A year ago, Texas entered the college football season ranked No. 1 and quarterback Arch Manning was seen as a strong candidate to win the Heisman Trophy and be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. A loss to Ohio State derailed that. So when Manning and his Longhorns fell behind Ohio State 23-3 on Saturday night, it felt like déjà vu. This time, however, things were different: Manning and the Texas offense drove down the field on three fourth-quarter touchdown drives to beat Ohio State 24-23. “I couldn’t lose to them again. I had nightmares about that game last year. So we’re happy to win tonight,” Manning said on the field immediately after the game. At the news conference, Manning had calmed down a bit, but he told reporters it was the same emotion of desperately wanting to beat the Ohio State team that had given him nightmares. “I didn’t want to come here after a home loss, to Ohio State again, and have everyone tell me we’re not good, and all that. I couldn’t let that happen,” Manning said. “So that was going through my mind, let’s not let that happen. I had to do something. I always knew we were going to be there at the end, we just had to do something and whatever was necessary at the end of the game. I’m very happy that we won.” Manning made some excellent throws but also missed some wide receivers. He ended up completing 23 of 37 passes for 195 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. “It wasn’t very pretty, but we found a way to win. That’s what good teams do,” Manning said. Manning is now the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL draft. He still has a lot of football to play before that, but he’s now earned his biggest win as a college quarterback and put his biggest nightmare behind him.
