AUSTIN, Texas -- Never mind the difference a year can make for Arch Manning against Ohio State. On Saturday night, Manning and No. 4 Texas needed a remarkable reversal of fortune in two halves to mount a steady, historic march to a 24-23 victory over the No. 1 Buckeyes.
Manning showed "grit" in helping the Longhorns methodically unwind a 23-3 Ohio State lead, leading scoring drives of 15, 13 and 12 plays in the fourth quarter. According to ESPN Research, Texas is the only team in the past 15 years to close a win with three straight touchdown drives of 12 or more plays.
"You dream of playing in games like this, hosting the No. 1 team in the country at home," Manning said, "I mean, how about that? Getting a win? By one point? Let's go, baby!"
Texas' comeback marked the first time since 2004 a top-ranked team has lost a 20-point fourth-quarter lead, and it was the biggest comeback of Sarkisian's coaching career as well. Sarkisian said the win, in front of 105,044 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, the third-largest crowd in Texas history, was easily the biggest at home in his Texas tenure.
It was also the second-largest fourth-quarter rally in Texas history, trailing only a 2007 game against Oklahoma State.
"We've had some really big moments, but this one is special," Sarkisian said. "When you beat the No. 1 team in the country in the fashion that we did to come back the way that we did to represent Longhorn Nation, to represent the name on our chest, Texas, I think means a lot."
It also seemed unlikely after a miserable first half for the Longhorns. Their first play from scrimmage was a screen to running back Raleek Brown for a loss of 4 yards that ended in a fumble recovered by Ohio State's Jay Timmons. Manning's first pass attempt to star receiver Cam Coleman caromed off his chest as he hit the ground, bounced in the air and was intercepted by OSU's Jaylen McClain at the 12-yard-line. Both plays led to scores for the Buckeyes, who took a 10-0 lead.
The Longhorns finished the first quarter with just five yards to Ohio State's 119. Manning didn't have positive passing yards until the second quarter.
Late in the first half, Sarkisian gambled on fourth-and-1 at the Ohio State 41 with 54 seconds left, attempting to fool the Buckeyes with a misdirection, calling a toss to receiver Ryan Wingo that resulted in a 10-yard loss. Ohio State took over at the Texas 49. Four plays later, Julian Sayin threw a 19-yard touchdown strike to Jeremiah Smith with 10 seconds left to take a 20-3 lead into halftime.
Sarkisian said he didn't believe the Longhorns could have played a worse first half.
"I think when we first got to the locker room [at halftime], there was a little bit of shock because we felt like we had a good plan," he said. "We felt like the things we wanted to do, we could do and then the scoreboard was screwed up. It was like, what happened?"
Sarkisian challenged his team to forget an "abysmal" first half. The Longhorns had to figure out a way to slow Smith, who gashed them with eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown, including two 43-yard receptions in the second and third quarters.
After that last one, with 9:37 left in the third quarter, Smith didn't catch another ball. Sarkisian said the Longhorns decided to try to pressure Sayin more and let their corners try to guard the Buckeyes receivers. Justin Cryer and Rett Andersen broke up the next two balls for Smith, both on third down.
Meanwhile, Sarkisian said he told Manning that there was no such thing as a 21-point touchdown pass. It was just going to take time.
"I thought that got into his psyche a little bit in the first half and he started, we always say, sometimes seeing ghosts," Sarkisian said, adding that Manning stopped overanalyzing or seeking perfection and was more willing to check the ball down or use his legs. "Part of the driving force was kind of his grit. I felt like his grit started it and then the running backs' grit and then the receivers' grit, it all started to kind of work together. But I just thought it was with him kind of saying, 'Screw it, let's just go back to letting it rip and I'm going to trust these guys to go make plays.'"
Sarkisian said he made it clear he was going to be aggressive, and Texas was in four-down territory in the fourth quarter, allowing Manning to be more methodical. Texas converted a fourth-and-9 from its own 42, when Manning completed a 9-yard pass to Emaree Winston late in the third quarter that led to Wingo's touchdown catch. Early in the fourth, he completed a 12-yard pass to Emmett Mosley V on 4th and 6 from the Longhorns' 32.
Manning completed 11 of his last 15 throws to finish 23-of-37 for 196 yards and also rushed seven times for 22 yards as the Longhorns' clawed back. They struck first with a 15-play, 91-yard drive that ended in a 3-yard touchdown pass to Wingo. That was followed by a 13-play, 72-yard drive and another for 12 plays and 73 yards, both of which ended with 1-yard scores by running back Hollywood Smothers, including the game-winner with 25 seconds left.
Manning said he believed Texas would be in the game at the end and just wanted to "get something going." He was determined to avoid a loss at home, especially another one to Ohio State. When OSU kicker Connor Hawkins missed a 45-yard field goal with 4:16 left, he felt the Longhorns had new life.
"Right when that happened," he said, "I knew it was our time."
Saturday's win was a measuring stick for Texas, which had lost its last two to Ohio State: a 28-14 season-ender in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl in January 2025, followed by a season-opening 14-7 loss in Columbus last year.
"Beating a team like that is, in essence, it's a win for the season, but I also think it serves as a little bit of a barometer of where we're at as a program this season," Sarkisian said.
Last year's struggles in Columbus, not to mention against San Jose State and UTEP, helped Manning on Saturday night, Sarkisian said. The Longhorns were even booed at one point during Saturday's game -- Manning just kept driving.
"I don't know if he could have done that if it hadn't been for the adversity that he had to go through last year," Sarkisian said. "So when you talk about just growth in a human being, that's the stuff as a coach that makes you proud when you watch players come into your program and grow and become men. And Arch played like a man tonight."
