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College Football Live Thread: Week 3 Couple of good Friday night games ... 22 Houston at 13 Texas Tech 5 Miami at Wake Forest

Seems like we have good reason to have a thread to chat on all summer and through the season. Team workouts begin June 1, I believe

AUSTIN, Texas — Steve Sarkisian couldn’t have been blunter when describing how No. 1 Texas has protected the football and played defense on third down through two games. On Monday, two days after the Longhorns rallied for a 24-23 win over then-No. 1 Ohio State and immediately following his team’s first practice ahead of their non-conference finale against UTSA on Saturday (7 p.m., SEC Network+), Sarkisian mentioned ball security and third-down defense as things Texas (2-0) must fix after the team’s film review of the good, bad and ugly plays from the victory over the Buckeyes. “I got on the offense's butt this morning about the ball. Our ball security is not good enough. Not to be a championship team,” Sarkisian said. “Our third-down defense right now is not good enough. Not to be a championship team.” Only five SEC teams have fumbled the football more than Texas has heading into the Longhorns’ third all-time meeting against Jeff Traylor’s Roadrunners, with three fumbles coming against Ohio State. While heads-up plays by Kade Phillips (to recover a muffed punt by Ryan Niblett late in the third quarter) and Cam Coleman (to recover fumble on the ensuing offensive series by Emmett Mosley V at the end of a 15-yard completion from Arch Manning) helped Texas end the game with Raleek Brown’s fumble on the first play from scrimmage as its only lost fumble, the Longhorns are almost halfway to their 13-game fumble total in 2025 (eight, two of which were lost) and one-third of the way to the nine turnovers they had last season (Brown’s fumble and two interceptions by Manning, one in each game). “We take pride in our ability to take care of the ball,” Sarkisian said. “We've got to improve our ball security because it wasn't just about the turnovers; it was the other fumbles.” With only eight FBS teams forcing more turnovers heading into Week 3 than UTSA (2-0), this would be a good week to right the ship. The Roadrunners have five takeaways this season (tied for fifth nationally with a plus-2.5 turnover margin per game), three of which came in their 31-26 come-from-behind road win over Texas State last week. “We have got to value the football more in the organization than we have through two games,” Sarkisian said. Will Muschamp’s defense getting off the field more frequently on third down, however, requires a more nuanced resolution. The Longhorns are tied for 125th nationally in third-down defense, with Texas State and Ohio State moving the chains at a combined 50-percent clip (14-for-28). What was most disappointing about the third-down effort against the Buckeyes was the defense’s inability to get off the field on third-and-long. Ohio State, which was faced with an average to-go distance of 7.9 yards on third down, converted three of the five third-and-9 or longer situations it had, including a pair of third-and-10 completions from Julian Sayin to Jeremiah Smith (a 19-yard strike in the first quarter and a 43-yard bomb in the third quarter), which came on two different Buckeye scoring drives (a first-half touchdown drive and a third-quarter field goal). After Ohio State went 5-for-8 on third down in the first half, the 43-yard connection between Sayin and Smith was the only third-down conversion Texas allowed in the second half. The Buckeyes went 1-for-6 trying to move the chains, which Sarkisian credited to Muschamp’s defensive adjustments after a rough start, which included turnovers putting the defense in disadvantageous sudden-change situations (31 of Ohio State’s 37 first-half plays from scrimmage occurred in Longhorn territory). With Texas’ defensive identity a work in progress, Sarkisian indicated the second-half adjustments against the Buckeyes could be what Muschamp does from the jump against the Roadrunners, who are 6-for-24 on third down this season (25-percent conversion rate is tied for 129th nationally). “I thought Ohio State, to their credit, did a lot,” Sarkisian said. “They taxed us mentally with some formations, motion, shifts, alignments that caused a lot of communication, and I didn't think our communication was as good as it could have been. I thought we got better in the second half, but I think we're better defensively right now when we're in your face, when we're aggressive. We tried to play the other way a little bit in the first half and that wasn't, kind of, I think, where our identity is. I thought when we just, kind of, got in your face and played a little bit more aggressive, we played better football. That's probably where our bread and butter is right now, but we need to be more versatile. “We've got to continue to work on those other things.” OTHER STATS TO TRACK — What’s impressive about Texas’ third-down offense goes beyond the 64.5-percent clip at which the Longhorns are converting (No. 5 in FBS). That’s on pace to shatter the Sarkisian-era high of 44.03 percent in 2021. The same is true of the offense’s third-down tries based on a two-game sample. With 31 third-down attempts through two games, the current pace of 15.5 third-down attempts per game would surpass last season (13.5 third-down attempts per game) for the Sarkisian-era high. Typically, Sarkisian’s offense has relied on big plays to move the chains, ranking among the nation’s leaders in percentage of first downs made on first and second down. Instead of trying to avoid third down and score in a hurry, the Longhorns are facing more third downs, converting them at a higher clip and putting together more long drives. After recording 14 scoring drives that amassed 10 or more plays in 2025, Texas has already had six such drives through two games this season, including each of the offense’s last three scoring drives against Ohio State. The trend should continue against a UTSA defense that’s 115th nationally on third down (45.7 percent conversion rate allowed) and 133rd against the run (233 yards per game allowed), with the Roadrunners surrendering more than 5.5 yards per carry. — With the SEC opener on the road against an explosive Tennessee offense (a top-30 offense in the country with 35 10-plus-yard plays and 14 20-plus-yard plays from scrimmage) looming, the Longhorn defense needs to clamp down on allowing big plays. Texas is currently tied for 87th nationally in plays from scrimmage of 10 or more yards allowed (25) and is tied for 96th in FBS with nine 20-plus-yard plays allowed. Most of the damage has been through the air; 18 of the 25 10-yard plays and seven of the nine 20-yard plays have been on passing plays by the opponent. This is another statistical category in which Muschamp’s defense can iron things out before jumping into SEC play. In wins over UTRGV and Texas State, UTSA’s offense has completed 17 passes of 10 or more yards (tied for 74th nationally), with only five of 20 or more yards (tied for 92nd in FBS). View full news story

Congrats to @CoachScott619 for winning the pick 'em contest on the OTF Forum with a 25-23 prediction. Thank you so much to @Kyle Miller and Stance.fm for tabulating the data!

