Texas Erases 20-Point Deficit to Stun No. 1 Ohio State, 24-23
The No. 4 Longhorns scored the game's final 21 points at Royal-Memorial Stadium in an instant classic — the biggest comeback of the season so far.
No. 4 Texas pulled off a 24-23 comeback win over No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday at Royal-Memorial Stadium, rallying from a 20-point hole to knock off the nation's top-ranked team in front of one of the largest crowds in program history.
The Longhorns trailed 23-3 after Ohio State kicked a 48-yard field goal with 8:09 left in the third quarter. From there, Texas scored the game's final 21 points, completing the comeback on Hollywood Smothers' 1-yard touchdown run and Gianni Spetic's extra point with 25 seconds remaining.
By the numbers
- 105,044 — the announced crowd, the third-largest in school history. The stadium record remains the 105,215 who watched Texas face Georgia on Oct. 19, 2024.
- 21 — unanswered points Texas scored after falling behind 23-3.
- 973 — career wins in Texas program history, fifth-most among all college football programs.
One of only five 20-point comebacks in Texas history
Saturday's rally was just the fifth time Texas has won after trailing by at least 20 points:
- Sept. 12, 2026: Texas 24, Ohio State 23 (trailed 23-3 in the 3rd)
- Nov. 6, 2004: Texas 56, Oklahoma State 35 (trailed 35-7 in the 2nd)
- Nov. 3, 2007: Texas 38, Oklahoma State 35 (trailed 35-14 in the 4th)
- Oct. 28, 2006: Texas 35, Texas Tech 31 (trailed 21-0 in the 1st)
- Nov. 13, 1954: Texas 35, TCU 34 (trailed 27-7 in the 4th)
Of those, perhaps only the 2007 win at Oklahoma State matched Saturday's late drama — Ryan Bailey sealed that one with a 40-yard field goal as time expired in Stillwater.
Up next in Austin: the No. 6 Texas volleyball team hosts a top-10 matchup with No. 6 Wisconsin at the Moody Center.