On September 12, 2026, the No. 4 Texas Longhorns orchestrated a stunning 24-23 victory over the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes, erasing a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit in front of 105,044 fans at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. This comeback marked the first time since 2004 that a top-ranked team lost after holding a 20-point fourth-quarter lead, and it was the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in Texas history.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning led three consecutive touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. The Longhorns methodically unwound Ohio State's 23-3 lead, with scoring drives of 15, 13, and 12 plays. 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.
The game's decisive moments included Hollywood Smothers' 1-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds left, giving Texas its first lead of the night. This play capped a 72-yard drive with no timeouts, following an agonizing replay review on second down. Ohio State's first half was dominant, scoring 10 points after two Texas turnovers and holding a 20-3 lead at halftime.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day described the collapse as "maddening" and promised "hard decisions" regarding roster and scheme. The loss is being widely characterized as the biggest collapse in Ohio State football program history, and Day acknowledged critical late-game errors, including a failed fourth-down conversion when a field goal was an option. Texas fans and college football observers are celebrating this as one of the greatest individual-game fourth-quarter comebacks in modern college football history, crediting Manning's composure and coach Steve Sarkisian's play-calling.
