No. 1 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes

Good Morning Longhorn Fans!

No. 1 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 3/2 Ohio State Buckeyes

The Texas Longhorns and The Ohio State University Buckeyes meet for the fifth time ever on Saturday in Columbus.  11:00 a.m. on FOX from Ohio Stadium on the banks of the Olentangy River.  The first ever Coaches Poll 1 vs 2 matchup to start the season.  A rematch of the CFP Semifinal game this past January in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic as the Buckeyes bested the Longhorns on their way to their 9th National Championship.  The series is now tied 2-2.

The eyes of the college football world – and most of America – will be on this game.  ESPN College Gameday will be there for Lee Corso’s last appearance.  Of course FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff will be there – that’s why we are playing at noon.

This tribute to Lee Corso is magnificent.  Seven minutes, and you will be glad you watched it.  Watch to the end.

The University of Texas at Austin and The Ohio State University each have over 600,000 alumni around the world.  Think about that:  just the alumni, not the fan bases, have over 1,200,000 combined.  I am still trying to figure out AI, but if ChatGPT is at all accurate based on my prompts, Ohio State football has about 11.26 million fans worldwide, and Texas has about 7.82 million.   (You can probably guess No. 2 – yep, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at 8.21 million).  Anyway, just with fanbases alone, there are about 20 million people interested in this football game.  Now you know why FOX was airing previews about a month ago, including during their NFL Preseason coverage.

College Football This Weekend

I have these and a lot of other games noted below, but here are the big ones this weekend.  We are going to be watching a lot of football.

• Auburn at Baylor, Friday night at 7:00 p.m. on FOX. War Eagle!
• 1 Texas at No. 3 Ohio State
• 8 Alabama at Florida State, 2:30 p.m. on ABC
• 9 Louisiana State at No. 4 Clemson, 6:30 p.m. on ABC.
• 6 Notre Dame at No. 10 Miami, Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on ABC

Going to be huge!

I am not and never will be a Barry Switzer fan, but this was a pretty good post on X, from his text exchange with Archie Manning:

https://x.com/Barry_Switzer/status/1961154035668681178

2025 Texas Longhorns

For any of you missed my season preview edition earlier this week, here is the link to the online edition.  It has the Texas players covered there.

Texas Longhorns Football 2025 Season Preview – Austin Horns Fan Dispatch

 Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes

Two of college football’s greatest programs, blue bloods.

The 2024 Statistics

Rarely, if ever, do I have stats for the first game of the season.  Not meaningful.  But because we are playing such a huge game, I am just throwing in last year’s final season raw stats in some of the major categories as reminders of how good the 2024 Buckeyes and Longhorns were.

Offense

Statistic	Texas Longhorns	Ohio State Buckeyes
Rushing Offense	#71 – 158.75 ypg	#58 – 166.38 ypg
Passing Offense	#14 – 278.8 ypg	#29 – 263.0 ypg
Total Offense	#21 – 437.5 ypg	#28 – 429.4 ypg
Scoring Offense	#29 – 33 ppg	#12 – 35.7 ppg
First Downs	#34 – 22.1/game	#61 – 20.8/game
Sacks Allowed	#90 – 2.31/game	#10 – 1.0/game
Tackles for Loss Allowed	#122 – 7.13/game	#7 – 3.75/game
Third Down Conversions	#42 – 42.99%	#33 – 43.78%
Red Zone Offense	#101 – 80% / 64%	#31 – 89% / 76%

Defense

Statistic	Texas Longhorns	Ohio State Buckeyes
Rushing Defense	#13  – 109.63 ypg	#3 – 87.63 ypg
Passing Defense	#7 – 173.8 ypg	#3 – 167.0 ypg
Total Defense	#3 – 283.4 ypg	#1 – 254.6 ypg
Scoring Defense	#3 – 15.3 ppg	#1 – 12.9 ppg
First Downs Allowed	#6 – 16.4/game	#2 – 15.1/game
Sacks	#15 – 2.88/game	#3 – 3.31/game
Tackles for Loss	#22 – 7.0/game	#21 – 7.06/game
Third Down Conversions	#8 – 31.42%	#30 – 35.09%
Red Zone Defense	#3 – 69% / 46%	#2 – 61% / 42%

Other

Statistic	Texas Longhorns	Ohio State Buckeyes
Turnovers	#130 – 26  12F, 14I	#46 – 16  6F, 10I
Turnover Margin	#43 –  +.031/game	#50 –  +0.19/game
Penalties	#73 – 51.8 yards/game	#16 – 40.8 yards/game

Key thoughts about the 2024 teams:

Both teams had elite defenses.

