Tomorrow night at 7:00 pm central, the Bulldogs take on the #10 Texas Longhorns in Darrell K Royal Stadium. Before the Dogs make their season debut, you need to know a few things. That’s where we come in!
How to Watch
This game is on the Longhorn Network, aka the Texas Thinks It’s More Important Than Everyone Else Channel. It’s available on some high level cable packages through U-Verse, Directv, and Charter. But you should also be able to get it with a 7-day trial subscription to PlayStation Vue. When you sign up, you have to do “core” or better, and you also have to add the Sports Pack from the “stand-alone channels” page. Then, and only then, will you achieve true enlightenment get to watch the game.
Other People’s Predictions
- ESPN FPI: Tech has a 9.3% chance to win
- Massey: Texas wins, 35-10
- Vegas (OddsShark): Texas by 20.5
- SP+: Texas wins, 36-21
- BleedTechBlue: Texas wins, 41-24
- NCAA 14 Simulation: Texas wins 16-14
What to Watch For
Evan: Since this is the first game of the season, you’re probably expecting me to talk about big picture stuff. You know, maybe how we’re replacing the entire front seven defensively? How we lost the best pass rusher in the history of college football? How our new Defensive Coordinator’s system will look? How Big Game J’Mar™ looks?
Sure all of those things would be fine to pay particularly close attention to… But the main thing you should watch for tomorrow night is one specific match up: Amik Robertson vs. Collin Johnson.
Sam Ehlinger’s #2 target from last year (Lil’Jordan Humphrey declared for the draft and got out of town), the 6’6″ Johnson looks to be the main target in Austin this season. The Longhorns lost 47% of their passing game production to graduation or the draft, so Johnson has a huge opportunity to become “the guy.” In 2018, he caught 68 passes for 985 yards and 7 TDs. He’ll look to start out the season with a bang against Tech.
Add to the mix that Texas has literally ONE healthy Running Back, and you’ve got a recipe for a healthy dose of Johnson (don’t google that).
There’s just one thing that stands in his way: Amik Robertson. The Junior DB returns to the Bulldogs after recording 12 PBUs, 4 INTs, and 61 tackles in 2018. He was named to first team all CUSA, following up his freshman All-American campaign in 2017. He’s a lock down corner that performs well under the biggest lights.
Look for Bob Diaco to shadow Johnson with Amik in an attempt to force Ehlinger away from his favorite target. Texas is reportedly entertaining the idea of working Johnson into the slot, where Amik probably wouldn’t cover him, so keep an eye out for that as well.
But for the most part, Johnson vs. Amik will be a fun matchup to watch!
Hot Taeks
Evan: Texas’ll barely beat us, but then they’ll beat the pants off LSU next week.
Nathan: I don’t think any take I could think of would be hotter than my prediction that Tech beats Texas.
Matt: Austin is just a shittier version of Kansas City and I will hear no arguments against this.
Josh: 50% of all Tech alumni at the game will be wearing burnt orange.
Jeremy: J’Mar and Ehlinger will have roughly the same stat line: 3+ TDs passing each, and 1 TD rushing each.
Daniel S: Tech wins 2-0.
Some random Texas fan:
https://twitter.com/BBB19812/status/1166450257070366721
Interesting Tidbit
Evan: We all know that Texas’s mascot is Bevo the big ol Cow, right?
Well, it hasn’t always been that way. Texas’s first mascot was actually a pit-bulldog (yep, that’s right, bulldog).
In 1914, UT Athletic Director Theo Bellmont brought his pup to work with him. Students, staff, squirrels, and athletes took a liking to him. Soon, the pup was standing on the sidelines at Texas football games.
During one game, he stood next to Gus “Pig” Dittmar, who was so nicknamed because he would “slip through the defensive line like a greased pig” (Texas, amirite?). Turns out Pig and the dog both stood a little bowlegged, so the students named the dog “Pig,” as well.
It was also said that Pig (the dog, presumably) would snarl and growl at any mention of Texas A&M.
Pig served faithfully as Texas’s mascot for 9 years, until he was hit by a Model T and later succumbed to his injuries. The students held a funeral for the Very Good Boy, where he was eulogized with a paraphrased Lord Byron poem:
“I do not know if there is a haven of rest to which good dogs go, but I know Pig will take his place by the side of the great dogs of the earth.”
I think I speak for everyone when I say that real Texas fans should remember Pig and cheer for the Bulldogs tomorrow night.
[check out this piece on Pig for more]
Final Predictions
Evan: I’ve tried, tried again, and even tried a third time to convince myself that Tech will win this game. The recipe is all there: Texas loses a lot of production on both sides of the ball. Tech has some stellar skill position guys that can be game breakers. We should be able to move the ball and have some big plays offensively, and Texas should be one-dimensional because they have ONE RB, and our defensive should be better against the pass than the run. Buuuuuuuuuut I just can’t do it. My heart’s been broken too many times, Tech. I still love you, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
Texas wins, 31-27
Nathan: It’s very easy to see how Tech loses this game. Texas is a college football blue blood ranked #10 in the AP poll. It would make sense that Texas is favored by 21+.
But I don’t think Texas is that good.
They’re a solid team, but not Top 10 good.
If both teams were 100% healthy and playing midway through the season, Texas wins easily. But they aren’t.
The Longhorns only have two RBs healthy enough to play, but both of those are recovering from their own injuries. And they replace 8 starters on defense. Tech also has some replacements to make, but is it so crazy to think with so many unknowns for both teams, Tech might actually pull this off?
Well then call me crazy.
Tech wins 35-21
Matt: I don’t know enough to make an informed guess as to what the final score will be, but I don’t see Tech finishing the game with more than 10 points and Texas with less than 42. So yeah, I guess you could say they beat the spread.
Texas wins, 42-10
Jeremy: In my dreams, this game turns into a shootout and J’Mar outduels Sam Ehlinger. Amik ices the game late in the fourth with a pick six to seal it up.
Tech wins, 42-41
Josh: It turns out to be a defensive struggle and neither team gets it going on offense. Both team’s kickers miss a FG each.
Texas wins, 16-13
Daniel S: Texas’s O-Line struggles at first so they can’t get anything done on the ground or through the air early. Tech will lead at halftime 14-3, just enough to give us hope. But Texas turns it around in the second half and has an amazing third quarter.
Texas wins, 30-24