Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Christian Alliegro walks off the field as the Texas Longhorns celebrate a touchdown on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. Texas won the game 24-23. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The New York Post on Google The lesson from Texas vs. Ohio State was clear: It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
The marquee matchup for Week 2 was a measuring stick game for the Longhorns, a chance to see if they could compete with the No. 1 team in college football.
The public was heavy on the Texas before the game started — 79 percent of the dollars wagered on the moneyline at Caesars Sportsbook landed on the Longhorns pregame, which included a $1.2 million bet from someone in Las Vegas.
Anyone who wagered on Texas had their faith tested immediately. The Longhorns fumbled on the first play of their first drive, less then 10 seconds into the game.
Arch Manning slightly overthrew a wide open Cam Coleman, who tried to make a diving catch, but the ball bounced out of his hands and into the waiting arms of Buckeyes safety Jaylen McClain.
Texas also had a devastating drop by Ryan Wingo on what would have been another easy touchdown and instead had to settle for a field goal on the drive. Ohio State ran up the score in the first half and held a 20-3 halftime lead against Texas in Austin.
With five minutes left in the third quarter, Texas was down by 20 points and backed up in the shadow of its own end zone. That’s when the comeback started.
Texas put together a 15-play 91-yard drive that ended in a touchdown pass from Manning to Ryan Wingo. The Longhorns held the Buckeyes to a three-and-out and on the next drive went 72 yards on 13 plays to cut the lead to 23-17.
The Buckeyes had a chance to make it a two-possession game but missed a 45-yard field goal, giving Texas yet another chance.
Hollywood Smothers #2 of the Texas Longhorns scores a go-ahead touchdown against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the fourth quarter on Saturday. Getty Images Texas drove 73 yards on 12 plays and took the lead late after a Hollywood Smothers touchdown and an extra point by Gianni Spetic.
Texas’ 21-point rally went unanswered after Ohio State failed to convert a Hail Mary in the final seconds sealing the win for Texas and all the bettors who kept faith in the Longhorns during the game.
One bettor at Caesars cashed a $10,000 live bet on Texas at +700 odds that won them $70,000.
But the bettor who wagered a million dollars in Vegas had the biggest come-up of the day.
Winner. $1.2 million Texas moneyline -127 at @CaesarsSports.Longhorns rally from 23-3 deficit to win 24-23. Bettor wins $944,881.89. https://t.co/hKlYfJVBs5
They walked away with over $944,000 in profit on their $1.2 million wager after a finish they won’t soon forget.
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