Neither team ran the ball very well.

Ohio State’s offensive line was much better than Texas.  Look at sacks and TFL allowed.  Longhorns were in bottom quintile.

Texas must improve its redzone offense.

Lastly, as you know, my standard riff (especially for road games) is turnovers and penalties.  Hope this off-season focused on discipline.   If not, it could bite the Horns.  It did last year, and it sure as hell will on Saturday.

The Ohio State University Buckeyes

Ryan Day and the defending national champion Buckeyes lost 14 great football players to the NFL draft.  Seven went in the first round – an Ohio State record.

Ryan Day is in his seventh year as head coach.  He is 70-10 overall, 46-5 Big Ten.  All 5 of his Big Ten losses are to Michigan.  Go Big Blue!  Shoutout to Dan, Brad, Bob, and all the other Michigan Men and Michigan fans!  We are going to kick Buckeye butt for y’all too.

Here is a quick look at what I think was the best projected OSU depth chart.

The Buckeye offense is very good.  Julian Sayin (No. 10, 6-1, 208 lbs, sophomore from Carlsbad, CA) is starting his first college game.  He was the top quarterback in the class of 2024, a dual threat star.  Backing him up most likely is Lincoln Kienholz (No. 3, 6-2, 214 lbs, Junior).

While Sayin may lack some experience, the guys he will be throwing to do not.  Considered the best wide receiver corps in the country, they are led by Jeremiah Smith (No. 4, 6-3, 223 lbs sophomore).  Smith was the heralded freshman last year who caught 1 pass for 3 yards against the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl (his season low).  In 2024, Smith had 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns.  Texas needs to shut him down again on Saturday.  Carnell Tate (No. 17, 6-3, 195 lbs, Junior) had 7 catches for 87 yards against Texas.  52 catches for 733 yards and 4 touchdowns on the season.  Brandon Innis (No. 1, 6 foot, 199 lbs, Junior) didn’t do anything in the Cotton Bowl, and saw limited action last season.  Other guys to watch are No. 13 Bryson Rogers, No. 11 Quincy Porter, and No. 5 Mylan Graham.

The two tight ends are Max Klare (No. 86, 6-5, 243 lbs Junior) and Will Kacmarek (6-6, 258, Grad).  Kacmerek had 2 catches for 21 yards in the Cotton Bowl.

Running Backs.  Fortunately, one of the guys gone is TreVeyon Henderson (of the 75 yards on a first down screen pass fame).  Stepping up are James Peoples (No. 20, 5-10, 206 lbs, Sophomore) and C.J. Donaldson (No. 12, 6-2, 232 lbs, Senior). I don’t know much about them, but two other guys in the RB room are named Bo Jackson and Anthony “Turbo” Rogers.

The Buckeyes have another huge and presumably talented offensive line.  Projected:

Left tackle

• No. 67 Austin Siereveld – 6-5, 325
• No. 78 Ethan Onianwa – 6-7, 331

Left guard

• No. 51 Luke Montgomery – 6-5, 312
• No. 76 Jake Cook – 6-4, 306

Center

• No. 75 Carson Hinzman – 6-5, 300
• No. 62 Josh Padilla – 6-4, 300

Right guard

• No. 77 Tegra Tshabola – 6-6, 322
• No. 58 Gabe VanSickle – 6-5, 316

Right tackle

• No. 70 Phillip Daniels – 6-5, 315
• No. 69 Ian Moore – 6-6, 309

The Buckeye Defense has been exceptionally good and will be again this year.  Matt Patricia is in his first year as defensive coordinator, bringing a lot of NFL experience.  The projected starters:

Defensive end

• No. 92 Caden Curry – 6-3, 260
• No. 14 Beau Atkinson – 6-6, 258

Defensive tackle

• No. 98 Kayden McDonald – 6-3, 326
• No. 53 Will Smith Jr. – 6-4, 288

Defensive tackle

• No. 96 Eddrick Houston – 6-3, 292
• No. 95 Tywone Malone Jr. – 6-4, 309

Defensive end

• No. 97 Kenyatta Jackson Jr. – 6-6, 265
• No. 11 C.J. Hicks – 6-3, 243

Linebacker (Middle)

