{"id":435683,"date":"2026-09-14T15:56:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T15:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/435683\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T15:56:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T15:56:11","slug":"why-texas-ohio-state-win-should-terrify-the-rest-of-the-sec","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/435683\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Texas’ Ohio State Win Should Terrify the Rest of the SEC"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Texas Longhorns<\/a> sent a statement in their 24-23 win over Ohio State on Saturday, and it\u2019s not just because they knocked the nation\u2019s No. 1 ranked team. Or even for the fact that the come-from-behind win will go down as arguably the biggest of Steve Sarkisian\u2019s tenure to this point.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rather, the performance and how Texas went about winning the game on Saturday should really scare the rest of the SEC as the Longhorns get set to open conference play.<\/p>\n

Breaking the Trend\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Steve<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian watches during the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas on Sept. 12, 2026. Texas won 24-23. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been well documented just how unprecedented the Longhorns\u2019 comeback<\/a> was. The 23-3 deficit marked the largest comeback in a game between a pair of top-five ranked teams since 1995, while also making Ohio State the first No. 1 ranked team to lose a game after leading by 20 points or more since 2004.<\/p>\n

That win wasn\u2019t supposed to happen, given Texas’s history against top-five opponents under Sarkisian. Until the clock struck triple zeros, Sarkisian boasted just one win over opponents in the top-five in six attempts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Coming into the season, Ohio State and Georgia were his two biggest issues; despite repeated matchups against both, he had never gotten his team over the hump against either.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then as the game that many deemed the biggest \u201cmust-win\u201d of Sarkisian\u2019s tenure on the Forty Acres, couldn\u2019t have gotten off to a worse start he managed to show some \u201cTexas fight.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

While the offense floundered, as the ball literally didn\u2019t bounce Texas\u2019s way with drops, an interception, and a fumble, the defense stepped up.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Will Muschamp\u2019s unit held the Buckeyes to just a field goal in the second half, buying the offense time to figure out its woes, as the Longhorns exited the halftime locker room already on the brink, trailing by three scores.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After leaning on the defense for three quarters, Sarkisian\u2019s offense found the switch and flipped it in the fourth quarter. Sarkisian engineered three straight touchdown drives, all of them with at least 12 plays.<\/p>\n

After being known for leading an offense at its best with explosives, Sarkisian showed his team can win in a phone booth. Texas wore down Ohio State\u2019s defense in the fourth quarter with its ground game and delivered the decisive blow with a Hollywood Smothers\u2019 goal-line touchdown with under a minute remaining in regulation.<\/p>\n

After an offseason focused on physicality, Texas won the toughness battle in a game where things hadn\u2019t gone their way.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sign up to our free newsletter<\/a> and follow us on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a> for the latest news.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow<\/a>