My prediction is 10-2 in the regular season, a conference title win to 11-2, and a national title at 14-2.

DC spoilered below:

The program has evolved from an annual doormat in the XII; to a quite reputable program of the southwest region... I'm not sure who fans root for or against during any UT/OU contest...

If this snowballs Coach O could be the scapegoat after an ugly start to 2020.

https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/6056388002?__twitter_impression=true

Clemson          *2018 salaries

Brent Venables.  (DC).      $2.2mill*       (2018)

Tony Elliott (Co-OC)          $1.0mill  (2019)

Jeff Scott  (Co-OC)           $1.0mill  (2019)

Robbie Caldwell (OL)           $541,500*      

Danny Pearman (TE)            $481,500*      

Brandon Streeter(QBs)         $456,500*     

Mike Reed (DB)                     $441,500*      

Mickey Conn (Safeties)        $371,500*      

Todd Bates (DT)                     $301,500* 

Lemanski Hall (DE)                $301,500*        

HC Dabo Swinney,  made $6.5 million in 2018.....

For 2019:  "The Clemson board has also approved raises for quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter, defensive tackles coach Todd Bates, defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall, offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell, safeties coach Micky Conn, tight ends coach Danny Pearman and defensive backs coach Mike Reed."

Given that, I decided to start a new thread for the express purpose of tracking 2026 itself for OU. I'll post my preseason thoughts here, and then I, and hopefully others, can provide updates towards and into the season when there's something new regarding the OU team. Will I be the only person tracking this thread and wind up posting to myself in an echo chamber? Wouldn't be the first time. Still, it's our arch rival and I get tired of trying parse signal from noise in other threads when it comes to their team.

In regard to their outlook for 2026 as of 8/14/26, here are my thoughts, offense first:

QB: John Midteer SR; Whit Newbauer SO; Bowe Bentley FR

Mateer returns as the starter following a season in which he went 14-11 on the TD/INT ratio and was afforded excuse after excuse related to a thumb injury in which he rushed his return time and allegedly didn't fully recover until after the season. I think that is bullshit, but whatever. As a reaction to his experience last season, and the affirmation that he was indeed going to be running the ball a lot this fall, he's really bulked up. Not sure that makes him a better QB or protects his fingers any better, but it's made for good offseason talking head fodder. There is no depth behind him and OU is absolutely fucked if they lose Mateer for any period of time.

RB: Xavier Robinson JR; Tory Blaylock SO; Lloyd Avant JR; Jonathan Hatton FR

Blaylock was thought of by most as the returning starter, but that's not likely the plan at this juncture. He suffered a serious hamstring injury early in camp and hasn't practiced since. The mods for the sooner world are currently touting Avant as a diamond in the rough found by Nagy on a Colorado State roster, where he put up mediocre numbers for years. X Robinson has missed most of camp, but just returned and is receiving first team snaps. Hatton was concussed early in camp and hasn't practiced since. The okies think this is a hell of a RB room and they've got a shiny new coach in McCullough, with Murray sadly departing for the NFL. I think this RB room is dogshit and thin. The way Venables beats the shit out of his offense in practices, good luck keeping these guys healthy. I expect to hear the annual "poor OU with the injury bad luck" nonsense, and the RB room could be a place for that lamentation.

WR 1: Isaiah Sategna SR; Jasiear Rogers FR; Ivan Carreon SO

Sategna is the most productive returning starter on the entire OU offense. He's fast and can take the top off of a defense. He can also get open when OU cheats and acts like he's leaving the field right before a snap happens. Rogers is being touted, which is a pretty good indicator that depth is an issue with this WR corps, which seems to always be the case.

WR 2: Trell Harris SR; Elijah Thomas SO; A bunch of guys named Bob

Harris came over from Virginia after leading the Cavs in receiving during 2025. He averaged 14.1 YPC last season and was 2nd Team All ACC. They're not hooting and hollering about what a find he is, so I suspect he's about as average as morning grits. Thomas was highly ranked coming out of HS but didn't do much last season. It's alleged that he's really coming on in fall camp, so that would be a helpful development for them.

WR 3: Parker Livingstone SO; Jer'Michael Carter JR; Manny Choice SO

Livingstone drew a lot of praise as a transfer from the dreaded Evil Empire south of the Red River, but he's not getting talked up much this summer. Carter is getting a lot of hype because he's apparently made some spectacular catches. They hyped him similarly last year as he transferred in from FCS, but then he didn't play much or do much. Choice "hasn't really figured it out yet" which means he's another failed signee by Emmett Jones, who hasn't really done shit as a coach or recruiter at OU since joining the staff. OU lost their #2, 3, and 4 WRs from last year. This is a thin position on their roster and there is a lot of risk on whether or not they have the horses to compete this season past their top 2 guys.