OTF on the road: Jax Raines High Jacksonville, Fla - I’m here for practice at Raines High this afternoon. Rain and off an on today, but looks good for some time this afternoon on the field. Texas offered 2028 4-star WR/athlete Zion Green on an unofficial visit over the weekend.

Three Texas Longhorn alums will be on the field when the New England Patriots visit the Seattle Seahawks to kick off the 2026 NFL season on Wednesday (7:20 p.m., NBC). Michael Dickson and Byron Murphy II ended the 2025 season by helping the Seahawks top the Patriots and Brenden Schooler in Super Bowl LX. The return bout at Seattle’s Lumen Field will be highlighted by the Seahawks raising the franchise’s second Super Bowl championship banner. Dickson and Murphy are the latest Longhorns to be a part of a Seahawks Super Bowl team. Seattle has had at least one Texas product on its roster for each of the franchise’s four trips to the Super Bowl, with Dickson and Murphy joining D.D. Lewis (Super Bowl XL), Marcus Tubbs (XL) and Earl Thomas (XLVIII and XLIX). While Dickson and Murphy were drafted in 2018 and 2024, respectively, Schooler is one of nine former undrafted Longhorns on a 53-man roster entering Week. Ethan Burke is the latest member of the group after making the Baltimore Ravens’ 53-man roster, joining Schooler, Isaiah Bond (Cleveland Browns), PJ Locke III (Dallas Cowboys), Lil’Jordan Humphrey (Denver Broncos), Malcolm Roach (Broncos), Cameron Dicker (Los Angeles Chargers), Poona Ford (Los Angeles Rams) and Andrew Beck (New York Jets). — Trey Moore (Miami Dolphins), Jaylan Ford (New Orleans Saints) and DeShon Elliott (Pittsburgh Steelers) will begin their respective seasons on injured reserve with designations to return at some point during the season. Unfortunately, Alfred Collins won’t be joining them, with his impending trip to injured reserve for the San Francisco 49ers marking the official end of his second NFL season. Collins suffered a torn patellar tendon during the team's practice in Australia on Tuesday ahead of the 49ers’ season opener against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday (7:35 p.m., Netflix). The No. 43 overall pick in the 2025 draft, Collins played in 16 regular-season games for the 49ers as a rookie and saw action in both of the team’s playoff games. While Collins is the only former Texas player on the 49ers roster for lifetime Longhorn Kyle Shanahan, the Rams’ roster features five products from the Forty Acres: Ford and Jordan Whittington on the active roster, Matthew Caldwell on injured reserve and Jack Bouwmeester and Bill Norton on the practice squad. — The number of Longhorns in the NFL entering Week 1 is 53. That includes 43 on 53-man rosters, six on practice squads and four on injured reserve (Caldwell was placed on season-ending injured reserve when the Rams cut their roster down to 53 players). The number of Texas products on the practice squad is the same as it was after cutdown. The players, however, have changed. The Kansas City Chiefs released Cole Brevard after waiving him on cutdown day and bringing him back to the practice squad. Brevard worked out for the Buffalo Bills last Friday, but the team didn't sign him. Thankfully, D’Shawn Jamison helped the numbers hold steady. On the same day Brevard worked out for the Bills, the Arizona Cardinals added Jamison to their practice squad, giving the Cardinals three former Longhorns in the organization (Hayden Conner and Devin Duvernay are on the 53-man roster). *** Longhorns in the NFL in Week 1: 53 Longhorns on the 53: 43 Practice Squad: 6 Injured Reserve: 4 *** Arizona Cardinals (3): Hayden Conner, Devin Duvernay, D’Shawn Jamison* Atlanta Falcons (2): Bijan Robinson, Cameron Williams Baltimore Ravens (1): Ethan Burke Carolina Panthers (2): Jonathan Brooks, Ja’Tavion Sanders Chicago Bears (3): Roschon Johnson, Christian Jones*, Malik Muhammad Cincinnati Bengals (1): Jack Endries Cleveland Browns (1): Isaiah Bond Dallas Cowboys (2): PJ Locke III, Demarvion Overshown Denver Broncos (5): Jahdae Barron, Sam Ehlinger, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Jones, Malcolm Roach Green Bay Packers (2): Matthew Golden, Barryn Sorrell Jacksonville Jaguars (1): Quinn Ewers Kansas City Chiefs (1): Xavier Worthy Los Angeles Chargers (1): Cameron Dicker Los Angeles Rams (5): Jack Bouwmeester*, Matthew Caldwell#, Poona Ford, Bill Norton*, Jordan Whittington Miami Dolphins (3): DJ Campbell, Trey Moore#, Michael Taaffe New England Patriots (1): Brenden Schooler New Orleans Saints (3): Kelvin Banks Jr., Vernon Broughton, Jaylan Ford# New York Jets (4): Andrew Beck, Adonai Mitchell, Joseph Ossai, T’Vondre Sweat Philadelphia Eagles (4): Jaydon Blue*, Jake Majors*, Andrew Mukuba, Moro Ojomo Pittsburgh Steelers (1): DeShon Elliott# San Francisco 49ers (1): Alfred Collins Seattle Seahawks (2): Michael Dickson, Byron Murphy II Tennessee Titans (2): Gunnar Helm, Anthony Hill Jr. Washington Commanders (2): Samuel Cosmi, Charles Omenihu * — Practice Squad # — Injured Reserve View full news story

Texas and Ohio State was the most-watched regular season game on ESPN in a decade (2016 Michigan vs. Ohio State). Peak viewership hit 16.4M. Insane numbers.