• No. 6 Sonny Styles – 6-5, 243.  Styles led OSU against Texas with 9 tackles and a sack
• No. 26 Payton Pierce – 6-2, 223

Linebacker (Weak side)

• No. 8 Arvell Reese – 6-4, 243
• No. 20 Riley Pettijohn – 6-2, 232

Cornerback

• No. 7 Jermaine Mathews Jr. – 5-11, 190
• No. 6 Devin Sanchez – 6-2, 198

Cornerback

• No. 1 Davison Igbinosun – 6-2, 195
• No. 5 Aaron Scott – 6-0, 195

Safety

• No. 25 Malik Hartford – 6-2, 200
• No. 18 Jaylen McClain – 6-0, 201

Safety

• No. 2 Caleb Downs – 6-0, 205.  5 tackles, a Pick, and a TFL against Texas.
• No. 28 Leroy Roker III – 6-0, 197

Safety (nickel)

• No. 3 Lorenzo Styles Jr. – 6-1, 195.
• No. 12 Bryce West – 5-11, 197

From Inside Texas with Paul Wadlington and Ian Boyd

ESPN:

A bit worried about the BCF Toys projection:  Not sure how they did this with no data to run their analytics.

BCF’s Game Projection.

Projected Winner	Projected Loser	PW	PM	PF	PA	PT
Ohio State	Texas	.798	12.3	31.8	19.4	51.2

TCT Thoughts

Texas was in the CFP semifinal game with Ohio State and had opportunities, but made some key mistakes.  But the biggest issue was our inability to run the ball.  Texas netted 58 yards on the ground (Ewers was minus 18).  Wisner averaged 2.7 yards per carry.  What Texas did well against last year’s No. 1 defense (and No. 1 in passing going into the Cotton Bowl) was throw the ball and come up with explosive plays.  Gunnar Helm had a 34 yard catch, Golden had 27 and  24 yard catches, Bolden had one for 24 yards, Wingo for 22, and Blue for 26.  That’s really good.  If Arch and the 2025 offense can replicate that, and this time get in the endzone, Texas will win.

You can go read my review of the Cotton Bowl here:

Austin Horns Fan Dispatch – Cotton Bowl & the CFP National Championship Game

None of that matters, of course, as we think about tomorrow’s game in Columbus.  Lots of new faces, and the most important one, and without question the most famous, is Archibald Charles Manning.  The beauty of this game is that a loss will not define Arch’s season or career at Texas.  A big game and a Texas win might be the first chapter of an epic legend tale.  Taking that a step further, a loss won’t really hurt Texas as far as playoff prospects, and a win will keep Texas as the No. 1 team until they lose, of which there is no chance until October.

I have struggled to get my thoughts organized.  The shadow of January 10 still looms, and the hype of the Arch Era shines so bright it warps the picture.  That, and it being the first game, makes things tough.

Here is where I have landed.  These are two very good teams with excellent defenses.  Despite the matchup of the No. 1 QB from 2023 vs. the No. 1 QB from 2024, the defenses will dominate.  One of the quarterbacks, mostly likely Arch Manning, may very well make a play that decides the final outcome of the game, but it will be the defenses that control the game, or at least most of it.  Both teams have great linebackers and defensive backs.  But I think, I hope, Arch Manning’s ability to avoid blitzes and sacks and get positive yards will be the difference maker.  He will try to throw deep, because he is a Manning, and whether those are regularly successful or not, it will help open the running game.  But mix in a healthy CJ Baxter, a new playbook with a mobile quarterback and a lot more RPO, and I got a hunch Day and Patricia and the Buckeye brain trust are going to be spending halftime trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

My nervous nature is worried about penalties (especially with our mostly new offensive line), which could put the Texas offense in too many second & long and third & long situations.  That can lead to pressing, and pressing can lead to turnovers.  Sark loves to gamble, but this Saturday is a day I hope that field position and relying on a great defense (and hopefully a good Aussie punter) will take precedence over a statistical approach that says go for it on fourth and 3 from our own 42.

Look for Anthony Hill, Jr. and Colin Simmons to have big games.  I am even thinking we are going to get a defensive score.  How about it Muhammed?  Burke and Vasek need to have some big plays.  I am betting on Burke to get a key sack or two.

I am going with the Texas Longhorns.  It just seems like the talent levels are comparable, and despite this game being played in the toughest environment in college football, the edge is going to Sark and Arch and the Texas defense.

