Texas erased a 20-pt deficit in the 4th quarter to defeat #1 Ohio State, 24-23. (Sep 12, 2026)
At about 10pm EST on Saturday watching Texas struggle hosting the Ohio State Buckeyes, I texted a friend that they were done.
Shows how much I know. In a defining moment for Steve Sarkisian’s time in Austin and his junior quarterback, Arch Manning. The game is a constant exchange of momentum. Says a lot about that program, their leadership, play calling and game management when it seemed like all hope was lost.
For most teams, being down 23-3 in the 4th quarter against a perennial national power offers little hope. But that’s the magic of the human spirit, the combined skill and singular focus of a quality football team. Head coach, Steve Sarkisian went for it not once, but twice late in the game and converted both. Watching it play out reminded me of the eventual NBA Champion, NY Knicks. Down most of the game then clawing back in gutsy fashion against an opponent who didn’t know how to close it out.
A huge plus has been the hiring of the well-regarded, defensive-minded, Will Muschamp as their defensive coordinator. This has allowed Sark to be able to focus more on the offense knowing he has a capacity man he can trust running their defense.
Texas, wisely, managed the clock and scored a touchdown then adding the extra point to take the lead 24-23. Ohio State was left with very little time and the Longhorns held on to win. All the work, expertise built over time, scenarios practiced over and again paid off huge. For Sarkisian, Manning and that entire program. Living in this instant result expectation pattern followed by speculation about job security or projected value and legacy can bury someone if they aren’t in a great state of mind. If there’s one thing about college football it’s the loud, abrasive passion which spills out a lot of noise.
Hats off to Michigan who reset and took care of an Oklahoma team who beat them last year. A major upset went down in Stillwater, OK with the Oklahoma St Cowboys surprising the #6 Oregon Ducks. Those rankings should be done away with because you just don’t really know who these teams are until the real action begins. Great job by the OKSU players and staff led by 1st yr head coach, Eric Morris.
Again these brief recaps will cover just a few points from the previous week.
College Ball Is Back and Revving Up. I think some people will tune in for LSU at Ole Miss this Sat night, 7:30 EST on ESPN.
Halftime Show: I’m a faithful College Gameday viewer. Did you see this UT student, Connor Kacena-Merrell boom a kick for $1.2M? Amazing.
Victory Formation: I love this by Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish bringing the team together in Christ.