AUSTIN, Texas — It’s time to revisit On Texas Football's “One Burning Question,” where we ask a question about the Texas Longhorns heading into a game. Entering Saturday’s 24-23 win over No. 1 Ohio State, our burning question was: Can the Longhorns win the line-of-scrimmage battle against the Buckeyes? They did. In emphatic fashion. Winning in the trenches played, arguably, the most significant role in the program’s first home victory over the Associated Press’ No. 1-ranked team since a 23-20 win over SMU on Nov. 4, 1950. From the time Texas took possession after an Ohio State punt with 5:47 to go in the third quarter, the Longhorns had a plus-28 play differential over the Buckeyes. Forty of the Texas offense’s 83 snaps came on the unit’s last three possessions: touchdown drives of 15, 13 and 12 plays, respectively. Even though Arch Manning sparked the first two scoring marches with a pair of fourth-down conversions (a desperation throw while on the move to Emaree Winston and a dart to Emmett Mosley V), Steve Sarkisian put the 20-point comeback on the shoulders of Kyle Flood’s much-maligned offensive line. Including the 34 yards Manning picked up on the five times he called his own number, the Longhorns toted the rock 22 times for 96 yards on their last three drives, including Hollywood Smothers’ over-the-top, game-winning 1-yard touchdown with 25 seconds left on the clock. The 22 late-game carries accounted for more than half of Texas' 41 official rushing attempts. After rushing for 140 net yards (3.4 yards per attempt), the Longhorns improved to 23-2 in 40-carry games under Sarkisian. Texas’ only two games with 40 or more official carries last season came against UTEP (56) and Sam Houston (41). The Ohio State game was the Longhorns' first with 40 or more official rushing attempts against a Power Four opponent since a 48-carry, 292-yard outing in a 2024 College Football Playoff first-round win over Clemson. Whether it’s been a lack of trust in the position groups responsible for making the running game go (the offensive line, running backs or both) or a desire to hunt big plays through the air, Sarkisian has, more often than not, abandoned the run in big games. That wasn’t the case against the Buckeyes. The belief in the ground attack can be linked to Sarkisian’s trust in the offensive line and running backs after both groups underwent massive offseason overhauls. The line is playing well together, Sarkisian said Monday while recapping the win over Ohio State and looking ahead to No. 1 Texas’ non-conference finale against UTSA on Saturday (7 p.m., SEC Network+), because of Connor Robertson’s veteran presence at center. While acknowledging that Robertson’s experience helps communication flow better on game day, Brandon Baker and Trevor Goosby have a full season as starters under their belts and seasoned transfer portal acquisitions Melvin Siani (859 snaps at Wake Forest last season, according to Pro Football Focus) and Dylan Sikorski (444 snaps as a sophomore at Oregon State) have exceeded expectations since joining the program. “I think there's a lot of experience and I think they're just working cohesively well together, but what I liked was the physicality that they played the game with,” Sarkisian said. “They moved the line of scrimmage and they created running lanes.” For their part, Smothers (74 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries) and Raleek Brown (10 carries for 54 yards), “didn’t go down on contact," Sarkisian said. According to PFF, Smothers and Brown combined for 80 rushing yards after contact, with nine missed tackles forced. between them. “We made guys miss; we ran through safeties,” Sarkisian said. “They were physical.” The running back group’s toughness translated to much-needed pass protection for Manning, who was pressured on just 11 of his 44 dropbacks, according to PFF. Manning was the sixth-most-pressured quarterback in FBS last season (165 total pressures, on 35.6 percent of his dropbacks), with Ohio State pressuring him on 14 of 34 dropbacks (41.2 percent) in last season’s 14-7 loss in Columbus. The Longhorns flipped the script in Austin. While Texas kept Manning relatively clean, Will Muschamp’s in-game adjustment to play man coverage against Jeremiah Smith and put another defender in the box to bolster the run defense paid off with a winning effort against the run (94 yards and three yards per attempt by the Buckeyes, who didn’t have a run from scrimmage longer than 11 yards) and more consistent, effective pressure on Julian Sayin. After the Longhorns only pressured Sayin on five of his 20 dropbacks last season, Muschamp’s defense pressured the 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist on 15 of his 36 dropbacks (41.7 percent), mirroring what Indiana (pressured Sayin on 12 of 34 dropbacks in the Big Ten championship game) and Miami (pressured Sayin on 17 of 40 dropbacks in the Cotton Bowl) did last season in wins over the Buckeyes. When Texas faced critical downs and needed a defensive player to step up and make a play, Alex January, Hero Kanu, Maraad Watson and Ian Geffrard won must-win battles at the point of attack. Muschamp went with heavier fronts featuring three and sometimes four tackles on the field, the latter being the case when January led the charge to stuff Ja’Kobi Jackson on fourth-and-2 from the Longhorns’ 13-yard line early in the second quarter. Winning the rushing yardage battle, providing adequate protection for Manning and bringing the heat on Sayin more than Ryan Day and Arthur Smith wanted (Sayin overthrew Devin McCuin on a potential game-clinching touchdown in the third quarter, with Justin Cryer forcing a hurried throw as an unblocked rusher coming off the edge) added up to the Longhorns winning the trench battle and the game. They won the way Sarkisian hoped they could against elite opponents after spending the offseason trying to get Texas to play with more of a physical edge by putting the fulcrums of the running game through competitive, intense inside-run periods in practice. With the trench battles sharpening both lines of scrimmage, Texas delivered when and where it mattered against the No. 1 team in the country. “As a coach, you get what you emphasize, right? And we've been emphasizing being a more physical football team, being a more physical offensive team and running the football when they know you're going to run the football and having the ability to do that and having the ability to have confidence to call it that way,” Sarkisian said. “At the end of that game, when we were down there first-and-goal, it was like, 'We're running it, man.' And they knew we were running it. There wasn't a secret. We weren't going to call a bootleg or a tight end corner route or something. The ability to get that ball in the end zone is gratifying as a coach that your players have bought into what you're asking of them to get accomplished." View full news story

