Howdy folks - Buckeye in Austin here, checking back in for the first time this season. Best of luck to y'all this weekend. I have zero feel for how this game is going to go - both sides with obviously extreme talent but inexperience at some very important positions. I think TX has a slight edge at QB given Arch's game experience last year, and a significant edge on the sideline since we will be breaking in two new fresh coordinators (even though Hartline will have a nice safety net given that Day has spent most of his career calling plays). Calling it a wash over the other positions (TX with an advantage at DL and LB, OSU at OL and WR, etc) I would expect TX to pull out a close win, and a blowout in either case seems extremely unlikely...but playing this monster in Game 1 just adds an unaccountable weirdness factor.
My 6-year-old daughter fortunately loves me very much and wants to root for OSU to make me happy, but as the lone actual Austinite in the family she is torn. She'll be wearing a TX dress underneath her OSU hoodie for this one.