TE: Hayden Hansen SR; Rocky Beers JR; Jack Van Dorselaer FR

OU hired Jason Whitten as their new TE coach in the early spring. The entire TE room was immediately cleared out and they brought in Hansen from UF and Beers from CSU. Hansen is a blocker more than receiver and Beers was a touchdown machine at CSU. Hansen's PFF splits for last year reflect a below average ball player in every aspect. OVR 52.7/Receiving 52.6/RB 56.7, all of which are similar to his prior 2 years. Beers numbers are better: OVR 69.7/Receiving 73.0/RB 56.4. Beers might be better, but Hansen is getting the starter's snaps and NIL money. Still, given that last year they had Jaran Kanak playing starter snaps at TE, I'm thinking they upgraded here. Arbuckle likes to use the TE in his offense, so I'm guessing either Hansen makes more plays than he ever did at UF, or Beers is going to see a lot of time on the field.

LT: Michael Fasusi SO; Ryan Fodje SO; Deacon Schmitt FR; Fred Hinton JR

Fasusi is expected to be a serious upgrade over his Freshman self from last season. A former 5 star, he struggled early last year but predictably got better as the season finished. His PFF splits show a mediocre performance - OVR 65.1/PB 59.2/RB 68.5. He's been hurt in camp, similarly to last season, and I believe he's out with a shoulder injury, which is never good for an OL. With him out, starting RG Fodje is the guy getting starter reps at LT over the true Freshman and Eastern Kentucky transfer they list behind Fasusi. If and when Fasusi can play, this is a plus position for the okies. They are razor thin, clearly, behind Fasusi as a starter.

LG: Eddy Pierre-Louis SO; Peyton Joseph SO; Owen Hollenbeck FR

Pierre-Louis is another guy that played and struggled a lot last year but performed better as the season went forward. His PFF splits for last year are OVR 61.1/PB 79.2/RB 59.1. In a recurring theme, he's been a far better guy in pass pro than run blocking so far. They like him enough to have taken him to the SEC Media Days. Joseph transferred in from Ga Tech, where he played some as a FR.

C: Jake Maikkula SR; Noah Best FR; Caleb Nitta JR

Maikkula's PFF last season reflects that of a plus pass protector and an average run blocker with grades of OVR 68.8/PB 81.1/RB 61.6. He's a senior, so I'm not sure how much better he'll get, but he's already good enough. Best is being worked as a back-up at multiple positions and they like him. If they have to play Nitta, they're in deep shit.

RG: Ryan Fodje SO; Heath Ozaeta JR

Fodje's PFF splits were OVR 54.0/PB 71.1/RB 49.2 and, again, show you that this line performed far better blocking the pass than the run. He was a true freshman, he also came on at the end, and he can play anywhere on the OL. Expect him to emerge as a force this year, provided he can stay healthy. He was hurt multiple times last season. Ozaeta put up similar numbers to Fodje, but he was a redshirt Sophomore. If he's playing, people are hurt and that's not good for the okies.

RT: E'marion Harris SR; Ryan Fodje SO

The sooners think they pulled off a real coups by luring the Pittman-trained Harris over to Norman. His PFF splits would say otherwise - OVR 57.9/PB 66.7/RB 50.8. He played at Arkansas for 4 years and his numbers every year look about like that, so at least he's consistent. Oklahoma, yet again, is going to be extremely vulnerable on the right side of their offense. This guy is a liability.

Overall, the OU offense has plenty of talent but is incredibly thin. They are going to have to walk a tightrope in terms of keeping their QB, WRs, and OL healthy, because the backups are either dogshit or completely inexperienced or both. Their offensive line is below average at run blocking, their RBs are pedestrian, and they're going to have to use Mateer a ton to move the ball in the running game, so good luck keeping him healthy. If OU has good fortune on the health front with their offense, I expect a much better OL and a top 30-ish result. If they're not healthy, that will be the ready-made excuse for Venables to point to as to why they went 7-6 again.

I'll post defense, ST and schedule thoughts to follow, and also link some of the thoughts from their mods.

Wink Martindale bringing longtime NFL assistant with him to Michigan

After serving as Wink Martindale's right-hand man in Baltimore and New York, Kevin Wilkins is now expected to serve the same role at Michigan.

