Manning delivers in 4th as Texas stuns Ohio State in 20-point comeback — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Arch Manning led No. 4 Texas to a 24-23 comeback win over No. 1 Ohio State after trailing 23-3, engineering three straight 12-plus-play touchdown drives of 15, 13, and 12 plays in the fourth quarter.
- Texas became the only team in the past 15 years to close a win with three consecutive touchdown drives of 12 or more plays, per ESPN Research.
- Jeremiah Smith caught 8 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown through three quarters but didn't record another reception after the 9:37 mark of the third as the Longhorns adjusted coverage.
- Hollywood Smothers scored the game-winning 1-yard touchdown with 25 seconds left, capping the 12-play, 73-yard drive after Ohio State kicker Connor Hawkins missed a 45-yard field goal with 4:16 remaining.
- Steve Sarkisian said Manning's "grit" — after the quarterback stopped "seeing ghosts" — fueled the rally; Manning finished 23-of-37 for 195 yards with 8 rushes for 24 yards.
- The Buckeyes became the first No. 1 team since 2004 to lose a 20-point fourth-quarter lead, marking the biggest home win and second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in Texas history.
Why it matters: Texas avenged two straight Ohio State losses and stamped itself as a serious College Football Playoff contender with the historic rally, while the Buckeyes — who hadn't blown a 20-point fourth-quarter lead since 2004 — now face a steep rankings tumble in Week 2 projections after their first loss of the season.
Ask SkimNews