Last time we went to Columbus, we got a big win and went on to play for and win a national championship against fellow blueblood Southern Cal.  Last time these two teams played, Ohio State got the win and went on to play for and win a national championship against fellow blueblood Notre Dame.

This game matters, and a Texas win is going to not only start a run to national championship but also will be the secondary ignition (the first spark was the softball team’s natty a few months ago) to start another golden era on The Forty Acres.  Sark.  Scott.  Schlossnagle.  Shaefer.  Sean.  CDC.

Texas 27, Ohio State 20

The Ohio State University

Ohio Aggies.  Founded in 1870 as Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College.  A Morrill Act of 1862 land grant university.  Never known a school so obsessed with an article (THE) and so infatuated with the dot of an i.  Like our aggies, they have a school song that is all about their main rival, which is, like Texas, a much better, state flagship university.  Some of these rankings are old, but pretty close I think.

Academic Rankings
National
	Texas	The Ohio State University
Forbes	46	72
U.S. News & World Report	30	43
ARWU	25
Washington Monthly	98	68
THE	21
QS	19
Global
ARWU	45	82
QS	66	190
THE	50	116
U.S. News & World Report	56	66

Famous alumni include one of my favorite athletes, Jesse Owen, an d Jack Nicklaus, the greatest pro golfer ever in America (for now).  Bob Knight.  Dwight Yoakum.  And George Steinbrenner and JD Vance.

Paul Wadlington:  2025 Longhorn Football Prospectus

 I highly recommend that you get Paul Wadlington’s 2025 Longhorn Football Prospectus:  Thinking Texas Football.  You can buy it on Smashwords or Amazon.  It is not too late to get smart.

2025 Longhorn Football Prospectus: Thinking Texas Football

Week One for the Southeastern Conference

Thursday night, Missouri ran all over Central Arkansas, 61-6.  QB Beau Pribula threw for 283 yards and 2 scores and ran for 65 and 2 scores.

Friday

Auburn Tigers at Baylor Bears, 7:00 p.m. on FOX.  Quite a big game in Waco.  Tigers favored by 1.5, over/under is 58.5.  War Eagle!

Saturday

Syracuse Orangemen vs. No. 24 Tennessee Volunteers, 11:00 a.m. on ABC.  The Aflac Kickoff from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.  The Vols are favored by 13.5, and the total is 51.5.

Mississippi State at Southern Miss Golden Eagles, 11:00 a.m. on ESPN.  Bulldogs are actually favored by 13.5.  Total is 60.5.

Toledo Rockets at Kentucky Wildcats, 11:45 a.m. on SEC Network.  Kentucky only favored by 9.5 at home.  Over/under is 47.5.  Watch out for those MAC teams.

Marshall Thundering Herd at No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs, 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.  Will be good to get an early look at the Dawgs.  UGA favored by 38.5, over/under is 53.5.

No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide at Florida State Seminoles, 2:30 p.m. on ABC.  Will tune into to at least see Chief Osceola plant the burning spear in the turf.  Tide favored by 13.5, over/under is 49.5.

Alabama A&M Bulldogs at Arkansas Razorbacks, 3:15 p.m. on SEC Network.  No line.

Illinois State Redbirds at No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners, 5:00 p.m. on ESPN+/SECN+.  No line. Land Thieves by 6 in a Redbird upset bid.

UTSA Roadrunners at No. 19 Texas Agricultural & Mechanical, 6:00 p.m. on ESPN.  Not wishing ill will on little brother, at least not much, but a UTSA upset would be hysterical.  Won’t happen.  Texas Agricultural & Mechanical favored by 22.5, and the over/under is 56.5.  Birds Up!

No. 9 Louisiana State Tigers at No. 5 Clemson Tigers, 6:30 p.m. on ABC.  Helluva game.  Will be watching this one for sure.  Like Oregon and Penn State, a lot of people high on Clemson.  Definitely a big upside with Klubnik.  But I have drunk the SEC kool-aid. Geaux Tigers!  Clemson favored by 4.5, over/under is 57.5.

Georgia State Panthers at No. 21 Ole Miss Rebels, 6:45 p.m. on SEC Network.  Are you ready?  Hope the Rebs have a good year.  Ole Miss favored by 34.5, over/under is 61.5.  Hotty Toddy!

Sunday

Virginia Tech Hokies vs. No. 13 South Carolina Gamecocks, 2:00 p.m. on ESPN. Another Aflac Kickoff game from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.  Should be a fun game to watch and get ready for the nightcap.  Cocks favored by 7.5, over/under is 51.5.

