Texas’ rally against Ohio State will be remembered for the scoreboard flip, for the Longhorns clawing back from 20 down heading into the fourth quarter and finishing it with Hollywood Smothers in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. But the swing that made the comeback possible came long before that final surge.
It happened late in the third quarter, after Ryan Niblett nearly turned a punt into a disaster and Texas was pinned at its own nine-yard line with 5:47 left in the period. The Longhorns moved the ball a little, then hit a wall: fourth-and-nine from the 42. Steve Sarkisian chose aggression over caution.
“Wow”, said color commentator Kirk Herbstreit as Manning took the snap.
That call caught everybody off guard. Manning had pressure on him right away from Ohio State defensive lineman Khary Wilder, then escaped to his right and delivered a throw on the move to tight end Emaree Winston.
Winston hauled it in at the 45 with a Buckeye defender draped on his back, then powered ahead to move the chains. It was the kind of hard-nosed catch that doesn’t always get the spotlight, but it kept Texas alive.
The Longhorns turned that possession into points, finishing with a touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo. Winston ended the day with three catches for 39 yards, and his fourth-down grab may have been the hinge on which the whole comeback turned.
There was another moment on that same drive that quietly mattered just as much. On a third-and-eight, Emmett Mosley V caught a pass from Manning and fumbled. Ohio State looked ready to take over, but Cam Coleman ended up on the ball and preserved the drive.
That’s the part of Texas’ win that gets lost once the touchdowns start piling up. The comeback had its headline moments, but the extra-effort plays from Winston and Coleman were the ones that kept it breathing. Without them, Texas doesn’t win on Saturday.
Sarkisian’s group didn’t need a miracle formula to beat the Buckeyes. They stayed with the plan, kept playing as if the game were tied at 0-0, and found a way through a game in which they looked flat for most of three quarters.
Sarkisian said there are a lot of things to work on. Even so, Texas won without playing its best football. That’s the part that should have the rest of the SEC paying attention.
In Other News...
Steve Sarkisians Two ESPN Interviews Have Texas Fans Saying The Same Thing
Steve Sarkisian left Columbus with a marquee win and, for Texas fans, a couple of television moments that were almost as memorable for how they unfolded as for what was said. During the Longhorns comeback against Ohio State, ESPN caught Sarkisian in two awkward sideline spots, first at halftime with Laura Rutledge and then again after the game with Holly Rowe, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how chaotic a big road win can feel in real time.
The halftime interview never really got going because of technical issues, and Rutledge later clarified what went wrong while noting Sarkisian handled the delay patiently. The postgame exchange took a different turn, ending abruptly when Sarkisian shouted and headed off to celebrate with his team, leaving Rowe with a visibly different reaction and plenty of attention on the contrast between the two interviews. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Weighed In As Holly Rowe Faced A Heartbreaking Week
Holly Rowe had a painful week away from the football spotlight after announcing the death of her mother, Diane Buck Rowe-Gandre, and later sharing that the family held a private graveside service in her honor. Rowe described a tribute filled with personal touches, from released butterflies and purple colors to music and Dr. Pepper, offering a glimpse into how her family said goodbye while the college football world kept moving around her.
The timing only added to the unease around Texas after a viral AI-generated video depicted Steve Sarkisian slapping Rowe, coming on the heels of a real postgame moment when Sarkisian walked away from an interview with her. Arch Manning was asked about the controversy during a press conference and later apologized for his reaction, a reminder of how quickly an ugly online moment can spill into the wider conversation around the Longhorns. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Coaching Issue Hanging Over UTSA Week
A fresh off-field issue landed on Texas this week when co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Johnny Nansen was arrested Wednesday evening on a misdemeanor DWI charge. Head coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed the arrest and said the program is still gathering information while monitoring the situation, an unwelcome development as the Longhorns turn their attention to UTSA.
Nansen was not at practice after the arrest, and his status for the upcoming game remains unsettled. For a defense already in game-week preparation mode, the uncertainty adds another layer to a week that was supposed to be focused on cleanup and rhythm, not staffing questions on the sideline. [Read more 🡒]