AUSTIN, Texas -- After a dramatic 24-23 comeback victory over then-No. 1 Ohio State, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday the Buckeyes should be rewarded for playing a marquee matchup in a nonconference game.

"I hope Ohio State does not get punished for that game Saturday night. They played a heck of a game. I mean, it's 24-23, they lose to us scoring with 25 seconds to go in the game," Sarkisian said. "I hope if they end up being a 9-3 team, the committee can appreciate the fact that they came to Austin, Texas in September when it was 100 degrees and played us in that environment and played a heck of a game."

Last year, with a College Football Playoff spot on the line late in the season, Sarkisian said he felt like the Longhorns shouldn't have been punished for their 14-7 loss to the Buckeyes early in the season.

"Ohio State should be rewarded for playing in this game against us," Sarkisian said. "Time will tell. And this isn't crying over spilled milk. I don't think we got rewarded for going to Columbus last year in Week 1. Hopefully this year they reward Ohio State for coming and playing in this game with us this year."

Ohio State fell to No. 6 in The Associated Press' Top 25 following the loss.

Sarkisian reiterated he does not know how Ohio State's season will go, and if they go 11-1, the conversation would be moot. Sarkisian said he wants to play in big games and knows the Texas "brand" means that teams and television networks will want them to play in marquee matchups, and he said he's got a locker room full of players that come to Austin to do so.

"That's why you come to Texas to play in these big games," Arch Manning said on Monday. "I think it helps our team builds confidence that we can win in any way. We can be down, we can be not playing well, but we can find ways to win. I think that's what builds confidence in those big games."

As the final seconds ticked off, after scoring 21 points in the final quarter to win, Manning sprinted across the field in celebration.

"I think that was the most fun ending to a game I've ever had," he said. "I did not know what to do. I was just running around."

Sarkisian's message was meant to reiterate that emotion is why he believes these heavyweight fights should be considered a strength, rather than hurting teams who lose.

"Everybody loves those matchups," Sarkisian said. "Well, if we want to continue with those matchups, we've got to reward the teams for playing in those games. ... Because if they don't reward them for playing in the game, then all of us start playing FCS, [Group of] Six and then I don't think that's the product that we want in college football."

But the CFP committee is what makes these games a gamble going forward.

"We're not the NFL where it's all based on, what's your record? Who did you beat?" he said. "You make the playoffs based off of opinions of others, essentially, unless you win your conference."

After the win, the Longhorns ascended to No. 1 in this week's AP poll, the third season in a row in which Texas has hit that mark. But he said the Longhorns are aware that it does not matter two games into the season.

"A week ago, the narrative was we can't win the big game," Sarkisian said. "How are we going to beat Ohio State? What are we going to do? Now we're the best team in the country allegedly and everybody's patting us on the back. Two polar opposites of where we are. We need to stay right here and we need to stay enamored with what we need to do."