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Should Texas Football stop scheduling elite non-conference opponents?

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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.

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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.

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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.



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Fans erupt as U.S. wins in World Cup and North Texas builds buzz

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Fans erupt as U.S. wins in World Cup and North Texas builds buzz


Watch parties erupted nationwide after today’s win, including a packed crowd at Texas Live celebrating the team’s move to the knockout stage. North Texas is already buzzing ahead of World Cup matches returning Monday, with fans gathering in Sundance Square to watch a key Group D matchup that could help decide whether the United States wins the group. The U.S. leads with six points after a 2–0 victory earned without its star forward.



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New screwworm portal aims to protect Texas livestock, wildlife and rural economy

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New screwworm portal aims to protect Texas livestock, wildlife and rural economy


AUSTIN – Texas officials are rolling out a new online hub aimed at helping residents spot and report the New World screwworm, a pest Gov. Greg Abbott says threatens livestock, wildlife, and the state’s rural economy.

Abbott announced the launch of screwworm.texas.gov, an enhanced website housed in the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s Disaster Portal that he described as a “one-stop shop” for information and resources tied to the state’s response.

The New World screwworm poses a direct threat to Texas livestock, wildlife, and our rural economy,” Abbott said. “This new website puts essential tools in the hands of our producers, veterinarians, and families. Screwworm.texas.gov delivers the facts, maps, identification methods, and certification resources Texans need to detect problems early and report cases without delay. Now every Texan has the information to act. Texas will protect our land, our animals, and our way of life from this pest.

According to the governor’s office, the site is designed to provide “actionable and reliable multimedia information” about the New World screwworm, including fact sheets, videos, and educational materials.

The portal includes background information, guidance on how to spot the pest, sample collection procedures, Texas Animal Health Commission New World screwworm zone maps, the U.S. Department of Agriculture case dashboard, links to best practices for livestock and wildlife, and details on registering for a new no-cost New World screwworm Certified Inspector Training.

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The governor’s office said state and federal partners are working together to detect, control and contain the spread, and that expanding public outreach and providing clear information is a key part of reducing risk.

Abbott’s office also highlighted actions taken by the governor in response to the pest, including:

  • Directing the creation of a joint Texas New World screwworm Response Team
  • Joining USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to announce a $750 million investment in a new sterile fly production facility in Edinburg
  • Issuing a statewide disaster declaration ahead of the first detection
  • Deploying state resources and activating the State Emergency Operations Center after the first confirmed Texas cases
  • Visiting the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville for a briefing
  • Launching a free online training course to certify more inspectors
  • Announcing federal funding to strengthen inspection capacity.

Texans are urged to inspect livestock and pets for wounds and report suspected cases immediately, including in wildlife.

For livestock and pets, suspected cases should be reported to the Texas Animal Health Commission’s 24-hour veterinarian call line at 1-800-550-8242.

For wildlife, reports should be made to Texas Parks and Wildlife’s 24-hour biologists’ call line at 512-389-4505. Officials also warn people not to move affected animals.

More information and updates are available at screwworm.texas.gov and screwworm.gov.

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Flu sickens some 160 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas

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Flu sickens some 160 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas


More than 150 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas have been infected with influenza over the past three weeks — a major outbreak less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said American troops would no longer be required to be vaccinated against the flu.



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