Texas Erases 20-Point Fourth-Quarter Deficit to Beat No. 1 Ohio State

Caption: Arch Manning of the Texas Longhorns drops back to pass against UTSA in Austin in 2024. Credit: Johntex / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Texas entered the fourth quarter trailing No. 1 Ohio State 23-3 and left the night with a 24-23 win. The 20-point rally was the largest fourth-quarter comeback ever completed against an AP No. 1 team.

The Comeback Happened in One Quarter

Ohio State controlled most of the game and carried a 20-point lead into the final period. Texas quarterback Arch Manning then helped produce three fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the late drive that set up the winning score with 25 seconds remaining.

The final Ohio State possession ended with an interception, closing a reversal that had looked improbable only minutes earlier.

The Number Makes the Result Understandable

This story has a simpler hook: 23-3 entering the fourth quarter, then 24-23 at the finish.

Sportradar data cited by AP identified it as the largest fourth-quarter comeback ever against the top-ranked team in the AP poll. That distinction is understandable even to readers who do not follow the weekly standings closely.

Arch Manning Supplies the Recognition Anchor

Manning finished with 196 passing yards and completed 11 of his final 15 passes, according to AP. His family name already gives the story recognition outside the most dedicated college-football audience.

The performance also carried a visible reversal inside the game itself: early struggles gave way to the drives that decided the result.

References: No. 4 Texas stuns No. 1 Ohio State 24-23 after erasing 20-point 4th-quarter deficit