ZACH BARNETT            2 HOURS AGO

With Don "Wink" Martindale now at Michigan, he's bringing at least one assistant with him to Ann Arbor.

Kevin Wilkins will come aboard as a defensive analyst, a similar role he held for Martindale for the past nine seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants.  And it figures that Wilkins will join Martindale at Michigan, considering he was a factor in Wink's departure from New York in the first place.

Back in January, Giants head coach Brian Daboll fired Wilkins and his brother, outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins, as he took stock of the G-Men's disappointing 6-11 campaign. It was reported at the time that Martindale felt the Wilkinses worked for him and not the team, and thus it was outside of Daboll's authority to fire them, causing Martindale to leave New Jersey for Florida out of protest.

Whether that's true or not, it's a matter of fact that Martindale is now at Michigan instead of New York, and Kevin Wilkins is set to join him, according to 247Sports.

Wilkins will serve as connective tissue between Martindale and the Michigan staff, having worked with former Wolverines coordinators Mike Macdonald and Jesse Minter during his time in Baltimore.

Sherrone Moore's first on-field staff as full, with Martindale as a walk-around coordinator, Greg Scruggs coaching the defensive line, Brian Jean-Mary returning as linebackers coach, and LaMar Morgan handling the secondary. In addition to understanding Martindale's vision of the total picture of what the Wolverines' defense is supposed to be, Wilkins also has experience working with linebackers.

• 
• Texas Football @TexasFootball

• 5:00 PM · Sep 7, 2026

aggypedia whoop

Y'all know what to do.

Joel Klatt’s Preseason Top 25 for the 2026

Horns ranked #7

Contest run by Surly poster, BigOrange. I’m posting on his behalf (also see his thread in the Gambling forum):

here we go again...

$50 entry fee, winner take all.

sign up here: https://fantasy.espn.com/free-prize-games/sharer?challengeId=287&from=espn&context=GROUP_INVITE&edition=espn-en&groupId=cd3964d5-0fcd-4370-9af3-a5641c38d834&joinKey=309590ff-e84e-3ed8-9924-4983daf00ebd

password = ousucks

if you don't have my venmo/paypal/cash app, PM me and i'll send you payment info.

Hallelujah, CFB is back (although it’s hot as balls outside).

Go Frogs, Trojans, Cavs, Bison, Hornets, Rainbow Warriors, Rebs, and NMSU Aggies.

With baby Briles gone, I’ll actually root for TCU again. Even though Sonny will always be mediocre.

https://cfbscoreboard.com/ I don’t remember which surlyite put that scoreboard together, but it’s good.

ESPN sources: the Raiders agreed to trade five-time Pro-Bowl DE Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for 2026 and 2027 first-round picks.

Texas fans always give Mizzou a big ole "good riddance" about leaving for the SEC - there seems to be zero love lost and when they come up, most posters say "fuck 'em". Most SEC fans I know went from benign indifference to active hate within a couple of years of them being in the conference. On paper they seem a lot like WVU, but everyone (including me) loves a trip to Morgantown.

What is it about Mizzou that makes everyone hate an otherwise slightly-above-average P5 program?

I'll hang up and listen.

Given that, I decided to start a new thread for the express purpose of tracking 2026 itself for Texas 8&4. I'll post my preseason thoughts here after their spring is finished. In the meantime, I, and hopefully others, can provide updates towards and into the season when there's something new regarding the aggies. Will I be the only person tracking this thread and wind up posting to myself in an echo chamber? Wouldn't be the first time. Still, it's our little brother rival and I get tired of trying to parse signal from noise in other threads when it comes to their team. I haven't visited the "Tell Me About Texas A&M" thread since dipshits started bombing it with unfunny AI slop over a year ago.

Tarp on Aggie247 has started posting his outlook on various positions heading into the spring. I'm going to post those here shortly. He's also posted some articles reviewing the PFF grades for all of their incoming transfers, and I'll post those here shortly as well.

Spoiler alert: while Tarp may not necessarily believe that ATM will be better this upcoming season, his subscriber base absolutely does. This is a group of people more grounded than the Texags audience, but that's like saying Al Queda is more tolerant than ISIS.

Here is ATM's schedule for 2026, considerably tougher than the joke from 2025*:

9/5 - Missouri State

9/12 - Arizona State

9/19 - Kentucky

9/26 - @ LSU

10/3 - Arkansas

10/10 - @ Missouri

10/17 - The Citadel

10/24 - @ Alabama

10/31 - Off

11/7 - @ South Carolina

11/14 - Tennessee

11/21 - @ Oklahoma

11/27 - Texas

*As of 2/5/26, ATM has 6 preseason-ranked teams on their schedule, with 3 at home (ASU, Tenn, Texas) and 3 on the road (LSU, Bama, OU).

