Pat McAfee entered this week convinced Ohio State would beat Texas. Then he stepped into Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. The atmosphere, the noise, and the Longhorns’ energy appeared to change everything, as McAfee made a stunning last-minute switch and ditched Ryan Day’s Buckeyes for Texas.
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“I had 100% planned on picking Ohio State.. Then when I got to campus this morning, it felt special. The crowd was DEEP and very active for GameDay in some obnoxious heat. Sark seemed very calm and confident when he stopped by the set. Connor made the $1,200,000 kick… then on top of all of that, they sent a flyover for the pick,” wrote the ESPN host on his X handle.
Ohio State entered Saturday’s highly anticipated showdown against Texas with the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll and plenty of history on its side. The Buckeyes had beaten the Longhorns in their previous two meetings. The last one was a gritty 14–7 victory at home. In 2024, the Buckeyes won by 28–14 in the CFB semifinal.
Those results gave analysts plenty of confidence to back Ohio State, with even Pat McAfee initially leaning toward Ryan Day’s squad. But as game day drew closer, the ESPN host had a change of heart. Just a day before the clash, McAfee praised the Buckeyes, yet surprisingly gave his final nod to the Texas Longhorns.
“Ohio State has won a national championship a lot sooner than Texas has won one. Ryan Day’s been to the mountaintop. [Steve] Sarkisian hasn’t been,” McAfee said ahead of the match. “Sayin’s unbelievable. They’ve got Jeremiah Smith; Texas doesn’t… give me Arch Manning and [Cam] Coleman to get a huge win today.”
Not only him, but the entire ESPN College GameDay panel chose the Longhorns over Ohio State. Desmond Howard picked Texas, Nick Saban went with the Longhorns, and Glen Powell also chose Texas.
Texas spent much of the night on the back foot despite Arch Manning receiving overwhelming support from analysts before kickoff. A turnover on the opening snap set a disastrous tone, leaving the Longhorns trailing 10-0 after the first quarter and 20-3 by halftime.
Manning, visibly frustrated as he sat with his head down on the sideline, faced a defining moment. But when the second half arrived, the quarterback responded with the poise and pedigree expected of him.
Using his legs to keep drives alive and his right arm to ignite the comeback with a touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo, Manning delivered a primetime response that could reshape his career
“His grit started it,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said about Arch Manning after the game.
Well, thanks to Arch Manning, the Longhorns pulled off a stunning 20-point comeback in the fourth quarter. And guess what? That remarkable display of grit earned them a piece of history. According to Sportradar, Texas’ 20-point fourth-quarter rally is the largest comeback in the final quarter to beat an AP No. 1-ranked team.
“Last September was a hard month for him,” Sarkisian said. “I think him getting through the adversity of last year helped him get through the adversity of tonight. When he comes back, everybody else comes back. That’s a guy who has some grit, some resilience.”
Pat McAfee wanted to witness the chemistry between Arch Manning and Cam Coleman, and he certainly got what he came for as the Longhorns edged Ohio State 24–23. Now, Texas will turn its attention to the UTSA Roadrunners, whom they will face on September 19.