A tough offensive day for Steve Sarkisian, Arch Manning and the top-ranked Texas Longhorns only got tougher after one particular sequence in the third quarter of its season-opening game against the defending-champion Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday.
After being held in check for much of the first half, Manning and the Longhorns finally began to move the ball against the Buckeyes defense, putting together a nice drive down to set up a 1st-and-goal from the Buckeyes' 9-yard line with 13:34 remaining in the third quarter.
But once the Longhorns were in scoring range, Sarkisian became oddly conservative, dialing up four straight run plays, including a tush push on fourth down, against a Buckeyes defensive line that had proven to be largely formidable all game long.
Manning was stood up on the play, and the Buckeyes took over possession.
THE BUCKEYES STOP TEXAS ON 4TH & GOAL @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/IaBbb4cut7
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 30, 2025
College football fans let Sarkisian hear it after the Longhorns were stuffed. One Twitter user even referenced Texas's College Football Playoff loss to the Buckeyes in January, in which the Longhorns faced a 1st-and-goal from the Buckeyes 1-yard line but couldn't tie the game.
Sark Drawing up goal line plays against Ohio State pic.twitter.com/4PdwrMuBcO
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) August 30, 2025
Sark is being WAY too conservative.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) August 30, 2025
Coach Sark is the most overrated offensive coordinator! Been saying this for years….
— Danko (@AirDankoo) August 30, 2025
WTF was that Sark! Spread the defense out and then let ya athletic QB make a play with feet or arm. Rpo or something or at least use ya RB
— Marcus Spears (@mspears96) August 30, 2025
Death, taxes and Sark losing all of his sanity in short yardage situations
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) August 30, 2025
What are we doing. Get in your bag or give it to the running back. Come on sark pic.twitter.com/vmMsu2RsI8
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) August 30, 2025
Things went from bad to worse when Manning was picked off on the next Texas drive, leading to an Ohio State touchdown just a few plays later. Should the Longhorns be unable to mount a comeback, Sarkisian will almost certainly be asked about the goal-line sequence from the third quarter.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steve Sarkisian Ripped by Fans for Play-Calling on Goal Line vs. Ohio State .