AUSTIN, Texas — Before taking the ball down 20 points with fewer than six minutes to play in the third quarter, Texas’ offense looked about as lost as it did last year against Ohio State.
To that point, the Longhorns had possessed the ball seven times, ran 38 plays, gained 116 yards, turned the ball over three times, punted three times, and made one field goal. Ohio State’s defense was in control … until it wasn’t. That’s a mostly unfamiliar feeling for a team that’s fielded a top five defense each of the last three seasons.
What Texas did to Ohio State’s defense in the fourth quarter hasn’t happened in a while. The Longhorns scored touchdowns on their final three possessions to erase a 20-point deficit and hand the Buckeyes a 24-23 loss. It marked the first time Ohio State’s defense has allowed three touchdowns in the fourth quarter since the 2022 Michigan game, and the first time it’s allowed touchdowns on three consecutive possessions since the Rose Bowl against Utah at the end of the 2021 season.