Myron Charles Note Texas is extremely excited about the progress the 6-4, 315 pounder has made since August camp began. Expect to see him on the field pretty early this Saturday. ”Got a real chance.”

Immediate Improvement Needed *** Texas is 2–0 and currently ranked the No. 1 team in the country by the AP Voters after a 24–23 comeback win over Ohio State. Still, there is plenty that this team can improve upon. The most critical aspect of the game that needs immediate improvement in my eyes? Catching the football. Texas is tied with South Carolina for the most drops in the conference through two weeks with 8, according to PFF. That also does not include the pass to Cam Coleman that slipped through his hands and resulted into an interception following a crazy ricochet. -- QB Pass Drop Rate in the SEC 19.4% – Sellers (SCAR) 16.0% – Curtis (VAN) 15.7% – Manning (TEX) 12.8% – Leavitt (LSU) 11.5% – Brandon (TEN) 13.6 – Jackson (ARK) 10.0% – Simmons (MIZ) 7.7% – Reed (A&M) 5.0% – Taylor (MSST) 4.3% – Brown (AUB) 3.4% – Stockton (UGA) 3.0% – Philo (UF) 2.9% – Russell (ALA) 2.7% – Minchey (UK) 2.3% – Chambliss (OM) 0.0% – Mateer (OU)

Hi Longhorn nation! Drop your Longhorn memorabilia in the thread here. I'm 27 so just getting started, but I'll start. Acquired some new ones between the two images but, A Ricky signed jersey with "HT 98" and a VY signed jersey. I've got the Colt Mccoy signed picture as well. The 3 frames on the wall were sent by the University after I wrote them a letter in grade school for a school project! 2 of them are trading cards maybe? that I just kept together and framed and the other is a picture with the entire 2009 team, signed by all the players. Feel grateful and lucky to acquire these, thank you for sharing below!

Happy Game Day! We'll post updates here throughout the day. This will eventually turn into the live updates thread at kickoff. 🤘 PREGAME -- James Johnson, Xavier Filsaime, Nic Robertson, Kaden Scherer, Elijah Ali, Markus Boswell did not warm up. -- Derrek Cooper did warm up, but from the back of the RB line. FIRST QUARTER 12:04 -- Connor Hawkins 26-yard field goal ... Ohio State 3, Texas 0 5:39 -- 8-yard TD run by Ja'Kobi Jackson ... Ohio State 10, Texas 0 SECOND QUARTER 5:42 -- 37-yard FG from Gianni Spetic ... Ohio State 10, Texas 3 1:41 -- 30-yard FG from Connor Hawkins ... Ohio State 13, Texas 3 0:10 -- 19-yard TD connection between Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith ... Ohio State 20, Texas 3 FIRST HALF SYNOPSIS Think of every worst-case scenario for the Longhorns, and it happened. From the opening play that saw Raleek Brown fumble the screen pass Steve Sarkisian typically loves to throw to Ryan Wingo open games, to Cam Coleman tipping a diving catch into Ohio State defensive back Jaylen McClain's hands for an interception, to Ryan Wingo dropping a wide open touchdown pass, to Arch Manning taking two sacks, to UT failing to convert on a 4th and 2 that saw Wingo get tackled behind the line of scrimmage on a reverse. It was nothing but nightmare material for the Longhorns heading into the locker room. On the opposite side of the field, Ohio State more often than not took advantage of Texas' miscues, scoring 10 points off turnovers. Star Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith crossed the century mark in the first half, catching six passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, surpassing his combined total over the last two seasons against Texas in two quarters. Sayin completed 12 of 16 passes (75%) for 192 yards and a score. The Longhorns were unable to get much pressure on Sayin until late in the second quarter with Lance Jackson and Colin Simmons getting home on pass rushes. Texas' playmakers have failed to show up and the Longhorns have a 17-point deficit with the ball going to the Buckeyes first in the third quarter. HALFTIME THIRD QUARTER 8:09 -- 48-yard Connor Hawkins FG ... Ohio State 23, Texas 3 FOURTH QUARTER 14:19 -- 3-yard TD pass from Arch Manning to Ryan Wingo ... Ohio State 23, Texas 10 7:14 -- 1-yard TD run by Hollywood Smothers ... Ohio State 23, Texas 17 0:25 -- 1-yard TD run by Hollywood Smothers ... Texas 24, Ohio State 23 FINAL SYNOPSIS The Will Muschamp defense bowed up in the second half, holding the Buckeyes to just 129 yards and 3 points. After a sluggish start out of the locker room, the Longhorns leaned on their rushing attack, with Hollywood Smothers (3.5 per carry) and Raleek Brown (5.4 per carry) leading the way, which eventually opened up the passing game that included a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo and then multiple drive-extending plays to Emaree Winston and Emmett Mosley. Texas drew it to within six late in the fourth, 23-17, before Ohio State missed a 45-yard field goal on the ensuing drive. Texas capitalized on the miss with a long, drawn out drive down the field, culminating in a one-yard Smothers touchdown that tied the game, before Gianni Spetic gave UT a one-point lead with the extra point. The Longhorns defense was able to withstand the final 25 seconds from the Ohio State offense, with Graceson Littleton intercepting a desperation heave and giving UT the win. Final ... Texas 24, Ohio State 23

Because Jeremiah Smith is up there for me.

