AUSTIN — No. 4 Texas defeated No. 1 Ohio State 24-23 at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in a comeback victory that erased a 20-point deficit. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz attended the game between Texas and Ohio State after appearing on ESPN's College GameDay program earlier in the day.

Texas trailed Ohio State 23-3 before winning the game, overcoming a historical barrier in college football. Teams were 0-223 against AP No. 1 teams since 2003 when trailing by 17-plus points before Saturday. The Longhorns scored three straight fourth-quarter touchdowns against Ohio State and made three straight fourth-quarter stops to secure the win.

More than 100,000 fans attended the game at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. Arch Manning was the quarterback for Texas in the game against Ohio State.

Cruz appeared on ESPN's College GameDay program on Saturday morning for a roughly 10-minute segment. In a television appearance, he discussed his support for the Protect College Sports Act with host Rece Davis. Fans booed Cruz and chanted "Ted, you suck" during his appearance on College GameDay.

The Protect College Sports Act is a pending Congressional Bill that establishes requirements for name, image, or likeness (NIL) agreements for college student athletes. Cruz is the sponsor and leading advocate of the Protect College Sports Act in Congress. According to si.com, the legislation includes a national standard for name, image, and likeness deals that overrides conflicting state laws, a limit of one free transfer for athletes, and a five-year eligibility window starting around age 19 or high school graduation.

The bill has advanced through initial legislative stages. According to si.com, the Protect College Sports Act passed one hurdle, going through the Senate Commerce Committee earlier this year, but still needs a full vote in the U.S. Senate. Cruz has previously faced hostility at sporting events.

According to theindependent.com, in 2022, Cruz was booed and flipped off at Yankee Stadium in New York. In 2024, college football fans circulated a petition to keep Cruz away from Longhorns games, fearing the Republican senator’s attendance would curse their chances of victory. The petition racked up some 1,500 signatures.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day addressed the loss in a post-game press conference. "I can't really sit here and tell you exactly why that happened," Day said. He emphasized the need for internal review.

"We all have to take accountability, and we have to get this thing fixed," Day said. He noted that the defeat was multifaceted. "It's not just one thing. It's all of those things," he said.

Day explained his strategic decisions in the final minutes of the game. He said he considered letting Texas score but wanted to play defense for two plays and go for the win. "It didn't work out," he said.

Ohio State had one timeout remaining when Texas reached the one-yard-line with 1:23 left. After Texas scored the go-ahead touchdown, Ohio State had 25 seconds on the clock and no timeouts.

Ohio State center Carson Hinzman also spoke to the media following the game. "We really just beat ourselves," Hinzman said. Despite the loss, he maintained a forward-looking perspective.

"Everything we want to do is still in front of us," Hinzman said. Ohio State has lost three of its last four games dating back to the 2025 campaign.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian reflected on the nature of the victory. "We could be like other teams and play Jones Junior High tonight and win 66-0," Sarkisian said. "I don't know what that does for us. Tonight we found out we can (win big games)," Sarkisian said.

Statistical trends presented challenges for the Buckeyes. Ohio State averaged three yards per carry against Texas. The team has averaged three yards per carry or fewer in its last three games against top 10 competition.

Day is 83-13 as Ohio State's coach. Six of Ryan Day's 13 losses as Ohio State coach involved the Buckeyes squandering a second-half lead. Ohio State played 14 games decided by seven points or fewer since Ryan Day's first full season as head coach in 2019. Ohio State is 6-8 in games decided by seven points or fewer since 2019.

Earlier in the year, Cruz attended another major collegiate sporting event. Cruz attended the Houston Cougars' men's college basketball national championship loss to the Florida Gators in April 2025. Ohio State punted on 4th-and-5 from Texas' 39-yard line while up 20-3, netting 26 yards.

What's New

Post-game rankings submitted by contributors reflect the outcome of the weekend's games. A KSL Sports contributor ranked Texas No. 1 in their Associated Press ballot submitted Sunday. The same contributor ranked LSU No. 2 in their Associated Press ballot.

Notre Dame was ranked No. 3 in their Associated Press ballot by the KSL Sports contributor. Another contributor ranked Ohio State No. 7 in their Associated Press ballot. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said, "We could be like other teams and play Jones Junior High tonight and win 66-0."

Why It Matters

The game result broke a long-standing statistical trend in college football, where teams trailing by 17 or more points against the AP No. 1 team had never won since 2003. The victory for Texas and the loss for Ohio State have immediate implications for national rankings, with contributors already adjusting their ballots to reflect the new standings. The presence of a sitting U.S. Senator promoting federal legislation on a major sports broadcast shows the increasing intersection of collegiate athletics and federal policy.

The Protect College Sports Act represents a potential shift in how student-athlete compensation and eligibility are managed across state lines. By establishing a national standard, the bill aims to override conflicting state laws, which has been a source of complexity for universities and athletes. The bill's progress through the Senate Commerce Committee indicates ongoing legislative interest, though it still requires a full Senate vote. Fan reactions to Cruz's appearance show the polarized nature of political involvement in sports venues, a pattern seen in previous incidents involving the senator.