Roster:

• 
• ✭ Your Guy Nix ✭ @Your_Guy_Nix

Here is your #DallasCowboys Initial 53 man roster.

• 10:46 PM · Aug 30, 2026

We added Demercado off of waivers, so there will be a roster move to accommodate him.

Schedule:

• 
• SleeperCowboys @SleeperCowboys

DALLAS COWBOYS 2026 SCHEDULE 🤠

• 11:38 PM · May 14, 2026

First up, at the Giants with a QB who spells his name wrong and a functional moron at RB.

LET'S FUCKING GO?

I'd prefer these guys.

Let's do this.

I'm having a hard time finding good pictures from the game, so we'll just skip right to next week's opponent, the top ranked Ohio State Buckeyes:

6:30 on ABC, Saturday night in DKR.

How about them sooners!! 🫣

I'm bringing the family over next month for the Arky game and as we are from Australia I would appreciate any recommendations to do on game day. Including the easiest way to get to and from the stadium (downtown). Is it walkable?

As we will be there for 3 nights, I would also appreciate any must do things in Austin and any awesome places to eat and drink. 🍻

I've had a look at ticket prices, there is currently some lower bowl for around $300. Would you expect this to drop closer to game day?

Cheers for your help, we are so pumped!

Hook em!!

Their fans are obnoxious and odd.  

The state itself sucks

Their rude people make it a shithole

With their coeds, you might as well be at North Siberia State U

Their chili spaghetti is a nasty abomination

Urban Meyer is one more "health scare" from another coaching gig.  

and they burn couches in Columbus

What am I missing?

(Hopefully, I didn't just jinx them into winning the 2018 national championship but I feel I just did, in that case fuck me....)

Eric Nahlin: The Good, the Bad and the Very Encouraging From Texas’ Opener

It was the first game of the year, so clearly there is plenty for Texas to clean up, but on balance, I’m pleased with the effort. Your personality type will ultimately decide how you view this game, but as someone who wants Texas to be good in a hurry, I think they checked a lot of boxes. We’ll start with the negatives first.

A Work in Progress

Everything we thought was a work in progress heading into this game is, in fact, a work in progress. That includes the run game, the pass defense, and team run defense. Each aspect showed positives, but on balance, there’s a lot of work left to be done. Much of the running game was due to individual brilliance from the running backs. It’s clear why Hollywood Smothers is the 1A to Raleek Brown’s 1B. The pass defense allowed too much space, but I need a re-watch to see what’s going on there. Sometimes it’s as simple as space between the linebackers and secondary.

It looked like Bo Mascoe got beat on one rep. It wasn’t terrible, and this is a good passing offense, just a little “off” at times. The run defense was inconsistent—good on some downs, a little too lax on others. Again, I need a re-watch. Some blame certainly falls on the linebackers or perhaps even the safeties. The D-line might have got caught in a stunt a time or two.

Arch Manning

I loved what I saw from him, other than the interception, and a rushed throw to Jermaine Bishop. That wouldn’t have happened if Ryan Wingo could have made a very difficult catch. I’m not calling that one a drop, though. Argue with your mama. Oh, another bad play was him taking a sack on 1st and 1. He did well to extend the play and had all day to get rid of the ball but didn’t. That stuff can’t happen next weekend. Overall, a good day. He put his receivers in position to make plays, and they rewarded him. This is an entirely different wide receiver group than last year.

Ryan Wingo

Couldn’t be happier for the guy. Whatever he becomes this year, it will not be a complete 180 from last year. He was perhaps the second-best player on offense in 2025, and the season would have truly been sunk without him. If he can clean up the bad drops, like he did today, he’s a first-round draft pick. 7 for 121 and 1. Some of these were good, sure-handed catches. He had one acrobatic play with full extension. He wasn’t just relying on being the YAC Monsta. Most wanted to see Cam Coleman, and that was cool, but I was more excited to see Wingo because of his ability to kick this offense into hyper-gear.

Forcing Turnovers

This is something else that checked out from camp reports: The defense did a great job of forcing turnovers. Two forced fumbles and an interception will help make up for leaky yardage and busts. Speaking of which, this is a Coach Boom-or-Bust defense right now. It’ll tighten up over time, but there isn’t much time.

(Gerald Goodridge) No. 5 Texas 59, Texas State 7: Three things we learned

The No. 5 Texas Longhorns came into the day a 29.5-point favorite against the Texas State Bobcats and somehow managed to clear that, putting them away 59-7. These are the kinds of openers that coaches tend to like against overmatched opponents, making the win look easy while also putting plenty on tape to coach.

The passing game has room to grow

It’s wild to say this in a game where Arch Manning completed 74% of his passes and left the game with 6:03 in the third quarter after back-to-back TD drives to open the half, but there were some wrinkles in the passing game. He forced a pass into triple coverage at the end of the first half for his lone interception of the day, and Coleman’s second touchdown was into a tight window that a better safety may have taken the other way. It’s not just on the quarterback, but the play prior to Manning’s first. touchdown was a high pass that Ryan Wingo could have brought down in the end zone. Manning also targeted Emmet Mosley, V seven times, but only connected with him three times for 37 yards. They will need to be at the top of their game next week when Ohio State comes to town.

Texas has the potential to have a legit ground game

Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown were big additions in the offseason for the Longhorns, and both looked the part against the Texas State defense. Each running back had explosive runs on the day, with Smothers starting his day with a 45-yard scamper, while Brown had touchdown runs of 13 and 21 yards in the contest. It wasn’t perfect on the day, with Texas State bowing up late as the Texas line seemed to back down a bit in the second half, but having two rushes longer than 20 yards in game one a year after they had just 12 in the whole season feels like a step in the right direction.

Muschamp’s defense will be opportunistic

There will be plenty of coachable tape for the Longhorns’ defense, but the Longhorns created havoc at every turn. Transfer linebacker Rasheem Biles, perhaps the most emblematic of it, had a forced fumble and an out-of-nowhere interception, on top of his five tackles and a tackle for loss. Marad Watson added a strip sack, while Alex January batted down a pass on fourth down to end a once-promising drive by Texas State. Even against a quarterback who rushed for more than 700 yards a year ago, they managed two sacks before GJ Kinne made the decision to pull him in the third quarter, putting the Texas State defense behind the chains. They finished the game with eight tackles for loss and harassed both quarterbacks throughout the contest.

Dane Brugler: Is Arch Manning ready for Ohio State? Texas QB sharp in big win over Texas State

Texas quarterback Arch Manning matched a career high with four touchdown passes in a dominant 59-7 win over Texas State on Saturday in what served as a stress-free tuneup for the Longhorns’ Week 2 showdown with Ohio State. Manning was sharp for the majority of the day, completing 20 of 27 pass attempts for 305 yards with one interception. He left the game midway through the third quarter with Texas leading Texas State 42-7. The No. 5 Longhorns, who introduced a slew of high-impact transfers, had few issues with the overmatched Bobcats.

Former Auburn receiver Cam Coleman, the No. 1 player in the transfer portal this offseason, caught Manning’s first touchdown pass, an easy 6-yard toss to a wide-open Coleman in the corner of the end zone. Manning didn’t have to shoulder a ton of the load thanks to a strong running game, powered by transfer running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, who combined for 143 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. The Texas defense also chipped in with three takeaways, one of which was a 59-yard fumble return by defensive back Graceson Littleton to give Texas a 28-0 second-quarter lead.

• 
• ESPN College Football @ESPNCFB

Arch Manning and Cam Coleman link up again for the TD 🔥

• 9:29 PM · Sep 5, 2026

It marked a much better start to the season than Manning’s 2025 debut, when he struggled in a road loss to Ohio State and looked inconsistent throughout September. Manning was much more efficient and showed improved accuracy, particularly in the short and intermediate range, areas that were an issue at times last season. Manning went 16-for-22 passing for 179 yards on throws inside of 15 yards and completed 4 of 5 attempts for 126 yards on throws beyond 15 yards.

His lone interception came late in the first half. Manning forced a ball into coverage, and it was picked off by Texas State safety Ryan Nolan on third-and-11 with 11 seconds left in the second quarter. But he rebounded on his next opportunity, leading a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive to start the third quarter, capped by a 20-yard touchdown pass to Coleman. Manning looked Nolan off long enough to create a throwing window and hit Coleman despite getting hit just as he threw.

Ryan Wingo led all receivers with seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. The true test for Manning comes next week, when the No. 1 Buckeyes roll into town. Ohio State rolled to a 56-3 home win over Ball State on Saturday. The Buckeyes won a defensive struggle over the Longhorns 14-7 last year in Columbus.

A scout’s take

Though next week’s showdown against Ohio State will mean exponentially more to his NFL evaluation, it was still important for Manning to start the 2026 campaign on the right foot. He appeared to pick up where he left off last season, showing his trademark poise and toughness, and he made several key throws that resulted in big plays. Manning also didn’t take long to lean on the upgraded talent around him, including his pair of touchdown tosses to Coleman, who joined Manning as a top-five prospect on my preseason draft board.

It wasn’t a perfect outing — before halftime, Manning didn’t account for the backside safety on a stick-nod concept, resulting in a red zone interception. But it was a minor blip in an otherwise sterling outing, a week before NFL scouts (and the Buckeyes) descend upon Austin. — Dane Brugler

• 
• Evan Vieth @EvanVieth

Very efficient day for the Texas offense.

Run game has to improve down-to-down against Ohio State, but Manning and Sark found their rhythm.

New skill talent is impressive.

• 10:35 PM · Sep 5, 2026

• 
• Texas Football @TexasFootball

What a way to start the season🤘

• 10:41 PM · Sep 5, 2026

We all know for Texas fans, this is a massive year, but there's a strong group of contenders at the top. Will the SEC finally reclaim the throne? Will Notre Dame abuse a schedule of altar boys on the way to a title? Or will the Big Ten cement itself as the modern dominant power of college football?

Thursday

UMass @ Rutgers: 6 ET/5 CT (BTN): The powers that be know the only way anyone will watch Greg Schiano Rutgers Football in front of a sparse bunch of Northeastern NFL fans is by presenting it all alone at our most football-parched moment.

Akron @ Wake Forest: 7 ET/6 CT (ACCN): Wake Forest had a surprisingly excellent first year under head coach Jake Dickert (turns out Mateer and Arbuckle weren't the only story at Washington State) including a Mayo Bowl victory over Miss State, so naturally their roster got pillaged (thanks for Siani and Berkhalter, Deacs). Has Dickert effectively reloaded in Winston-Salem? Former UNC QB Gio Lopez will lead them out.

Colorado @ Georgia Tech: 8 ET/7 CT (ESPN): For the second straight year, Colorado's noodle armed offseason videos have been the talk of college football as it's unclear if their weight coach is doing anything besides giving incredibly cringe speeches.

Idaho @ #21 Utah: 9 ET/8 CT (ESPNU): A ranked team! Former Texas DC target Morgan Scalley takes over from Kyle Whittingham in Salt Lake City. He'll be up against the Big Sky Conference Mascot of the Year.

• 
• Big Sky Conference @BigSkyConf

DEFENDED HIS CROWN 👑 ✌️

Joe Vandal is your 2026 Big Sky Mascot Champion

• 6:08 PM · Aug 27, 2026

Friday

Indiana State @ Purdue: 7 ET/6 CT (BTN): We've found something worse than Rutgers. That said, Indiana State might win, Purdue is so bad.

UTEP @ #10 Oklahoma: 8 ET/7 CT (SECN+): OU is going to roll, but we can see how that offense looks to a degree.

Toledo @ Michigan State: 8 ET/7 CT (FS1): When you get tired of OU winning, this should be a better game. Toledo is a perennial MAC power and Pat Fitzgerald is an incredibly uninspired hire for Sparty.

#7 Miami @ Stanford: 9 ET/8 CT (ESPN): The first title contender up gets a relaxing walkthrough for Darian Mensah to work out the kinks in Palo Alto. The platonic ideal of the modern optimized OOC P4 game. EDIT: Oh right, Stanford is in the Atlantic Coast Conference. College football conference affiliation is performance art.

Saturday

Early Games

East Carolina @ #13 Alabama: 12 ET/11 CT (ABC): No Quarter heads to Roll Tide in probably the best of a weak noon slate. How will Keelon Russell look?

North Texas @ #6 Indiana: 12 ET/11 CT (FOX): Cignetti's reign of terror against the dregs of college football continues. Does UNT even have a roster anymore after Morris took the whole gang to Stillwater?

Liberty @ James Madison: 12 ET/11 CT (ESPNU): If you want a break from P5 teams going belt-to-ass against G5 cannon fodder, we'll see if JMU under Billy Napier can handle the megachurch diploma mill from down the Shenandoah Valley. Nice region to go to college:

Afternoon Games

Boise State @ #2 Oregon: 3:30 ET/2:30 CT (CBS): Oregon is Big 10 Texas this year - incredibly talented, incredibly difficult schedule. Boise received a whole lot of ranking votes and should be competitive for the G5 Playoff slot, but this deep, experienced Oregon team should be too much for them in Autzen.

