No. 4 Texas pulled off an absolute shocker Saturday night, taking down No. 1 Ohio State 24-23 in a game nobody saw coming. This wasn’t just a close win against the top team, though; the Longhorns obliterated a 197-game unbeaten streak for AP No. 1 teams who had a 20-point lead at any point in the fourth quarter since 2004. Yeah, you read that right: 197-0 was the record. Until Saturday.
The Fourth Quarter Collapse That Rewrote History
Think about that for a second. One-hundred ninety-seven games. That’s not just a statistic, that’s a wall. A mountain of unassailable dominance for top-ranked teams who got up big late in the game. From 2004 until Saturday night, if you were the No. 1 team and you had a 20-point cushion in the fourth quarter, you *won*. Every single time. It was a lock, a guarantee, etched in stone. And then the No. 4 Longhorns rolled into town and said, “Nah, not tonight.” Ohio State was cruising, up 23-3 after three quarters, looking like they had this one locked down. But Texas dropped 21 unanswered points on them, culminating in Hollywood Smothers’ 1-yard touchdown run with a mere 25 seconds left on the clock. It was a gut punch that absolutely defied history, ending a streak that seemed unbreakable.
Arch Manning’s Statement Performance Shakes Up The Season
This win wasn’t just about breaking a streak; it was a massive statement for Arch Manning and the Longhorns. Down by double-digits in that final quarter, Manning went to work. He started the comeback with a touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo early in the fourth and then just kept driving his team. The kid finished with 196 yards and three touchdowns, proving himself in the pocket when it mattered most. You look at Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, who threw for 278 yards and a touchdown to Jeremiah Smith (who himself had 8 catches for 164 yards), and you see a game that Ryan Day’s squad had absolutely controlled. But Manning outlasted them. This is arguably the biggest regular season win of Steve Sarkisian’s tenure, a massive step forward after losing narrowly to Ohio State 14-7 just last year.
This stunning comeback means everything early in the season. Texas nearly put themselves in a terrible spot right out of the gate, but instead, they’re likely soaring to the new No. 1 spot for Week 3. Talk about momentum, right? Keep an eye on the Longhorns; they’re coming for the top.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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