Just walked in the door from the game. Think I lost about 15 pounds in water weight today walking around. Not sure I’ll be able to sleep tonight (or this morning at this point). Figured I’d share a few thoughts from the game while I’m still wired. — I’ve never seen anything like that, and certainly not at DKR. I thought of the 2004 comeback against Oklahoma State, but this was different. This was a Texas team down 20 points to the No. 1 team in the country in the second half. Chris Hummer of 247Sports pulled a great stat: entering tonight, teams were 0-223 that were down by 17-plus to the No. 1 team in the country since 2003. Now it’s 1-223. — It truly was the tale of two halves. Texas’ playmakers were nowhere to be found through the first two quarters, with one of the flukiest interceptions you’ll ever a see, a wide-open touchdown dropped by Ryan Wingo, the Raleek Brown fumble, etc. Credit the staff and players for halftime adjustments because the defense clamped down the OSU offense in the second half, especially on 3rd downs. The Buckeyes converted 5 of 8 on 3rd downs in the first half, compared to 1 of 6 in the second half. Texas actually dipped in 3rd down conversation percentage in the second half, but, of course, went 2 for 2 on 4th downs. — I can’t get over the poetic finish to this game. Running the ball and converting in the red zone. In beating the No. 1 team in the country, Texas also answered questions people have had about Steve Sarkisian and the Texas offense for several years. The Longhorns averaged 4.2 yards per carry on the ground in the fourth quarter. — Hollywood Smothers, Emmett Mosley, Emaree Winston, and Spencer Shannon all get helmet stickers for their performances on offense. Smothers has next-level shiftiness, maybe too much at times, but ran the ball effectively and with some punch. Mosely and Winston had big catches and Shannon had some huge run blocks. Also props to Raleek Brown for stepping up with some key runs late. He averaged — The Texas DBs answered the call in the second half. Bo Mascoe had his Longhorns coming out party. Julian Sayin was just 2 for 7 targeting Jeremiah Smith in the second half. In fact, Texas held Sayin to the lowest completion percentage of his career (53.1). — Way to keep your head on a swivel Kade Phillips and Cam Coleman jumping on fumbles. Texas fumbled four times and only lost one. Probably Coleman’s best contribution on the night. — The 4th and 9 across his body throw is possibly the most clutch play I’ve seen from Arch Manning. That or the 4th and 6 to Emmett Mosley a little while later. — Speaking of Mosley, he’s the most sure-handed WR on the team. Texas was wise to start targeting him more in the second half because he changed the trajectory of the game. Big night for the Mosley family. His brother, Trent, had a touchdown grab in USC's win over Louisiana. — When one of the toughest players on your team is your quarterback, you’re in good shape. That's what Arch Manning is. As one media member noted in the press box tonight, “that kid is a tough SOB.” — I suspect we’ll see some really strong grades from the Texas OL on Sunday morning’s PFF report. They were really good, particularly in pass pro. — For as surgical as Julian Sayin-Jeremiah Smith felt in the first half, the fact that OSU only scored three points in the second half is a huge credit to Will Muschamp and the halftime adjustments. The pass rush came to life, and Texas started to affect Sayin more as the game wore on. That certainly affected the accuracy dip. — Feel like I’m just rambling now but enjoy this one. It was important for so many reasons that we’ll continue to dissect on OTF.