Week One:  Service Academies

Friday

Tarleton State at Army, 5:00 p.m. on CBSSN.  71 degrees at kickoff.  Those boys from Stephenville are in for a treat.  No line, but I will go with Army by 10.

Saturday

Virginia Military Institute at Navy, 11:00 a.m. on CBSSN.  No line, and I think it will be a long bus ride home from Annapolis to Lexington for the Keydets.

Bucknell at the Air Force Academy, 2:30 p.m. on CBSSN.  Air Force favored by 31, over/under is 55.5.

 Top 25 – Week One

Thursday

This evening, No. 20 Boise State was upset big time by South Florida, 34-7.  The line was Broncos by 6.5.

Friday

Western Illinois Leathernecks at No. 12 Illinois Fighting Illini, 6:30 p.m. on Peacock.  Illinois favored by 45, over/under is 63.5.  There will be a lot of games I miss this year and the years ahead as the “networks” “broadcast” games on their pay platform streaming services.

Saturday

Old Dominion Monarchs at No. 20 Indiana Hoosiers, 1:30 p.m. on FS1  I had a big weekend at ODU in the spring of 1980 or 1981.  Don’t care much for the Hoosiers.  IU favored by 23.5, over/under is 52.5.

Nevada Wolfpack at No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions, 2:30 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+.  Lot of people on the PSU bandwagon.  To go all the way.  I am not one of them.  I will always root against them.  Even if they are playing the Land Thieves or Texas Agricultural & Mechanical.  PSU favored by 43.5, over/under is 55.5.

South Dakota Coyotes at No. 22 Iowa State Cyclones, 2:30 p.m. on FOX from Jack Trice Stadium in Ames.  I know it is Week 1, but this is what Fox is airing after Texas at Ohio State? ISU favored by 16.5, over/under is 46.5.  Have an odd partiality for Iowa State.  Guess it is one of those teams that never gave me a reason to hate them.  Plus the Jack Trice story.  Iowa State beat Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland, last Saturday 24 to 21.

Montana State Bobcats at No. 7 Oregon Ducks, 3:00 p.m. on BTN from Autzen Stadium.  Lots of folks like Oregon in the national finals game.  We shall see. They got the money, but that may not be enough this year.  No line.

Long Island University Sharks at No. 15 Florida Gators, 6:00 p.m. on ESPN+/SECN+.  A lot of teeth in this one.  No line.  Gators by 50.  LIU is what we used to call C.W. Post.

North Dakota Fighting Hawks at No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats, 6:00 p.m. on ESPN+.  I have seen North Dakota State play a lot, but don’t recall the Fighting Hawks.  No line.

New Mexico Lobos at No. 14 Michigan Wolverines, 6:30 p.m. on NBC/Peacock.  I have liked Michigan since meeting Braylon Edwards at Mastro’s in Beverly Hills after the Rose Bowl in 2005.  After my trip to Ann Arbor last September, I am a supporter.  Probably the only traditional Big 10 team I care for.  Michigan favored by 34.5, over/under is 49.5.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions at No. 23 Texas Tech Red Raiders.  6:30 p.m. on ESPN+  The Sand Aggies have the best team in Lubbock you can pay to come to Lubbock.  If you aren’t a regular reader of college sports news, and didn’t watch the Women’s College World Series, you may not know about billionaire Cody Campbell and his investment in Texas Tech athletics.  Use the Google.  The Sand Aggies will crush the Golden Lions.  No line.

East Texas A&M Lions vs. No. 16 Southern Methodist University Mustangs, 8:00 p.m. on ACC Network.  No line.  Still one of my favorite college football tweets ever:

https://x.com/SMUFB/status/1565732504073433088

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks vs. No. 11 Arizona State Sun Devils, 9:00 p.m. on ESPN+.  No Skattebo, but Sam Leavitt is back.  No line.

Sunday

No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. No. 10 Miami Hurricanes, 6:00 p.m. on ABC.  What a great game for the now traditional Labor Day Weekend Sunday night game.  Catholics vs. Convicts.  Notre Dame leads the all-time series 18-8-1.  As I have noted the last few years, my orangeblooded distaste for Notre Dame has dissipated rapidly to the point at which I find myself rooting for the Domers.  Purely familial.  My first grandson, Peter Alan Dean, turns 8 on Saturday.  A Texas win on Saturday and a Notre Dame win on Sunday will be a great 8th birthday (he cheers for Papa’s Longhorns, too).  Peter is following his father and other grandfather to Notre Dame, and I am happy for him.  If Notre Dame wins, Peter is happy; if Peter is happy, I am happy, as long as the Irish aren’t playing Texas.  Regardless of the familial ties, I would be rooting against Miami.  If some of you youngsters have never seen Catholics vs. Convicts, find time to watch it before Sunday night.

