How did Ohio State blow it? The anatomy of Buckeyes’ choke job vs Texas

How did Ohio State blow it? The anatomy of Buckeyes' choke job vs Texas.

Key points

• After converting a fourth down, Texas caught a massive break late in the third quarter when Emmett Mosley fumbled inside Ohio State territory.
• Three plays afterwards, the Longhorns scored their first touchdown to produce it 23-10.
• Ryan Day on Ohio State's loss to Texas: We really played well for three quarters and didn't play well enough in the fourth quarter.
• Texas vs Ohio State: Arch Manning leads winners and losers from dramatic comeback.
• Arch Manning kept hope alive, connecting with Mosley again hauling in a 12-yard catch for a first down.

How did Ohio State blow it? The anatomy of Buckeyes' choke job vs Texas. Jordan Mendoza USA TODAY. Ohio State football coach Ryan Day addresses loss to Texas.

Ryan Day on Ohio State's loss to Texas: "We really played well for three quarters and didn't play well enough in the fourth quarter. That's the bottom line."

When a collapse this spectacular happens, every mistake deserves a second look. For Ohio State, there were plenty to examine.

For context, the Buckeyes spent three quarters looking every bit the best team in the country their No. 1 ranking warranted. Then came the the final 15 minutes that saw them blow a 20-point lead in a stunning 24-23 loss to Texas.

Notably, the Longhorns deserve credit for a furious fourth-quarter rally. After digging themselves into a deep hole with a series of early mistakes, they responded with 21 unanswered points to pull off one of the season's biggest comebacks.

Opinion: Ryan Day faced a choice for Ohio State. He created a terrible call.

But Ohio State played an equally significant role in its own downfall, providing opportunity after opportunity for Texas to seize a signature victory. The Longhorns won the game. The Buckeyes additionally lost it.

So how did a seemingly comfortable win turn into a stunning defeat? Let's break down everything that went wrong for Ohio State. Texas muffed punt gets recovered. The first difficulty almost was just another major Texas mistake.

For context, the Longhorns forced a punt with just under six minutes left in the third quarter. Nevertheless, returner Ryan Niblett muffed the punt deep inside his own territory, and the Buckeyes were in prime position to recover it. By some miracle, Texas' Kade Phillips was able to pounce on it at the Texas 9-yard line, avoiding the dagger the Buckeyes could've delivered. Ohio State can't recover fumble.

After converting a fourth down, Texas caught a massive break late in the third quarter when Emmett Mosley fumbled inside Ohio State territory. Receiver Cam Coleman pounced on the loose ball, preserving the drive.

Had the Buckeyes recovered, Texas' comeback bid probably would have died right there. Texas fourth down conversion.

Ohio State went three-and-out to offer Texas the ball back, but had a chance to end the momentum when the Longhorns had fourth down at their own 32-yard line.

Arch Manning kept hope alive, connecting with Mosley again hauling in a 12-yard catch for a first down. Texas cruised the rest of the way for another touchdown to create it 23-17. Ohio State missed field goal.

Finally, Ohio State's offense came back to life to move into scoring range. A third down deep pass from Julian Sayin to Jeremiah Smith that would've effectively concluded the game was unsuccessful. So, the field goal team came out for a 45-yard attempt to create it a two-score game.

But then the ghost of the past came back for the Buckeyes. Connor Hawkins' attempt went wide left with 4: 17 left in the game, and that left the door open for the Longhorns to pull off the stunner. Ohio State's questionable clock management on Texas game-winning touchdown. This sequence will draw the most scrutiny.

Texas marched down the field and reached the red zone with 90 seconds remaining. With the Longhorns threatening and two timeouts still in his pocket, Ohio State coach Ryan Day chose to employ both. By the time Texas reached the 1-yard line, the Buckeyes were out of stoppages, and only 53 seconds remained.

At that point, Ohio State faced a tough choice. Without any way to stop the clock, the Buckeyes arguably were better off allowing Texas to score and preserving as much time as feasible for a final drive.

Instead, they tried to keep the Longhorns out of the end zone. The strategy worked on first down and second, but not on third. Hollywood Smothers punched it in from a yard out to offer Texas a 24-23 lead.

In practice, the touchdown came with just 25 seconds left. Had Texas scored immediately, Ohio State could have had almost twice that much time to answer.

Backed up at its own 25-yard line with no timeouts, the Buckeyes suddenly needed both urgency and luck. Neither indicated up. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

Taken together, the developments around how did Ohio State blow it? The anatomy of Buckeyes choke job point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.