It didn’t matter if it was by one point or 100. It doesn’t matter that it took a horrendous, miserable first half to set up the program’s biggest comeback win since 2007. It doesn’t matter that Texas still has to navigate a brutal SEC schedule before thinking about returning to the College Football Playoff. The Longhorns needed Saturday’s 24-23 win over No. 1 Ohio State in the worst way. To get the scarlet-and-gray monkey off their back For Steve Sarkisian, who’s won four of his last five games against top-10 opponents, to change the narrative about him in big games. For Arch Manning, who’s yet to lose a start at home, to prove that he’s not the same quarterback who looked miles away from being a franchise player in Columbus last season. For Texas to prove that it's ready to kick in the door to national championship contender status after knocking on it in 2023 and 2024. The Longhorns overcame a 23-3 third-quarter deficit to win, scoring the game’s last 21 points. After stumbling, fumbling and falling over itself in the first half, Texas flipped the script in the second half, outgaining Ohio State by 107 yards (239-132), winning the battle on the ground (103-46) and executing critical situations at an elite level (5-for-9 on third down, 2-for-2 on fourth down and 3-for-3 in the red zone with three touchdowns). Sarkisian and the Longhorns have a lot to fix. That work can start on Sunday. Playing the Buckeyes close wasn’t going to be good enough. Texas made the plays it needed to make to position itself for an epic comeback. And now that it’s done, the Longhorns cleared a huge hurdle toward grabbing the next rung in college football’s hierarchy. *** Kade Phillips and Cam Coleman deserve huge kudos for the comeback. Phillips recovered a punt that bounced off Ryan Niblett’s face mask in the third quarter. With a 23-3 lead, an Ohio State recovery deep in would’ve paved the way for a Buckeye rout. On the offense’s ensuing possession, Coleman pounced on an Emmett Mosley V fumble, which would’ve wiped out a third-and-9 conversion in the Ohio State red zone. The comeback wouldn’t have been possible without those two plays. The mistakes Texas made time and again in the first half gave way to timely clutch moments down the stretch. *** Colin Simmons made two game-changing plays in the second half that won’t show up in the box score. On third-and-4 from the Longhorns’ 27-yard line, Simmons pressured Julian Sayin, rushing a throw down the sideline intended for Jeremiah Smith (a well-defended play by Bo Mascoe) that fell incomplete. The next snap was Connor Hawkins’ 45-yard field goal that went wide left. On Ohio State’s last drive, Simmons forced a holding call (Austin Siereveld was in the game at right tackle after Phillip Daniels left earlier with an apparent injury), which put the Buckeyes 85 yards from the end zone with 17 seconds on the clock and no timeouts. *** The Texas offensive line came up big in the second half. Kyle Flood’s group reestablished the line of scrimmage in critical situations; two of the first downs the Longhorns gained on their game-winning drive were on the ground, which doesn’t include Hollywood Smothers going over the top for the winning score with 25 seconds left in regulation. *** Will Muschamp’s defense was up against in the first half. The offense’s inability to put together drives led to awful field position; 31 of Ohio State’s 37 first-half snaps (83.8 percent) were in Texas territory. With the Longhorns getting their act together on offense, the Buckeyes only ran 10 of their 26 second-half snaps (38.5 percent) on Texas’ side of the field. Texas winning the play differential in the second half played a big role in the Longhorns limiting Ohio State to 5.1 yards per play (6.5 in the first half) and a 1-for-6 mark on third down (5-for-8 in the first half). *** The All-22 film of Manning’s night will be picked apart in the coming week. Manning's first two and a half quarters were a worst-case scenario for any quarterback in a big game. When he wasn’t missing reads or open windows, Manning’s receivers let him down. With a comfortable lead, Matt Patricia dropped defenders into coverage to deny him deep shots. Thankfully, things changed on the Longhorns’ last three possessions and by the time he ripped a second-and-7 completion to Mosley for 19 yards down the Ohio State 1-yard line with 1:19 to play, he was locked in and dealing. Manning went 8-for-11 for 67 yards and a touchdown on the second play of the fourth quarter (a 3-yard toss to Ryan Wingo). Manning's second half (16-for-23 for 136 yards) was much better than his first two quarters (7-for-14 for 60 yards and an interception). Manning's two most important completions came on fourth down: a fourth-and-6 scramble that resulted in a 9-yard completion to Emaree Winston en route to the first touchdown of the game and a 12-yard strike to Mosley on fourth-and-6 to keep a 13-play, 72-yard touchdown drive alive. Even though Smothers (21 carries for 74 yards and two touchdowns) and Raleek Brown (54 yards on 10 carries) helped the offense grind out long drives in the second half, Manning wasn’t a bus driver on Saturday. In program history, only Colt McCoy (2006 over Texas Tech and 2007 over Oklahoma State) and Vince Young (2004 over Oklahoma State) quarterbacked Texas to bigger comeback wins than the one Manning engineered over the Buckeyes. It wasn’t always pretty, but Manning executed when it was do-or-die down the stretch, which is what the great ones do. *** It’s going to take a minute to process everything that happened on Saturday. What felt like another chapter in the ongoing saga of the Longhorns failing to deliver when sharing the stage with Ohio State instead became an epic comeback, capping an unforgettable week on the Forty Acres. Instead of another version of Texas’ previous losses to the Buckeyes or Georgia, the Longhorns went back into their bag from last year’s comeback win over Texas A&M. Down at halftime after a mostly listless first half against a top-five opponent, Texas dug deep and gutted out a victory the hard way. Thankfully, that’s the performance the Longhorns replicated. View full news story

CFB Week 2 Thread Starting this early this week with 19 SMU at Florida State I know it's technically a "week 1"game due to holiday, but I'm calling in Week 2 with it being a Monday game

