The Texas Longhorns just pulled off one of the most improbable comebacks in recent college football history, erasing a 20-point deficit against the Ohio State Buckeyes to win 24-23 at home in Week 2. Arch Manning, the Texas quarterback, was the driving force behind the rally after a brutal first half. The Buckeyes dominated the first 35 minutes, and Manning looked lost for long stretches. But the second half told a completely different story, and there are clear winners and losers coming out of this one.

Winners

Bo Mascoe

Mascoe deserves the first mention. What he did in the second half against Jeremiah Smith was borderline incredible. Smith was on pace for over 200 receiving yards and multiple touchdowns, and then Mascoe shut the door. Julian Sayin threw the ball up to Smith late in the game in a one-on-one scenario where, and this sounds crazy, 9 times out of 10 you would expect Smith to come down with that football to essentially win the game for Ohio State. Mascoe said no.

Colin Simmons

Simmons really took it to the Buckeyes in the second half. He had a sack early in the game and generated consistent pressure on Sayin when the going got tough for Ohio State. He forced some errant throws that shifted momentum. Yeah, it was a year late compared to what he said he was going to do last season. That’s neither here nor there. He showed up when it mattered.

Will Muschamp

In the first half, Ohio State was playing pitch and catch. Sayin, Smith, Bo Jackson, you name it, the Buckeyes could do whatever they wanted. That was not the case in the second half. Whatever adjustments Muschamp made at halftime completely changed the complexion of the game.

Hollywood Smothers & Raleek Brown

On the offensive side of the ball, it was not pretty for the first 30 minutes. But the second half came around and the offensive line, led by Trevor Goosby, started wearing Ohio State down. That opened the door for the running back duo of Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown. There was a point in the game where it felt like Texas had no business running the football. They were getting no penetration upfield and doing nothing to dent Ohio State’s defensive front. Kenyatta Jackson Jr. was tossing around tackles and tight ends. But as the game went on, the offensive line beat down the Buckeyes, and it opened up what was essentially the game-winning touchdown for Smothers. Brown had a big game as well.

Emmett Mosley & Emaree Winston

None of that happens without the passing game finding its footing, though. And it wasn’t the two household names at wide receiver who stepped up. It was Emmett Mosley and Eamaree Winston. Winston, the big tight end, was a consistent target for Manning down the stretch, especially out of structure. Mosley did a great job with yards after the catch and really set up Texas on the game-winning drive with a big-time slant pattern and strong hands.

Arch Manning

The biggest winner overall has to be Arch Manning. For the first 35 to 40 minutes, he played poorly. He wasn’t seeing the field well, he was escaping clean pockets, he was missing open receivers; and he looked rattled. But then, out of nowhere, here comes the back half of the third quarter into the fourth quarter, and he’s cool as a cucumber. Collected. He goes out there and wills that team back from being down 20 points. Manning is the reason Texas won that football game, especially when you consider the cast around him wasn’t helping for most of the night.

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Losers

Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman

The only two real losers for Texas are the two star wide receivers, Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman. Wingo had drops, didn’t get open, and had a tough time separating all night, though he did have a TD catch. Coleman, on what was a beautiful pass from Manning, dropped the football. It bounced up and became an interception. The very first play of the game was a fumble from Texas. So it’s not like Manning hadn’t been trying to help all night and then fumbled the bag. Manning is the reason Texas won, and he propelled them to victory in spite of what Wingo and Coleman were doing.

Where does this rank?

The truth is, it’s just a Week 2 regular season game. But when you were sitting in the middle of the third quarter, watching Texas down 20 points with Wingo struggling, Coleman unable to get open, the run game going nowhere, and Jeremiah Smith going crazy on the other side, it felt like Texas might not even be able to compete at a high level. To go from that point to coming back and winning the football game, that will go down as one of the most memorable wins of the 2026 season.