Ohio State blew a 20-point fourth quarter lead Saturday night, falling 24-23 to Texas in one of the most stunning collapses college football has seen. Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin was brutally honest about the epic defeat, laying the blame squarely on himself immediately after the final whistle. This wasn’t just a loss; it was an “appalling meltdown” that left everyone scratching their heads.
Sayin Takes the Heat, Texas Gets Revenge
Sayin didn’t mince words after the game, telling Cleveland.com, “We didn’t execute the way we can, the way we need to in the fourth quarter there. It starts with me.” He’s going to be thinking about this one for a while, too. The guy finished with 278 passing yards, a touchdown pass, and an interception, but those numbers clearly aren’t telling the whole story. “You think about the plays, the what ifs, what if I hit them, and things like that. You have to think about those,” Sayin admitted. He’s owning it, which you gotta respect, but the fact remains: they squandered a 23-3 lead to open the final quarter. That’s just brutal.
For Texas, this was pure, unadulterated payback. They lost to the Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff back in 2024, and then Ohio State beat them again in Columbus in 2025. You know that sting was fresh. Texas quarterback Arch Manning wasn’t shy about it, either. “I did not want to come in here after a loss at home to Ohio State again. I’m so glad we won,” Manning told On3. This comeback wasn’t just big; it was one of the greatest in Texas football program history, marking the first time since 2004 that a top-ranked team lost a 20-point fourth quarter lead. It was also the biggest comeback of Coach Steve Sarkisian’s career. Talk about a gut punch to the Buckeyes.
Fourth Quarter Fails and Playoff Hopes
So what actually went wrong for Ohio State in that nightmare fourth quarter? The Buckeyes simply made too many mistakes. They allowed Arch Manning to scramble and extend drives, giving Texas life when they should have been shutting them down. And in critical moments, they couldn’t connect with their star wide receiver, Jeremiah Smith. You just can’t have those kinds of execution errors when you’ve got a playoff bid on the line.
This loss is a tough pill to swallow for Ohio State, especially since they’re trying to make the College Football Playoff for the third consecutive season. Kicking off the campaign now at 1-1, they’ve got to regroup fast. Next up is Kent State on Saturday. They need to find that fourth quarter magic they so desperately lacked against Texas, and they need to find it NOW if they want to keep those playoff dreams alive.
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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