It’s time to tackle “One Burning Question,” an On Texas Football in-season feature where we’ll examine a question facing the Texas Longhorns entering a game. On Sunday, we’ll revisit the question to see whether Steve Sarkisian’s team answered it successfully. This week, with No. 4 Texas hosting No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC), the question is: Can the Longhorns win the line-of-scrimmage battle against the Buckeyes? In the back-to-back losses the Longhorns have suffered at the hands of the Buckeyes, rushing yards have only told part of the story in the trenches. When Ohio State ended Texas’ 2024 season with a College Football Playoff semifinal win in the Cotton Bowl, the Buckeyes out-rushed the Longhorns by 23 yards, 81-58. Last season, Texas took advantage of Matt Patricia deploying more resources to defend Arch Manning and the passing game, racking up 166 yards on 37 attempts and leaving Columbus with a plus-89 edge on the ground in a loss. Rushing yardage isn’t the only way to determine which team wins in the trenches. Those other areas, unfortunately, have been problematic for the Longhorns against the Buckeyes. Fourth down, for instance, was a consequential down in the first two rounds of a college football blue-blood trilogy. The Buckeyes are 2-for-3 on fourth down in their last eight quarters against Texas. One of those conversions was an 18-yard run by Will Howard on fourth-and-2 in the fourth quarter of the Cotton Bowl, which kept a 13-play, 88-yard touchdown drive alive. The other came in last year’s game, when CJ Donaldson scored the first touchdown on a 1-yard run that capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive. The Longhorns, meanwhile, went 1-for-3 on fourth down in the Cotton Bowl, with one failed attempt resulting in Jack Sawyer’s game-clinching 83-yard scoop-and-score. Texas was 1-for-5 on fourth down in last season’s loss, including a failed quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line, a fourth-quarter drive that stalled in the red zone and the offense’s last possession, which ended with Manning finding Jack Endries under duress two yards short of the line to gain on fourth-and-5 from midfield. Clearly, Ohio State’s pressure on Manning last season and Quinn Ewers in the Cotton Bowl significantly tipped the scales in the Buckeyes’ favor. The Longhorns pressured Howard on 11 of his 36 dropbacks (a 30.6 percent pressure rate, according to Pro Football Focus) in the CFP semifinal, resulting in an interception and two sacks. Ohio State turned the heat up a few more notches on Ewers, who was pressured on 20 of 44 dropbacks (45.5 percent pressure rate). Ewers was 6-for-15 throwing the football when pressured and was sacked four times. Texas only pressured Julian Sayin on five of his 20 dropbacks last season (the Buckeyes played with heavier personnel and designed a game plan that protected Sayin from making a potential game-changing mistake in his first start), with no negative plays to show for the few times the Longhorns moved the Heisman Trophy finalist off his spot. Manning was pressured on 41.2 percent of his dropbacks (14 of 34), and while his ability to get away from the rush resulted in only one Ohio State sack, a 5-for-10, 60-yard day with an interception meant Patricia’s defense did its job. Sarkisian's offseason changes to the roster and coaching staff weren’t just to get over the hump against the Buckeyes. Still, a quarterback with a full season as QB1 under his belt, a running back room with a new coach and an infusion of juice from the transfer portal, a revamped offensive line, the addition of a havoc defender the caliber of Rasheem Biles and Will Muschamp’s desire to dictate the terms of the game when sending in the defensive signals should make Texas more equipped to finish the job in the fourth quarter. Given the perimeter skill talent on the field and the quarterback play on both sides, the winner could be decided by whichever team can defend the run more often with a light box (six defenders or less). Both offensive play-callers (former Atlanta Falcons head coach and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith calls the plays for Ryan Day's Ohio State offense) don’t mind using 12 personnel (two tight ends). Getting either offense to keep an extra tight end on the field is a win, with a capable running back or wide receiver relegated to spectator status on the sideline. The Longhorns have the tools to protect Manning, disrupt Sayin and control the running game well enough to win. We're roughly 24 hours away from seeing how it plays out and whether Texas can deliver a powerful statement that 2026 might indeed be different. View full news story

