The Manning family knows a thing or two about quarterback play, and on Sunday, Cooper Manning was beaming with pride. After Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning led a stunning second-half rally to topple No. 1 Ohio State 24-23, Cooper couldn't contain his excitement.
Taking to Instagram shortly after the final whistle, Cooper kept it simple but heartfelt: “Hook ‘em!!!” The two-word post said it all — a father's pride in his son's resilience and the Longhorns' never-say-die attitude.
Texas looked completely out of sorts in the first half, trailing by as many as 20 points as the Buckeyes' offense carved up the defense. But the Longhorns flipped a switch after the break, scoring 21 unanswered points to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It was a comeback that will be remembered for years, and one that had fans turning on Sarkisian early before the dramatic turnaround.
Arch Manning, who faced nightmares of last year's loss to Ohio State, was reflective after the game. “Our guys at all three places, it wasn’t very pretty, but we found a way to win. That’s what good teams do,” he told reporters. He added, “We couldn’t lose to them again. I had nightmares about that game last year.”
Head coach Steve Sarkisian didn't mince words about the ugly start, but praised his team's response. “It was an abysmal first half. But it says it back there, I don’t know if you guys notice it when you walk in, it says ‘Texas fight’. And we challenged our team at halftime to compete, and to get tighter and to play closer together and to lean in to one another. When real adversity strikes that’s what you need to do. We talk a lot about this in here as a team, that life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it. We just hammered them on everybody focus on the 90 percent; leave the 10 percent in the first half. … and I thought we played a phenomenal second half of football. … I couldn’t be more proud of our team, with the heart and the desire and the fight and the connectivity they had. But I can tell you, we need to improve and get better,” he said postgame.
The win moves Texas to 2-0 on the season and sends a message to the college football world. The Longhorns' comeback was one for the ages, and the Buckeyes' collapse will be dissected for weeks.
For Cooper Manning, it was a moment to savor — a father watching his son lead one of the most thrilling victories in Texas history. The Manning legacy continues to shine, and this time, it's in burnt orange.
