AUSTIN, Texas – It was "Oh yes, Oh, no" for Buckeye Nation in steamy Texas Stadium, where the No. 1 Buckeyes blew a 20-point lead – the biggest collapse in school history. They lost 24-23 deep in the heart, and heat, of the Lone Star State. Ohio State’s Heisman hopes went up – who do you like, Julian Sayin or Jeremiah Smith? – before crashing back down. It's Arch Manning's to lose now. Watching Sayin and Smith slice the Longhorns' secondary into chipped beef was exceedingly impressive until it wasn't. The defense melted in the heat after stifling a mistake-prone UT offense for three quarters. Place some of the blame on the offense, which went into a 3-and-out, fourth-quarter slog.
Did that just happen? Sure did. Hard to believe
It was a can't-believe-what-I-am-seeing second half, so much that
it's hard to explain what happened, besides OSU dying on the vine like never before. The playcalling was a problem, but so was a basic lack of execution, including Smith dropping two passes. When has that ever happened? Anyway, when you stage a comeback like that, coming back from a 23-3 deficit entering the fourth quarter, you deserve to win. Hand it to Texas. They barbecued the Buckeyes.
OSU’s road to riches just got much harder
The Buckeyes' playoff hopes took a painful, if not lethal, hit. The showdown in cowboy country had so much riding on it because of the road ahead. Ohio State’s remaining schedule is tough. Texas’ is even tougher. The loser of the Sept. 12 game faced the prospect of having to avoid losing two more times to feel good about its playoff chances. I know some think the Buckeyes can make the postseason with three regular-season losses. I don’t see it, and now their margin for error is that much thinner. Yes, No. 6 Oregon showed it’s a fraud, losing to unranked Oklahoma State, and Michigan’s offense is anemic. Illinois lost to Duke. Iowa had its hands full with rival Iowa State. So maybe things are not as sour as they seem. But still, this one will leave a mark for a while.
Ohio State charity case thanks to UT miscues
Texas offered Ohio State early charity, and the Buckeyes gladly accepted. It was a nightmare start for the Longhorns, who fumbled the first play from scrimmage, leading to an OSU field goal. Then the Longhorns turned it over on a bizarre interception that the Buckeyes eventually turned into seven points. And suddenly it was 10-0 before UT fans knew what hit them.
The interception was especially painful for the Horns because UT quarterback Arch Manning, who was more impressive as a scrambler than a passer, had wide receiver Cam Coleman open downfield for a long gain and likely touchdown, but the ball was slightly overthrown and a diving Coleman could not corral it. The ball bounced off his body and into the arms of safety Jaylen McClain.
Two plays. Two daggers. Ohio State received another gift when Texas wide receiver Ryan Wingo dropped a TD pass in the end zone with 8:23 left in the half, and the Horns had to settle for a field goal that cut the deficit to 10-3.
The way the first half unfolded, there was no way Ohio State was losing. But sports are funny sometimes. And excruciating if you end up on the wrong side of history the way the Buckeyes did. Is there a leadership gap on this team? It's fair to ask.
Texas Stadium carves out carnival atmosphere
There was something about the entire scene inside Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium that felt more Hollywood than Hook 'Em. Maybe it’s because everything is bigger in Texas, but my sense is that, for UT fans, this was a choreographed event with a football game tossed in. Take the celebrities in attendance, including Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Glen Powell, Kevin Durant and Ted Cruz, and add what seemed like 15 sets of UT cheerleaders and dance teams, then toss in cowboy hats – lots and lots of cowboy hats – and even more cowboy boots, and the game itself blended in more than stood out.
Sports columnist Rob Oller can be reached at roller@dispatch.com and on X.com at @rollerCD.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State makes mess of things at Texas | Oller's instant opinions
