Anatomy of a 4th-quarter comeback: How Texas pulled off miracle to knock off Ohio State

If football was a 45-minute game, Ohio State would be heading into Week 3 at 2-0 with a win over a formidable SEC foe under its belt. Those final 15 minutes on Saturday, however, changed everything.

The Buckeyes blew a 23-3 lead they held heading into the fourth quarter, allowing Texas to score 20 unanswered points and complete a massive comeback in front of its home fans in Austin.

In the span of just one quarter, the college football season was likely altered — the Longhorns ' imposing run game and key stops in the fourth frame should push them to the top of the polls this coming week, becoming one of the title favorites after stunning the No. 1 team in the country.

Here's a look at how Texas completed its fourth-quarter comeback vs. Ohio State.

How did Texas come back to beat Ohio State?

The Longhorns entered the fourth quarter finally finding some offensive success, driving the ball down the field and on the verge of scoring when the third quarter ended.

Here's a look at the key moments in the fourth and how they came together to give Texas an unlikely victory.

Arch Manning TD pass to Ryan Wingo (23-10)

For three quarters, Manning looked thrown off by Ohio State's defense for the second-straight year. Not only were his wide receivers struggling with drops and ball security, but the star quarterback couldn't find any spots in the Buckeyes' secondary to exploit.

Things changed around the end of the third quarter, as Manning got the Longhorns to the Ohio State five-yard line with his legs on the final play of the quarter.

Two plays into the fourth, Manning then hit Ryan Wingo on a short touchdown pass in the left half of the end zone, finally ending the Longhorns' streak without a touchdown and cutting their deficit to 13.

Texas' defense deserves just as much credit for silencing Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith during the comeback effort. After the Wingo touchdown, the Buckeyes' two short runs and an incompletion from Sayin to Smith, broken up by Rett Andersen, forced a punt.

It marked the fourth three-and-out of the second half for Ohio State, with the game's momentum starting to flip. MORE: Comparing Arch Manning's 2025 and 2026 performances vs. Ohio State

It was hot in Austin on Saturday night, with ESPN showing an on-field temperature of 163 degrees pregame. Eventually, the Longhorns seemed to take advantage of a gassed Ohio State defensive front.

Over a 14-play drive, Steve Sarkisian called eight running plays, overwhelming the Buckeyes as Hollywood Smothers continually found some gaps for short-range pickups. With Manning using his legs and picking Ohio State's secondary apart strategically, the Longhorns stormed down the field over a five-minute span, eating some clock.

The drive was capped with a touchdown for Smothers, making it a six-point deficit.

If there was one moment where the momentum was clearly shifted, it was Connor Hawkins' missed 45-yard field goal attempt with around four minutes remaining.

Ohio State had used some clock and gotten some nice throws out of Sayin, able to make it a two-score game and make a comeback attempt much more difficult. But Hawkins' kick was no good.

Texas took over with a chance to take the lead for the first time.

Texas drains down clock, punches in TD with 25 seconds

The game-changing drive was Texas' last in the fourth quarter, with another slow-burning offensive effort leading to time off the clock and an opportunity to take the lead.

Using the same formula as the last drive — allowing Smothers to tire Ohio State's defensive line, with a mix of key passes from Manning to Emmett Mosley V — the Longhorns got the clock down to one minute while inside the 5-yard line.

After Smothers failed to cross the goal line on multiple attempts, leading to some initial confusion about the clock as Ohio State burned through timeouts, the running back finally broke the plane.

Texas took the lead, igniting the fans in Austin.

Ryan Day didn't have much to scheme up with under 30 seconds left and no timeouts; Ohio State managed just two plays. One was a five-yard pickup, but the time it took to organize the offense meant the Buckeyes would get one more shot at a Hail Mary.

Sayin fired a pass deep, but it was tipped and picked off by Graceson Littleton to end the game, completing the comeback. MORE: Ranking the 25 best NFL prospects in Texas vs. Ohio State

According to ESPN, Texas became the first team to overcome a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter since 2004.

4 of 5 third-down conversions to Ohio State's 0-2