Houston Community News >> No.1 Buckeyes and No.2 Longhorns Face-Off
9/7/2006 Austin — Excitement is building for what's being touted as the biggest college football game of the season. The big match up between No. 1 Ohio State University and No. 2 ranked Texas gets underway on Saturday, but tailgating preparations are already underway.
Some of Longhorn fans are staking out their claim for 12 hours or longer. With the sun setting over Texas, 48 hours until kickoff, the nation's top two teams are ready for battle. Everywhere you look it seems burnt orange country is being invaded by an army of red and gray.
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“We came down with about 150 and we're expecting between 30 and 35,000,” Buckeye fan Trisha Jackson said. They are hoping to take over the city. Ohio State fans are in Austin’s restaurants, partying in 6th Street bars, moving into hotels throughout the city--even chowing down on native foods. For Buckeye fans Saturday’s match up is the next best thing to a bowl game.
“We're going to do the big Ohio State pep rally at the Erwin Center on Saturday afternoon, that's three hours before the start of the game,” travel planner Ike Reynolds said. “So, that's going to be full of Buckeyes. Every Buckeye in town will probably be there and that's why they got it, its so big.”
Is anybody left in Columbus? “No, I don't think so,” Reynolds said. “Well, there's a few back there holding the fort down.” There are rumors that OSU fans are coming down to Austin by the tens of thousands.
“40,000 is what I heard,” UT fan Derek Haas said. “So, we're here laying stake to our claim." They are digging in their heels and camping chairs, protecting perfect tailgate spots as long as it takes.
What do Austinites feel about the OSU fan invasion? “They're
everywhere: the hotels, 6th Street, the hotels, bars,” UT fan Jason Lewis said.
“As long as they're not in our tailgate spots that's fine.”
Austin police want to remind both UT and Ohio fans of a few things like no open containers of alcohol and no one under the age of 17 is allowed downtown after 10 p.m. Also, 6th Street will be closed to traffic from Congress to Interstate 35 by game time.
(Contributed by Keyetv)