Longhorn fans, particularly season ticket holders, got some exciting news this week when The University of Texas announced Friday that two big opponents had been added to the future schedule. Texas will take on a pair of BCS non-conference opponents in 2015 and 2016.
From the official UT press release:
A home and home football series with Pac-10 foe [tag]California[/tag] and Big Ten opponent [tag]Minnesota[/tag] has been scheduled for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, The University of Texas announced Friday. The Longhorns will travel to Minneapolis on Sept. 19, 2015 and to Berkley on Sept. 10, 2016. The Bears will visit Austin on Sept. 12, 2015 and the Gophers will return to Austin on Sept. 17, 2016.
Great job by the Texas athletic department to schedule top quality BCS opponents. Add those games to [tag]UCLA[/tag] in 2010 and 2011 and [tag]Ole Miss[/tag] in 2012 and 2013 and you’ve got some winnable, marquee games against big name programs. Should be fun to watch.
The Statesman’s Suzanne Halliburton just reported that [tag]Minnesota[/tag] head coach Tim Brewster has announced an upcoming home and home match-up between the Gophers and the Longhorns. No dates specified yet.
I think this is the perfect out of conference game for Texas. Minnesota is a BCS conference opponent that will help the strength of schedule but is also a team Texas should beat 90% of the time. Of course, any opponent is better than the Arkansas States of the world.
Update: Halliburton’s UT sources say talk of series with Minnesota is “premature.” The first opening in the schedule is 2011.
Texas advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament behind a barrage of 3-pointers from senior guard [tag]AJ Abrams[/tag] and support from [tag]Dexter Pittman[/tag] and others. They started slow but a run of four straight 3’s by Abrams allowed the Horns to pull away from [tag]Minnesota[/tag] and eventually win 76-62.
It’s not really a highlight package, it’s an Abrams show but so was the game last night so it’s fitting. Watch it now…
Texas will play [tag]Duke[/tag] on Saturday at 7:15pm.
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Follow along below with our live thoughts and analysis during tonight’s opening round game versus [tag]Minnesota[/tag] on CBS. We’re live now, join us below.
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ESPN’s Andy Katz spends a few minutes breaking down the Horns’ first round matchup with [tag]Minnesota[/tag]. He talks (very) briefly with both head coaches to get their thoughts on the tournament and their first round opponent.
Not many Texas fans have their own team making a long run in this year’s NCAA Tournament, but both college basketball experts from Yahoo Sports think the Horns could make some noise in the East regional. The team has been horribly inconsistent throughout the 2008-09 season but does have the ability to beat most anyone if they play well. Thanks to big front line including [tag]Damion James[/tag], [tag]Dexter Pittman[/tag], and [tag]Gary Johnson[/tag] they believe the Horns match up well against [tag]Duke[/tag] and could give the region’s #2 seed fits.
Watch the region preview below:
Jason Horowitz and Greg Anthony of CBS Sports discuss the first round matchup between 7-seed Texas and 10-seed [tag]Minnesota[/tag]. Anthony talks about the Gophers’ lack of offense and something we all know very well: the Horns’ lack of quality guard play. If the Texas big men including [tag]Damion James[/tag] and [tag]Dexter Pittman[/tag] play well they could dominate the opening round game. Watch the preview below…
Texas opens the NCAA Tournament Thursday at 6:10pm.
Barely any Texas talk but ESPN has a brief look at the teams in the East Region of the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Watch Rece Davis, Digger Phelps, and Scott Bilas break down the region below…
The Texas basketball team’s once in a decade loss to [tag]Baylor[/tag] was bad but apparently two Big 12 tournament wins were enough to get the Horns a 7 seed in the tough East bracket. The Longhorns will open the tournament against Minnesota on Thursday at 6:10pm.
The East may be the toughest region in the tourney. If Texas can get past Minnesota they’ll have to face [tag]Duke[/tag] in the second round in what would be essentially a home game for the Blue Devils in Greensboro, North Carolina. If the Horns get by that tough test, it could actually set up a rematch with two top teams they beat earlier this season in 3-seed [tag]Villanova[/tag] or [tag]UCLA[/tag].
We’ll have previews of Thursday’s game and the rest of the tourney so check back in on the 40 Acres all tourney long.