It’s time to determine "Who Has the Edge?," an On Texas Football in-season feature that looks at how the Texas Longhorns stack up with their opponent. The college football world will be fixated on the Forty Acres this week, with No. 4 Texas hosting No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC). With a slew of future NFL players littering the Longhorn and Buckeye rosters, the edges in the six categories were determined by the slimmest of margins. The game wasn’t decided until late in the fourth quarter the last two times Texas and Ohio State met on the field. Saturday’s tilt isn’t expected to be different. WHEN TEXAS RUNS THE FOOTBALL Matt Patricia’s decision to drop more defenders into coverage against Arch Manning in Columbus last season and Steve Sarkisian’s willingness to stick with the running game (37 rushing attempts were the third-most the Longhorns recorded in a game last season) played big roles in how well the Longhorns moved the ball on the ground against the Buckeyes. It was arguably the most consistent the Texas running game was in 2025. According to Pro Football Focus, Texas gained 55 yards on 15 A- and B-gap rushing attempts (3.7 yards per carry) against Ohio State last season. Patricia’s plan should focus on denying the Longhorns wide-zone runs, which tend to be Sarkisian’s go-to calls when the running game is clicking. Hollywood Smothers, Raleek Brown and the other Texas ball-carriers bouncing duo concepts to the outside should also be a point of emphasis for the Buckeyes. When that’s happened in the recent past, Sarkisian hasn’t had a counterpunch. To that end, expect the Longhorn running game to look a lot different schematically than the relatively bland plan of attack against Texas State, which produced inconsistent results. The Texas running backs had four of their combined 31 carries go for at least 10 years. Nine of those 31 carries were stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage. A combination of the running backs making more decisive cuts and blockers staying engaged longer (straining, as Sarkisian calls it) will go a long way toward the Longhorns achieving more ideal balance. The Buckeyes should feel confident stopping the run with a light box, with Eddrick Houston and John Walker leading the charge up front and Christian Alliegro and Payton Pierce cleaning things up behind them. Needless to say, forcing Ohio State to devote an extra defender to stopping the run (which is easier said than done, especially if Derrek Cooper can’t go after injuring his right ankle in the opener) will open things up for Manning in ways he didn’t have available to him inside the Horseshoe last season. EDGE: Ohio State WHEN OHIO STATE RUNS THE FOOTBALL Just looking at the box score from the Buckeyes’ season-opening 56-3 rout of Ball State, one might think the running game was dominant. Ohio State rushed for 237 yards (6.8 yards per attempt), with Bo Jackson and Ja’Kobi Jackson both gaining 89 yards on the ground and finding the end zone in the resounding victory. However, two long second-half touchdown runs (a 65-yarder by Bo Jackson and a 49-yard run by Ja’Kobi Jackson) bolstered the raw numbers. The Buckeyes ended the first half with only 35 net yards on 21 carries (2.1 yards per attempt). Six of Ohio State's 28 running back carries were stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage, while 20 attempts gained five yards or less. Like Sarkisian’s offense against Texas State, Arthur Smith utilized 12 personnel to fuel the Buckeye running game. Heavier personnel could force Will Muschamp’s hand when deciding how many defenders to devote to stopping the run. That would put more pressure on a Texas secondary entering the game under the gun, knowing it has to deal with Jeremiah Smith for 60 minutes. While the Longhorns will face better personnel than they did in the opener, Ohio State's offensive line isn't as big as Texas State's. The Buckeyes also won’t push the tempo like the Bobcats did (few FBS offenses do), which should keep Texas' defensive linemen from getting gassed as quickly as they did last week. EDGE: Texas WHEN TEXAS THROWS THE FOOTBALL After struggling for three and a half quarters, Manning found something that worked late in last year’s loss to Ohio State. He nailed a few vertical throws, including a 28-yard strike to Ryan Wingo and a 32-yard touchdown to Parker Livingstone; a 30-yard completion to Jack Endries kickstarted the Longhorns’ final possession, which ultimately ended in a turnover on downs in the closing minutes of regulation. Manning's trip to Columbus mirrored his development throughout the 2025 season. Although it took a while for Sarkisian to figure out what gets Manning going, what keeps him hot and what can get him out of a lull, the quarterback’s trajectory took off once he and the play-caller got on the same page. Manning has more seasoned personnel around him for his second start against the Buckeyes in 378 days. The Ohio State defense Manning faced last season is also replacing five of the first 62 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Buckeyes still ooze talent. But Manning might find it more comfortable operating at home, without trying to identify where elite playmakers like Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles (three of the first 11 picks in the draft) are lined up before the snap. Ohio State isn’t facing the same quarterback who was struggling to keep his head above water in last season’s meeting. Manning, who quarterbacked Texas to three wins over top-10 opponents (two at home) last season, has proven himself as one of the top scrambling quarterbacks in the country, meaning he can make Patricia's call wrong, even when everything leading up to the time he takes off with the football looks right. EDGE: Texas WHEN OHIO STATE THROWS THE FOOTBALL Jeremiah Smith is due for a big game against the Longhorns. After holding him to one catch for three yards in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl, Texas bottled him up last season, limiting him to 43 yards on six catches (with two drops, according to PFF). What’s interesting about Smith’s 30-game career with the Buckeyes is that in the four losses he's played in, he’s put up massive numbers. Smith had a 100-yard game in three of the four losses and scored in two games. Smith's only sub-100-yard game in a loss was a five-catch, 35-yard performance against Michigan in 2024, when Will Howard took a big hit early, which helped derail the Ohio State passing attack. In the two wins over Texas, when Smith was held in check, Carnell Tate (and Emeka Egbuka in the Cotton Bowl) made clutch catches. Are Devin McCuin, Brandon Inniss, Chris Henry Jr. or Legend Bey ready to step up if the Longhorns successfully put the clamps on Smith again? For Muschamp’s defense to pull its weight in a winning effort, the plan must also include pressuring Julian Sayin. There might not be a better quarterback in the country than Sayin when he’s got a clean pocket. Sayin’s PFF grade of 94.4 from a clean pocket (82.1-percent completion rate, 2,883 yards and 25 touchdown passes against five interceptions) led FBS in 2025. In Ohio State’s losses to Indiana and Miami, however, Sayin was pressured on 39.2 percent of his dropbacks. Sayin completed just 42.1 percent of his passes (8-for-19) for 93 yards, no touchdowns and an interception, with 10 of the pressures leading to a sack. The question is whether Muschamp’s fronts and coverages can work well enough together to get to Sayin. If they do, it'll lead to the Longhorns generating the kind of pressure that will create opportunities for negative plays and turnovers. EDGE: Ohio State SPECIAL TEAMS The punters played a big role in last season’s game in Columbus, with Jack Bouwmeester’s ability to flip field position helping Texas stay in the game. Joe McGuire, who punted a career-high six times against the Longhorns, is back for Ohio State, while Bouwmeester’s replacement, Mac Chiumento, didn’t punt against Texas State. The Longhorns enter the game with the most proven return man on either side. Will the Buckeyes kick to Ryan Niblett? Former Baylor kicker Connor Hawkins connected on all seven extra points against Ball State. Hawkins, however, didn’t attempt a field goal, so the Liberty Hill product's first try in a Buckeye uniform will be under the lights at DKR. From that standpoint, one of the most important moments of last week’s win over Texas State might’ve been Gianni Spetic attempting and making a 48-yard field goal. Texas has suffered numerous kicking game lapses in games of this magnitude under Sarkisian. The Longhorns have the edge in the third phase on paper, but Jeff Banks needs to make sure they maximize it and make it an advantage on Saturday. EDGE: Texas COACHES Steve Casula is one of Sarkisian’s offseason staff additions that could help Texas against Ohio State. Casula was an analyst at Michigan in 2021, when the Wolverines started a four-game winning streak over the Buckeyes. Casula, who works with the Longhorn tight ends, didn’t bring a secret sauce with him from Ann Arbor that will magically give Texas an edge on Saturday. Still, Casula has been on a staff that put together a successful, winning game plan against a Ryan Day-coached Ohio State squad. Where Casula's impact could be felt is when the Longhorns run the football. The tight ends set a physical, nasty tone in the running game against Texas State. The offensive line and running backs following their lead could give Texas the toughness it needs to get over the hump against an opponent of the Buckeyes' caliber. Day has two former NFL head coaches calling plays on offense (Arthur Smith) and defense (Patricia). Even as Day has had to fill more coaching vacancies than he'd probably like throughout his tenure, Ohio State is in the discussion for boasting the best coaching staff in the country year in and year out. After losing to the Buckeyes in back-to-back seasons with largely the same group of coaches, will Sarkisian's staff changes be enough to help the Longhorns slay the scarlet-and-gray dragon? EDGE: Ohio State SCORE PREDICTION Texas 34, Ohio State 31 View full news story

Stopped by Kendra Scott's flagship store on South Congress last night for Rasheem Biles' event aimed at addressing mental health and suicide prevention. Biles runs a foundation for underserved youth back in Columbus and even sponsors an AAU team. Hard to think of many players who are actively trying to give back more to the community than Biles. Special person and player. Here's some clips: