Texas
Should Texas Football stop scheduling elite non-conference opponents?
There are two main theories in scheduling non-conference games. You test your mettle against one of the elite programs in America or you keep it as easy as possible. Texas Football’s philosophy for years has been to schedule at least one elite program a year. But will that cost them a spot in the CFP this season?
This year, Texas faced Ohio State in Week 1 of the regular season. Texas lost that game 14-7. The Longhorns will face the Buckeyes again next year and Michigan in 2027. Then UT will start a home-and-home Notre Dame in 2028.
For years, UT has been considered a model for college football scheduling. The Texas Athletic Department cooks up a good mix of smaller to medium size FBS teams with at least one huge marquee matchup with another college football power. Texas doesn’t play FCS (formerly I-AA) teams.
In the past, the Longhorns have played USC, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Alabama. Texas had scheduled Florida and Georgia in the future, but those were canceled after the Longhorns joined the SEC.
But this season it may have cost them. Where would Texas be ranked if they were 8-2 instead of 7-3? There are seven teams with 8-2 records ahead of Texas in the latest CFP rankings. One of those, Oklahoma, Texas has beaten.
The CFP committee seems to waffle on strength of schedule. Much of that is the make up of college football right now. You have two big conferences that play a tough opponent almost every week.
“But by the end of the season, we’ll play, of our 12 regular season opponents, five of those teams will be Top 10 teams when we played them. So nearly half our schedule.” – Texas coach Steve Sarkisian
Then you have the other conferences advocating for the committee to look primarily at record because there’s no way their strength of schedule holds up. How to you balance the two?
Most teams are giving up on scheduling elite opponents. In fact, almost the majority schedule at least one game with a teams from the FCS (formerly Division I-AA). That is something Texas doesn’t do. UT has played one FCS opponent in the past and that was as a replacement.
But if you look at some of the opponents in just the SEC this week you’ll see Samford against the Aggies, Charlotte at Georgia, Eastern Illinois at Alabama, Mercer at Auburn.
A few programs schedule in a similar way to Texas, like Michigan and Ohio State. But in a world where making the CFP is the minimum expectation for the Longhorns, there should be discussions in the University of Texas athletic office about whether it is the smartest way to build a schedule.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate state emergency response resources as a massive storm system threatens much of the state with hurricane-force winds, giant hail, and the risk of tornadoes.
Severe weather in Texas
The severe weather, expected to last through Monday morning, covers a vast footprint including West, North, East, Central, and South-Central Texas. Forecasters warned the system could produce wind gusts exceeding 75 mph and hail larger than 2 inches in diameter.
What they’re saying:
“Texas is prepared to confront the severe storms that pose a threat to communities all across our state,” Abbott said in a statement. He urged Texans to monitor local forecasts and warned motorists never to drive through flooded roadways, invoking the phrase, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
Heavy rainfall is expected to be widespread, with some areas potentially seeing isolated totals of 3 to 6 inches, which could lead to significant flash flooding. As the system progresses, the threat is expected to shift toward the South and Southeast Texas coasts.
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In preparation, the governor has deployed a wide array of state assets to assist local officials, including:
- Search and Rescue: Swiftwater and floodwater rescue boat squads and urban search and rescue teams from Texas A&M Task Forces 1, 2, and 3.
- Aviation and Marine Support: Helicopters with hoist capabilities from the Department of Public Safety and Texas Parks and Wildlife, as well as Tactical Marine Units.
- Infrastructure and Recovery: Texas Forest Service saw crews to clear debris from roads and Department of Transportation personnel to monitor highway conditions.
- Medical and Utility Support: Emergency medical task forces with ambulances and all-terrain vehicles, along with monitors from the Public Utility Commission to coordinate power outage responses.
State agencies are also monitoring the state’s natural gas supply and water quality as the storms move through.
Officials encouraged residents to assemble emergency kits and check road conditions at DriveTexas.org before attempting to travel.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Governor Greg Abbott Press Office.
Saturday started out a bit warm and sticky outside in North Texas, but there will be plenty of sunshine in the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 80s. Most of the area will stay dry today, but there is a chance for an isolated storm that could reach severe criteria late tonight for counties to the northwest of the metroplex.
Make sure you have an indoor plan for Mother’s Day celebrations tomorrow! Sunday morning will start warm, muggy, and dry for most with the exception of an isolated storm possible along the Red River.
A First Alert Weather Day is in place on Sunday due to a front that will swing across North Texas in the late afternoon through the evening. All modes of severe weather will be likely, but the main threat includes a significant risk of hail up to 2 inches in diameter and winds up to category 1 hurricane strength.
Once the front moves through, cooler temperatures will settle into the forecast on Monday. However, the cool down won’t last long. A warming trend returns and temperatures climb into the 90’s once again at the end of the next week. Stay tuned!
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