Texas Rallies From 23-3 Down to Beat Ohio State 24-23 as Ted Cruz Taunts 'Curse'

Q: How did Texas finally shatter an infamous sports curse to secure their first AP No. 1 win since 1950?

Texas shattered the so-called “Ted Cruz curse” by doing what no team had done in 22 seasons: erasing a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat an AP No. 1 team, stunning Ohio State 24-23 in Austin for the program’s first win over a top-ranked opponent since 1950. The Longhorns looked finished after trailing 23-3 entering the fourth quarter, but Arch Manning led three straight touchdown drives. He opened the rally with a scoring pass to Ryan Wingo, then Texas leaned on Hollywood Smothers, who scored on a 1-yard run to cut the lead to six and added the game-winning 1-yard touchdown with 25 seconds left. Gianni Spetic’s extra point gave Texas its first lead of the night. Texas also got the break it needed when Ohio State missed a 45-yard field goal that would have extended the margin late. From there, Manning’s poise and Texas’ late-game execution took over. He finished 23 of 37 for 195 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, and was far sharper in the fourth quarter as the Longhorns finally found rhythm. The result was historic beyond the superstition. AP No. 1 teams had been 197-0 since 2004 when leading by 20 points at any point in the fourth quarter. Texas not only broke that streak, but also ended its recent run of losses to Ohio State and delivered one of the biggest regular-season wins of the Steve Sarkisian era. Off the field, the “curse” joke resurfaced when Cruz, who attended with Matthew McConaughey, posted afterward: “What curse?”

Q: Did Arch Manning truly orchestrate the upset, or is Hollywood Smothers the unsung hero of the victory?

Arch Manning orchestrated the comeback, but Hollywood Smothers was the finisher and the clearest unsung hero. Manning’s stat line — 23 of 37 for 195 or 196 yards, one touchdown and one interception — does not fully capture his impact. Texas was down 23-3 entering the fourth quarter, and Manning was at his best when the game flipped. He went 8 of 11 for 83 yards in the final period, threw the touchdown to Ryan Wingo that started the rally, and used both his arm and legs to extend drives. Multiple reports noted that he completed 11 of his final 15 passes and helped lead three long fourth-quarter touchdown marches. Just as important, he did not unravel after early drops and a turnover. But Smothers deserves major credit beyond the usual game-winning-touchdown headline. He led Texas in rushing with 74 yards, scored twice in the fourth quarter, and accounted for the final two touchdowns, including the 1-yard winner with 25 seconds left. On a night when Texas needed balance and toughness near the goal line, Smothers delivered both. The fairest reading is that Manning drove the turnaround while Smothers cashed it in. Without Manning, Texas likely never gets back into the game. Without Smothers, the comeback may not get completed. If one player was overlooked in the postgame spotlight, it was Smothers, but Manning still remains the central architect of the upset.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 13

25 seconds from the end, Hollywood Smothers scored on a 1-yard run to cap Texas' comeback from a 23-3 deficit and seal a 24-23 win over Ohio State in Austin.
Arch Manning sparked the fourth-quarter rally with a touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo, then set up the winning drive after Ohio State missed a 45-yard field goal that could have put the game away.
Ted Cruz, watching with actor Matthew McConaughey, posted a photo after the game captioned "What curse?" — a jab at the long-running joke that teams lose when he attends.
The win snapped Texas' two-game skid against Ohio State after losses in the 2024 CFP semifinal and the 2025 season opener, giving Manning a signature early victory as the Longhorns' full-time quarterback.