Texas State @ #5 Texas: 3:30 ET/2:30 CT (ESPN): We all know what we're watching. We should name our score, and we'll all panic about the four or five first game rusty plays, GJ Kinne should have a fun offensive play or two lined up that gets our aggressive defenders to bite.

Baylor vs. Auburn @ Atlanta: 3:30 ET/2:30 CT (ESPN): Aranda is on one of the hottest seats in college football, and DJ Lagway has a lot to prove. Alex Golesh looks like a good hire for Auburn, and this should be a fun test for him right out the gate. Fun fact, Golesh was born in Moscow - is he our first Muscovite SEC head coach?

https://www.facebook.com/AuburnTigersfootball.alcom/videos/exclusive-auburn-head-coach-alex-golesh-shares-his-journey-from-russia-to-the-pl/1603488774559399/

Tulane @ Duke: 3:30 ET/2:30 CT (ACCN): What was once the Darian Mensah Bowl is now just a decent G5 vs P5 game in Durham. And hey, Duke is the defending ACC Football Champion! That's still a weird thought!

Oklahoma State @ Tulsa: 3:45 ET/2:45 CT (ESPNU): Speaking of that missing UNT roster, here they are! Drew Mestemaker and the Pokes head to the smallest school in the FBS. Turning a Golden Hurricane into a sideline mascot has been a recurring struggle.

Wyoming @ Colorado State: 6 ET/5 CT (USA): Bless the offset time slot games for filling in a potential dead zone without football pumped directly into our brains. Weird that this is an OOC game now.

Primetime Games

Missouri State @ #8 Texas A&M: 7 ET/6 CT (ESPN): So. Much. Maroon. Much like UTEP - OU on Friday, we're here to see if there are any obvious chinks in the armor of our rivals.

Clemson @ #11 LSU: 7:30 ET/6:30 CT (ESPN): I think this is Dabo's last year at Clemson, and he hasn't won a season opener in years. I don't think that changes here, even if LSU's ranking is coasting more on Lane's reputation and the Bayou Bengals' historic excellence in the absence of a particularly scary roster. I actually really like the Clemson fans I've met, but I'm thrilled to see their clip art-ass logo falling out of the rankings.

Western Michigan @ #16 Michigan: 7:30 ET/6:30 CT (NBC): After a nightmare offseason, it's time for Kyle Whittingham Michigan Football. Will Bryce Underwood and Savion Hiter live up to the hype? I hope not!

Florida Atlantic @ Florida: 7:45 ET/6:45 CT (SECN): Another thin timeslot, sadly, but a nice time to check in on Jon Sumrall.

UCLA @ California: 10:30 ET/9:30 CT (ESPN): RIP Pac-12 After Dark. A battle in Berkeley of two intriguing coaching hires that have started off brightly on the recruiting front. Are the California public flagships waking up to the joy of football?

Sunday

Washington State @ #17 Washington: 4 ET/3 CT (NBC): Apple Cup! This one's going to be Purple downpour on the banks of Puget Sound. At least the Wazzu fans will a) be blackout drunk and b) have a lovely view.

#24 Louisville vs. #9 Ole Miss @ Nashville: 7:30 ET/6:30 CT (ESPN): An intriguing coaching matchup, though I hate these neutral site games - imagine these two fanbases drinking bourbon together in the Grove. I cannot figure out Brian Brohm, who seems like a smart, effective head coach 4/5 of the time, and then loses absolutely hilarious games. Pete Golding I can figure out, he's an overpromoted career DC who has more talent than he'll know what to do with on this roster and then will fade away into obscurity.

Wisconsin vs #4 Notre Dame @ Green Bay: 7:30 ET/6:30 CT (NBC): The Wisconsin brass has very publicly backed Fickell for ....reasons? Notre Dame is going to roll them, they aren't that good (CTRL-C, CTRL-V for Notre Dame's whole season).

Monday

#19 Southern Methodist @ Florida State: 7:30 ET/6:30 CT (ESPN): Florida State is pure ass, Littrell's boys should trample them in Doak, and the FSU fans might cheer them on.

Football's back! Enjoy it fellas!

Best-

They really should go back to those

and in the WTF were they thinking? 