Other Games of Interest

Thursday

Duke defeated Elon 45-17.

Nebraska and Cincinnati played at Arrowhead Stadium, and it was a home game for the Huskers.  Big Red came out on top, 20-17.

The Miami Redhawks fought valiantly but fell to Wisconsin 0-17 at Camp Randle.

Saturday

Coastal Carolina at Virginia, 5:00 p.m. on ACC Network.  Cavaliers favored by 11.5.  Go Hoos!

Missouri State at Southern Cal, 6:30 p.m. on BTN.  Surprised there a line.   Won’t be much of won at the Coliseum.  Trojans favored by 35.5.

Rice at Louisiana Lafayette, 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+.   The Ragin’ Cajuns favored by 11.5.

Monday

Texas Christian at North Carolina, 7:00 p.m. on ESPN.  That will draw some ratings.  Texas Christian favored by 3.5,

The big recent news in the Southeastern Conference was that we will be going to a 9-game conference schedule, with some key elements:

• Each team will play have 3 permanent opponents who it will play every season. Presumably for Texas, the Land Thieves, Texas Agricultural & Mechanical, and Arkansas.
• The remaining six conference games each year will rotate among other teams in the SEC. This will ensure that every SEC team plays every other SEC team at least once every two years.  (An issue with the traditional 8-game schedule and the SEC was that lots of teams didn’t even play once every 4 years)

I am excited about this for a lot of reasons.  First, it means another excellent football game, which will be in Austin at least every other year (RRS with the Land Thieves impacts that).  Second, it is good for the conference.  Third, and I am not sure where I read this, schools will be encouraged to schedule a quality non-conference opponent each season.  Like Ohio State, or Michigan, or Southern Cal.  Maybe not, but Chris Del Conte will.  Quote courtesy of Danny Davis with the Austin American Statesman:

The Preseason Polls

The July 4th Floods

Thanks for the notes.  A tragedy that touched so many lives.

This week, my request is that you please consider a donation to support Texas Search and Rescue.  TEXSAR is one of the great organizations that provided extraordinary, on-the-ground services for weeks in Kerr County and other hard hit areas.

TEXSAR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit first responder organization headquartered in Austin, Texas. TEXSAR serves all citizens of the State of Texas and deploys at the request of law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency management agencies. TEXSAR provides specialized services such as ground search and rescue; flood and swiftwater rescue; K9 search, rescue, and recovery; disaster relief services; aerial search; and UAV support. TEXSAR is fully self-sufficient, including incident management team (IMT) capabilities, logistics and communications. TEXSAR’s services are free to requesting agencies and are staffed by volunteers who are trained professionals in their fields.

TEXSAR is made up of multiple divisions across the State and deploys to all 254 counties in the State of Texas. TEXSAR has been a significant leader in emergency services and disaster response in the great state of Texas since 2004 and over the years has evolved into one of the largest non-paid search and rescue organizations in the State.

Please support:

Donate – Texas Search and Rescue

Jim Nicar

Jim’s August 23, 2025 post on X:

1938: Postcard view of U.T. Austin’s West Mall.

Did you know? While it’s not the main entrance to campus, architect Paul Cret purposely gave the West Mall’s Texas Union and Goldsmith Hall matching short, square towers to create a visual “gateway” at this important and busy entry.

Health Alliance for Austin Musicians

Almost all y’all know about HAAM.  HAAM is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.  HAAM Day 2025 is September 23.  Mark your calendar.

Music

Billy Joe Shaver, Old Five and Dimers Like Me.

Billy Joe Shaver, Georgia on a Fast Train.

Waylon Jenning, Good Hearted Woman/Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys

The Highwaymen, Luckenbach, Texas

Picture of the Week

JType is one of my favorite Austin photographers and Instagram accounts to follow.  This photo is from his August 27th post.

God Bless Texas

God Bless America

www.jw.com/ttaylor

On X:  @tctayloratx

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You can contact me by mail:

Tim Taylor
P.O. Box 5371
Austin, Texas  78763-5371