The Ohio State Buckeyes lost to the Texas Longhorns on Saturday in a game that marked the first time in program history the Buckeyes lost when leading by at least 17 points at halftime. That stat alone tells the story of the kind of night it was for Ohio State down in Austin.

Ohio State led 20-3 at halftime before Texas rattled off 21 straight points in the fourth quarter to take the lead and the victory, 24-23. The Buckeyes put up 372 total yards of offense, more than the 336 Texas managed, but the problem is Ohio State did the majority of that damage in the first half.

Ohio State’s offense stalled in the second half against Texas

The Buckeyes picked up 19 first downs against Texas, and again, most of that production came before the break. Ohio State managed just three points in the final 30 minutes. That inability to sustain drives on offense kept the defense on the field for much of the second half in a game where Texas controlled time of possession.

A tired defense was the result. Ohio State coach Ryan Day admitted as much after the game.

“I think that was the goal was to get guys in and out and rotate,” Day said. “And I thought we were doing a good job for the majority of the game. I think we were on the field probably too much in the second half, and certainly in the fourth quarter.”

When you’re not getting first downs on offense, you put those guys right back out there. But I think a lot of guys played, we knew that was gonna be the case. But ultimately, we didn’t get it done.”

Ohio State’s defensive line ran out of gas against Arch Manning

Along the defensive line especially, Ohio State looked gassed. The Buckeyes sacked Texas quarterback Arch Manning twice on Saturday, but they could not create any legitimate pressure in the fourth quarter. Manning had all day to throw and made Ohio State’s defense pay.

Manning finished 23-of-37 for 195 passing yards and one touchdown with one interception against the Buckeyes. He added 24 yards rushing on eight attempts. Ohio State held star wide receiver Cam Coleman to just three catches for 35 yards, and Ryan Wingo managed only four catches for 22 yards.

Still, none of that mattered when Ohio State found itself outscored 21-0 in the fourth quarter with a tired defense on the field. That is a recipe for disaster every time out, and the Buckeyes paid for it on Saturday.

Ohio State plays Kent State at home next week, which will give the Buckeyes a chance to get right. Still, Saturday night was a punch Ohio State might feel for a while.