Texas proved it could survive chaos against Ohio State. Now the No. 1 Longhorns face a different test: playing like the best team in the country when they are expected to win.
Texas spent Saturday night proving it could do something extraordinary.
Down 23-3 to the No. 1 team in the country entering the fourth quarter, the Longhorns scored 21 unanswered points and escaped with a 24-23 victory over Ohio State. The comeback matched the second-largest fourth-quarter rally in program history, and Texas became the first team in at least the last 22 seasons to erase a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit against an AP No. 1 team.
Now comes a completely different test.
UTSA visits Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Saturday night at 7 p.m. CT. Texas is 2-0, has climbed to No. 1, and is coming off one of the most emotional wins of the Steve Sarkisian era. UTSA is also 2-0 after rallying from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat Texas State 31-26.
Texas is not being asked to prove it can beat an elite opponent this week.
It is being asked to play like the No. 1 team in the country.
1. Start Fast
The ending against Ohio State was remarkable. The beginning was not.
Texas entered the fourth quarter with only three points. Against UTSA, the Longhorns should not need another late transformation to find their best football.
The final stretch against Ohio State provides the blueprint. Texas closed the game with three consecutive touchdown drives of at least 12 plays and 72 yards. Arch Manning helped direct all three, and the offense repeatedly converted high-leverage downs to keep the comeback alive.
That raises a much more important question than whether Texas can simply beat UTSA: can the offense that appeared when Texas had no margin for error become the offense Texas gets from the opening possession?
For a team with championship expectations, consistency matters almost as much as ceiling. Texas has already shown its ceiling can be high enough to beat the nation's No. 1 team. Saturday is an opportunity to show that level of execution does not require a crisis to appear.
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