Synchronize Your Watches

By Larry Carlson  Https://texaslsn.org

With the college football countdown under 80 days, the SEC and UT have announced gametimes or “ballpark” estimates for the Longhorns’ entire schedule.

Previously it had been announced that the Texas-OU game is set for 2:30.  I’ll call that a huge upgrade from the 11 o’clock kickoffs that have lately been the norm.

The big rivalry game was almost always played at 2:30 during the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.

To this writer, morning football never matched the State Fair atmosphere.  Following a rowdy Friday night and/or travel, give everybody time to sleep an extra hour and then queue up for corny dogs at a decent hour before being herded into the stadium.

Big news today was that UT’s home game with Georgia and the resumption of the Texas-Texas A&M game (in College Station this year) are both penciled in for “flex” time, meaning both games will be later finalized for kickoff times between 2:30 and 7:00 CT. Those are the marquee time windows for big games here in the South.

The Longhorns’ visit to Michigan had already been carved in stone for noon in “The Big House,”  the traditional “big game” start in Big Ten country.  Lots of bigs.  That means an 11 am viewing time for Longhorn fans back home not fortunate enough to snag a ticket that’s tougher to catch than a Taylor Swift front row seat.

Texas won’t have a brutally hot morning kickoff for any home games at DKR-TMM.

The Horns will host Florida at 11 but that game is in November which should bring more temperate weather to Austin.  The bad news on the heatwave front has already been circulated, and that’s the 2:30 start time for the season opener with Colorado State on August 31.  The forecast calls for pain.  And ample amounts of water and sunscreen.

Texas caught at least a mild break, in my opinion, by getting an 11:00 liftoff at Arkansas on Nov. 16.  For Longhorn teams and fans, nothing about a game in Fayetteville is hospitable.  But you don’t want the Hog-hatted crowd to get a full day of liquoring up on white lightning before a night kickoff.  Steve Sarkisian, the Horns and their faithful followers learned that a few years back.  On the other hand, I’ve covered Texas-Arkansas games up there with morning start times in mid-October and had to scrape thin ice off the car windshield.  This one is set a month later.  The odds are good that it’s going to be chilly at any time of day just before Thanksgiving.  But a mid-day game also allows for potentially perfect autumn football weather.

Rounding out the Horns’ game times, home matchups against UTSA and UL-Monroe are set for 6 pm and 7 pm, respectively.  Mississippi State at home and Vandy on the road will both be afternoon games, most likely teed up for 2:30.  UT’s trip to Kentucky has the flex option for a start between 2:30 and 7 pm.