The No.3 Ohio State Buckeyes opened the defense of their national championship with a 14-7 win over the top-ranked Texas Longhorns on Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.

Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin tossed a 40-yard touchdown pass to Carnell Tate early in the fourth quarter to open up a 14-0 lead over the Longhorns before a couple of key Ohio State defensive stops in the red zone late to secure the victory.

It’s the fourth time ever that the No. 1 team in the AP preseason poll has played against the defending national champion in the season opener, and the defending title holder has won the last three.

Longhorns new starting QB Arch Manning went 17 of 30 for 170 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his debut. Texas was 1 for 5 on fourth down and was stuffed twice in the red zone by the Buckeyes defense.

Ohio State standout safety Caleb Downs stopped Texas tight end Jack Endries short of a first down in the fourth quarter as the Longhorns were driving for a game-tying touchdown to secure the win.

Sayin went 13 of 20 for 126 yards and threw his best pass of the day on a 40-yard dart to Tate with 13:08 left to push the lead to 14-0.

CJ Donaldson Jr. got the first score of the season for the Buckeyes halfway through the second quarter with a one-yard run that ended a 13-play, 87-yard drive. The drive was aided by two untimely Longhorns penalties, including a face mask call on Colin Simmons that negated an incomplete pass on third down.

Texas got on the board with 3:28 left in the game with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Parker Livingstone that had to be reviewed before being confirmed as Livingstone juggled the ball on the way to the ground.

The Longhorns’ 11-game winning streak in true road games was broken in Columbus on Saturday. The streak included five wins over ranked opponents.

The Buckeyes will host Grambling State on Sept. 6 at the Horseshoe in Columbus, while the Longhorns travel to San Jose State on the same day.