Texas did not make this easy on itself, and for most of the afternoon it looked like the Longhorns were headed for a rough one. But when the game tightened late, Texas found enough to turn a messy outing into a huge result, knocking off the No. 1 team in the country and moving to 2-0.
For about three quarters, the football was plain ugly. At times, it felt like Texas had almost no path to a win and might get pushed around completely. Still, the Longhorns kept battling, stayed alive when the moment could have swallowed them, and pieced together just enough in the end to escape with the victory.
That makes this one tough to sort out. On one side, Texas deserves credit for digging in and giving itself a shot in the fourth quarter. On the other, the kind of play it showed for much of the game is the sort that could get punished repeatedly in SEC play.
Even so, this was one of the biggest wins of the Steve Sarkisian era, and it came with a dose of toughness that can’t be ignored. The performance won’t be remembered as pretty, but Texas showed championship grit by counterpunching when Ohio State seemed ready to land the knockout blow.
The game may not be the kind of showcase that instantly wins over recruits, especially with how Texas played for most of the day. But those prospects in attendance are likely to come away talking about two things: the Longhorns’ fight and the atmosphere surrounding the game.
In Other News...
Texas-Ohio State Is Already Creating An Austin Frenzy
The buzz around Texas trip to Ohio State is already spilling far beyond the field, with ticket prices turning the matchup into a hot topic in Austin before kickoff even arrives. Seats in the upper deck are starting around $480, and the cost climbs into the thousands closer to the action, putting this one out of reach for plenty of Longhorns students who had hoped to be in the building.
Still, the game is shaping up to be a major moment for the city as much as for the team. Local business owners and economic experts are expecting a wave of visitors to bring a noticeable boost to Austin, adding another layer to a matchup that is already carrying plenty of weight for Texas fans trying to take it all in, even if they have to do so from afar. [Read more 🡒]
Urban Meyer Sees Ohio State Texas Coming Down To One Big Play
Urban Meyer is treating the Ohio State-Texas showdown like the kind of early-season heavyweight fight that can swing on a single moment. After both teams rolled through their openers against overmatched opponents, the former Buckeyes coach pointed to the quarterbacks as the obvious center of gravity, with Julian Sayin and Arch Manning carrying most of the pressure in a game that figures to be tight for a long stretch.
Texas does get the home-field edge, and Meyer acknowledged that as part of what makes this such a tricky road test for Ohio State. Still, he called for the Buckeyes to pull it out, which only adds another layer to a matchup already loaded with intrigue. For a Longhorns team trying to measure itself against one of the sports standard-bearers, the margin for error may be as slim as Meyer suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Faces One Real Backfield Concern Before Ohio State
Texas has spent much of the buildup to Ohio State sorting through the usual early-season questions, but the one backfield wrinkle worth watching is the status of freshman running back Derrek Cooper. He was hurt in the season opener, and while the Longhorns have not issued an official injury report, head coach Steve Sarkisian said Cooper was in a boot as the team moved into the week.
Cooper is now a game-time decision, which leaves a little uncertainty in an area where Texas otherwise expects to lean on its top options. If he cannot go, the Longhorns should have enough depth to cover the workload, with Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown likely carrying most of the load. Still, against a national-stage opponent like Ohio State, every available back matters, and Texas would prefer to know exactly what it has before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]