IT'S OFF THE HOOK YOUNG DIRECTS TEXAS TO ROAD WIN AT OHIO STATE NO. 2 TEXAS 25, NO. 4 OHIO STATE 22.

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio - It was happening again. Mack Brown leads his crew of blue chippers into a high stakes game, then watches as the palms get sweaty, the nerves get jangled and finally, at the end of the night, they walk away with their pockets empty.

Once more, it was Texas Fold `Em.

But with time running out and down to their last regret, the Longhorns reached deep and played their ace in the hole.

Quarterback Vince Young, who mesmerized Michigan with his feet in the Rose Bowl, shook off two interceptions and the shackles of the Ohio State defense to rescue Texas with his arm. His 24-yard touchdown pass to Limas Sweed with 2:37 to play rallied the No. 2-ranked Longhorns toa 25-22 victory over No. 4 Ohio State in front of a record 105,565 at Ohio Stadium.

Sneed's leaping, twisting catch capped a 67-yard drive in which the Longhorns converted a pair of third downs.

After Texas added a safety, Young took the final snap, kneeled down and then jogged toward the burnt-orange Texas fans at the closed end of the famed horseshoe-shaped stadium and nodded, as if to say I told you so.

``I believe it's a statement,'' Young said. ``Texas is going to fight to the finish.''

While it's still less than a week past Labor Day, the magnitude of the first-ever meeting between these teams was enough to lure representatives of the Rose Bowl, which will host this season's national title game.

With old nemesis Oklahoma having been beaten by Texas Christian last week, it appears that the Longhorns have cleared their biggest obstacle for a return trip to Pasadena.

They also may have cleared an all-too-familiar lump in Brown's throat.

In his career at Texas and North Carolina, Brown had won just one of 15 games against teams ranked in the top five. At Texas, he'd lost seven in a row to top 10 teams.

``That record isn't something I'm proud of, but I have enough self-respect that it's not something that bothers me,'' Brown said as he walked across the field an hour after the game.

Most of those losses came to Oklahoma and Florida State. Earlier though, he bristled slightly at the notion that his teams are uptight.

``Shoot, they're dancing in the dressing room,'' Brown said. ``In fact, I want to turn down the music sometimes because it's too loud in the dressing room, but I think the more confidence, the better you play and the more relaxed you are.''

The Longhorns certainly looked relaxed at the start. Young, first running and then passing, drove Texas to an effortless 10-0 lead on its first two possessions. Then he began to look human.

He threw two interceptions and the Longhorns struggled to muster any consistency on offense, netting just two field goals until the final drive.

Young seemed to be making a prophet of Buckeyes linebacker Bobby Carpenter, who said earlier in the week that he hoped Young would leave his Heisman Trophy candidacy in Columbus.

While it didn't, Ohio State's highly-touted linebacking corps was every bit Young's equal - particularly All- American middle linebacker A.J. Hawk.

He returned one of Young's interceptions 24 yards to set up one field goal and recovered a fumble by Selvin Young to set up another. He spent much of the night eyeing Young like, well, a hawk. He had 12 tackles, including a pair of sacks, one of which forced Texas to settle for a field goal at the half.

The Ohio State defense provided the Ohio State offense, which did enough behind quarterbacks Justin Zwick and Troy Smith most of the night to set up five field goals for kicker Josh Huston.

Yet there's one opportunity they'll be kicking themselves over, when leading 22-16 and with a first-and-10 at the Texas 29, they lost four yards on the next three plays. Huston's 50-yard field goal attempt with 5:00 left was just wide right.

That opened the door for Young, who directed the fifth fourth-quarter comeback of his career.

``It's basically staying poised, man, knowing that Coach 7/8 just pitching in my head, do not turn the ball over, just find the plays and take it a play at a time,'' said Young, who passed for 270 yards and ran for 76. ``You just have to keep fighting.''

On the first play, he threw deep for Brian Carter, drawing pass interference. On third-and-6, he hit Jamaal Charles out of the backfield for 9 yards. On second-and-9, he found Charles again for 8 yards. Then, with second-and-9 again, from the shotgun he calmly lofted the pass in the corner for Sweed, a 6-foot-5 sophomore.

It was not how the Buckeyes expected to get beat.

``He's a great runner and today he showed he's a great passer,'' Hawk said. ``There's a reason he's one of the best. You think you've got him and he keeps coming back.''

Suddenly, just like Texas.

Billy Witz, [phone]

billy.witz(at)dailynews.com

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(color) Texas quarterback Vince Young breaks free early in Longhorns' 25-22 victory over Ohio State.

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press