Ohio State’s linebackers vs Texas’ running backs decided the game

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For nearly three quarters, Ohio State had Texas exactly where they wanted them. Then, everything fell apart.

The Buckeyes led 23-3 entering the fourth quarter, controlling the line of scrimmage and suffocating Texas’ rushing attack. Raleek Brown’s fumble on the Longhorns’ opening possession seemed to set the stage for Ohio State to be in complete control, but Brown and Hollywood Smothers refused to give up. When Texas finally found its rhythm, Ohio State’s linebackers couldn’t consistently make the plays that had come so easily earlier in the night.

Brown finished with 54 rushing yards on 10 carries, while Smothers carried 21 times for 74 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, both backs became central to Texas’ fourth-quarter comeback. Smothers scored twice in the final period, including the one-yard touchdown with just 25 seconds remaining that completed the largest fourth-quarter comeback ever against an AP No. 1 team.

That is what makes this loss so frustrating for Ohio State. The Buckeyes held Texas to 141 rushing yards on 41 attempts, an average of only 3.4 yards per carry. On paper, that is hardly a disastrous performance, but football is not played on paper. Texas’ backs consistently gained enough to keep drives alive, and when the fourth quarter arrived, those small gains became the foundation of a comeback that completely changed the game.

Certainly, the fact that the Buckeye offense couldn’t extend drives as the game progressed, forcing the OSU defense to be on the field an inordinate amount of time late in the game, didn’t help in the Texas heat. And that lack of rest seemed to hurt the Ohio State linebackers most of all.

Pettijohn flashed, but Ohio State has a linebacker decision to make

Riley Pettijohn was one of the few linebackers who left this game feeling like his stock had gone up. The sophomore came to Ohio State as one of the country’s top linebacker recruits and has flashed in his limited playing time through two seasons.

He has not yet had the production of a full-time starter at Ohio State, recording just nine tackles in 13 games as a freshman in 2025. But the physical tools have always been obvious, and against Texas, Pettijohn flashed the instincts and downhill ability that made him such a highly regarded recruit.

Payton Pierce, meanwhile, is a more complicated evaluation. There is plenty to like about his resume. The former four-star recruit had 43 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 2025 and earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors. But against Texas, there were moments when he looked a step slow to the football, particularly against the Longhorns’ speedy backs.

That is why, if I am choosing Ohio State’s three linebackers moving forward, Riley Pettijohn, TJ Alford and Christian Alliegro are my guys. With Pettijohn and Alford leading the way and starting most games.

Alford is still developing, but the former top-100 recruit has already shown enough athleticism to warrant a bigger role. He had just six tackles as a freshman in 2025, but opened 2026 with five tackles and an interception against Ball State. Alliegro brings something different altogether. The Wisconsin transfer is a 6-foot-4, 245-pound senior who recorded 53 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks in only 10 games last season. He also earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors and has looked solid so far this season for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State does not need to panic after one loss. But Texas exposed something worth watching. The Buckeyes’ defensive line can make life miserable for opposing offenses, yet the linebackers have to consistently finish plays once the ball gets to the second level.

Against Texas, that matchup looked like a Buckeye advantage for three quarters. But it may have decided the game in the fourth.

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