I guess they could actually have 7 players and no coach or no contributor but that just moved backlog to a different line. There is huge backlog of coaches besides Bill

1. Was Texas/Arkansas as big of a rivalry as Texas/OU back in the day?

2. Is Fayatteville really a big shithole?

3. Why did they leave the SWC before it disbanded?

UTRGV is targeting the 2023 season to begin a program, but has committed to begin the program by 2024. The news comes on the same day that the Western Athletic Conference is expected to announce the return of football. 

The creation of a football program has long been rumored in the football-crazed Rio Grande Valley with studies being done to estimate cost. However, the university had not committed to investing in a Division I football program until the WAC opted to bring back football. 

UTRGV will join as a member of the WAC, where the Vaqueros currently participate in all other sports. Other Texas schools joining the WAC as football members include Lamar, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State, Abilene Christian and Tarleton. The former Southland Conference schools will join the conference on July 1, 2021, in time for the Fall 2021 football season. 

The WAC will split its 13 teams into two divisions with a Southwest Division centered in Texas. The league plans to find at least one more football-playing member, likely in Texas. 

The WAC is holding a press conference on Thursday to officially announce the new additions. 

Should enhance what will already be an electrifying game day atmosphere. 

Aggy will be pissed. 

Good.

SWTS Teachers College: 24

This year assuming there is no home playoff or bowl game I will have spent 145,000+ dollars on in person community related events excluding the sugar bowl (320k+ including sugar bowl) 

We will have around a 7-12k loss (depending on if you count reusable equipment or not) on the 145k this year and if you include the sugar bowl it's the same because I gave ALL the profit to Texas One Fund ($100k+ from a single day event raised) 

Next season is going to be very heavy away demand and still a great snowball building of home game demand. It's important to distinguish this from off campus tailgates - we are literally 30 seconds from LCL and less than 300 seconds from the stadium gates. 

I'm going to need ~225k raised in order to really do it right and justify the time investment and pay someone to actually run the events side and just host/provide vision.

Out of that 225k we will have a gate - all home games based on feedback from this year will be $25 per person per game for members of Treefiddy, Burnt Ends, OnTexasFootball, or Texas One Fund. For non members normal home games will be $40 and high demand home games (like  Georgia this year) will be $65. I can also offer a premium experience with guaranteed seating and climate control for $250/game for the home games or 1350 for the season per person. 

Away games will be all inclusive only, with optional alcohol or not. Food and NA will be $85 per adult, $45 per minor and $20 per child. Full on will be $165 per adult. Premium will start at $300 per person including children and will have special perks when available. 

I want to do this outside of the Surly corporate entity and investors will receive shares equivalent to the amount contributed and all revenue will be distributed monthly during the season so that its all done before 12/31 for tax purposes. All profits will be distributed or rolled over into the next years "investment pool".

I'm doing this because I'm tired of carrying this risk solo and I need to open this up to continue even without my involvement. 

Right now we average 175-225 people per tailgate at home and have sold out every single ticketed event we have ever done (Georgia 400+, Michigan 750+), including over 2500 sold for the sugar bowl. We have a loyal returning population of over 500 for home games and an email distribution for all of those persons that we only promote these events and nothing else to. 

We have a live production at every tailgate as well and each one both home and away also includes a watch party for those who don't have tickets. There are additional broadcast and licensing opportunities here that are under-leveraged as well. 

There are significant merchandising opportunities that have gone pretty much untouched because I couldn't juggle that many balls. The sugar bowl where we had an official merch booth they netted over 45k in sales in a single day. I'm confident at Georgia with an average purchase of $25 we would have been able to sell upwards of 10k+ in merch. 

This isn't gonna be a big money maker for anyone involved, but that's not the point and hasn't been the motivation up to this point. We have built something special. A low cost fan and community experience that is football centric and NIL friendly with an approachable every fan is welcome vibe in an environment filled with bullshit and grift where it's more about being seen than it is about getting juiced for the game and celebrating with horns of all sizes shapes colors and ages. 

I can't promise breakeven, but I can promise minimal losses post distribution. Surly (me personally) will obviously be a significant contributor and shareholder.

Let's start the conversation and set the expectation here and I'm happy to take the discussion private for those interested in doing this. 

If we don't do this I'm quite frankly just done with Tailgate. I'm completely tapped out on the stress it brings financially and operationally if we don't figure out a different way forward that isn't 100% dependent on me. 

WR - Jesse Legree #12 Oregon St Freshman

he looked slick today. nfl slot guy potential here. smaller wr, possession guy

5 catches / 136 / 1 td

11 am games firing up

I’ll take a punishing victory on a system school as a bit of a salve.

Ehem...

cracks knuckles

TEXAS