“College GameDay” brought its Week 2 show to Austin on Saturday for the No. 1 Ohio State-No. 4 Texas matchup, and the fans did what they always do: they turned the crowd into part of the spectacle with signs.
Not every sign deserves a victory lap, and nobody was about to lose sleep over the whole collection. But a few of them stood out enough to earn some attention, even with most of the noise in the background coming from fans booing Ted Cruz as he pushed the Protect College Sports act.
One of the more eye-catching signs leaned into Austin’s own Glen Powell being on hand as the guest picker. That sparked a Chad Powers reference, with one fan declaring the fictional character the backup quarterback for Texas. At this point in the season, though, even a made-up name isn’t pushing Arch Manning aside.
Another sign that drew plenty of looks took a shot at Ohio State coach Ryan Day by suggesting he puts ketchup on his brisket. In Texas, that’s the kind of thing that borders on barbecue heresy.
There was also a bigger question hanging over some of the more polished signs: whether they were actually handcrafted or cooked up with editing software, maybe even generated entirely. That runs against the whole point of the tradition.
College GameDay signs are supposed to feel homemade, or at the very least assembled by hand before a trip to the print shop. The whole charm is in the effort.
That’s why the hand-drawn Bluey sign landed so well. It had the simple, homemade feel that makes the best GameDay signs work. That’s the good stuff right there.
In Other News...
Texas-Ohio State Is Already Creating An Austin Frenzy
The buzz around Texas trip to Ohio State is already spilling far beyond the field, with ticket prices turning the matchup into a hot topic in Austin before kickoff even arrives. Seats in the upper deck are starting around $480, and the cost climbs into the thousands closer to the action, putting this one out of reach for plenty of Longhorns students who had hoped to be in the building.
Still, the game is shaping up to be a major moment for the city as much as for the team. Local business owners and economic experts are expecting a wave of visitors to bring a noticeable boost to Austin, adding another layer to a matchup that is already carrying plenty of weight for Texas fans trying to take it all in, even if they have to do so from afar. [Read more 🡒]
Urban Meyer Sees Ohio State Texas Coming Down To One Big Play
Urban Meyer is treating the Ohio State-Texas showdown like the kind of early-season heavyweight fight that can swing on a single moment. After both teams rolled through their openers against overmatched opponents, the former Buckeyes coach pointed to the quarterbacks as the obvious center of gravity, with Julian Sayin and Arch Manning carrying most of the pressure in a game that figures to be tight for a long stretch.
Texas does get the home-field edge, and Meyer acknowledged that as part of what makes this such a tricky road test for Ohio State. Still, he called for the Buckeyes to pull it out, which only adds another layer to a matchup already loaded with intrigue. For a Longhorns team trying to measure itself against one of the sports standard-bearers, the margin for error may be as slim as Meyer suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Faces One Real Backfield Concern Before Ohio State
Texas has spent much of the buildup to Ohio State sorting through the usual early-season questions, but the one backfield wrinkle worth watching is the status of freshman running back Derrek Cooper. He was hurt in the season opener, and while the Longhorns have not issued an official injury report, head coach Steve Sarkisian said Cooper was in a boot as the team moved into the week.
Cooper is now a game-time decision, which leaves a little uncertainty in an area where Texas otherwise expects to lean on its top options. If he cannot go, the Longhorns should have enough depth to cover the workload, with Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown likely carrying most of the load. Still, against a national-stage opponent like Ohio State, every available back matters, and Texas would prefer to know exactly what it has before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]