. For now Texas took the regular-season step its fans had been praying for.
## Key takeaway

Texas finally won the game it always used to lose, and that matters more to the program than the score does.