Tag: Texas
College Football Recap
by Lily Andersen '30 on September 24, 2026
College Football
Lily Andersen ’30 (double check grad year)
College football has just begun, and so have the crazy upsets, with University of Texas at Austin taking the No. 1 seed.
The 2026–2027 college football season began on Saturday, Aug. 29, with the Week 0 games, and on Thursday, Sept. 3, with Week 1 games for the vast majority of teams across all conferences and Group of Five conferences.
Last year’s college football season ended with the Indiana Hoosiers winning the National Championship against University of Miami. This was the first National Championship for the Hoosiers in program history. The Hoosiers finished the season with a perfect record of 16–0. So far into this season, they are continuing to keep a clean record of 3–0 as of Sept. 19. Their next game is against the Northwestern Wildcats on Sept. 25. However, the Hoosiers are sitting in the No. 5 seed currently, with Texas taking the No. 1 seed.
The Longhorns showed grit and determination in Austin on Sept. 12 against the previously No. 1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. After the first half, it seemed very unlikely that there was even a chance for Texas to make a comeback. Texas was down 23–3 in the fourth, but quarterback Arch Manning did not take the defeat just yet. Coming down to the final minutes of the game, the Longhorns managed to win by just one point, causing Ohio to drop out of the No. 1 seed and take Texas’ previous spot at the No. 4 seed. The win was huge for Texas, and players and fans were ecstatic.
Manning expressed to ESPN the pride he has for the Longhorns’ performance. “You dream of playing in games like this, hosting the No. 1 team in the country at home,” Manning said, “I mean, how about that? Getting a win? By one point? Let’s go, baby!” The game was electric, with 105,044 fans in attendance, making it the third largest crowd in Longhorns history. While having the home game advantage, the Longhorns truly stunned Ohio in their 20-point comeback. This was head coach Steve Sarkisian’s biggest comeback in his entire coaching career. He was just as thrilled as Manning. “We’ve had some really big moments, but this one is special,” Sarkisian said. “When you beat the No. 1 team in the country in the fashion that we did to come back the way that we did to represent Longhorn Nation, to represent the name on our chest, Texas, I think means a lot.”
Texas hasn’t been the only shocking upset in the college football world. Oklahoma State had a thrilling win against the University of Oregon on Sept 12. with a final score of 39–31. Similar to Texas and Ohio, Boone Picks Stadium was packed with 51,035 fans who all stormed the field after the win. The goal post in the west end zone was gone, as students tossed it into Theta pond nearby. According to CBS News, first year Oklahoma coach Eric Morris is excited about the team’s win but is not letting the hype distract the players from future games. “We’re not paying attention to any of this,” he said. With a long season ahead, Morris knows that staying focused on the present is what’s most important, and he is not letting a crazy upset become a distraction.
Lone Star State Besieged by Bad Weather: Biden Declares Major Disaster in Texas
by The Cowl Editor on February 25, 2021
News
by Eileen Cooney ’23
News Staff
On Feb. 20, President Joseph Biden declared a major disaster for the majority of the state of Texas in the wake of a severe winter storm that left most of the state without electricity and killed 28 people. In recent days, more than 14 million Texans have been under boil water advisories, which remain in effect for more than 189 counties. The Texas Army National Guard has been deployed across the state in order to conduct welfare checks, assist local authorities, and find those who are in need of warming stations. Additionally, since many Texans are without water, the National Guard has delivered more than 28,000 water bottles.
President Biden’s declaration of a major disaster unlocks grants for temporary housing, home repairs, and low-cost loans in order to protect those who have property that is uninsured. In addition, these funds will help small businesses recover from the effects of the storm and provide federal aid to local government offices and nonprofit organizations so that they can provide protective measures and enact danger mitigation efforts.
Additionally, congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has helped raise more than $4 million in relief efforts in conjunction with Texas’s 29th congressional representative, Sylvia Garcia, and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents Houston, TX. In a press conference, Ocasio-Cortez said, “This shows that New York stands with you, but the whole country also stands with you.”
This is in sharp contrast to other politicians who have taken heat for their response to the storm in recent days, in particular, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. On Wednesday, Feb. 17, Cruz was seen boarding a flight with his family to Cancún, Mexico while millions of his constituents remained without power or running water in record cold temperatures. Cruz claimed that he was traveling to Cancún “to be a good dad” to his daughters and wife, saying, “On the one hand, all of us who are parents have a responsibility to take care of our kids, take care of our families. But I also have a responsibility that I take very seriously in fighting for the state of Texas.”
For at least 12 hours after photos emerged of him at the airport, Cruz’s office refused to provide a comment. However, after facing intense public backlash, Cruz flew home, admitting that the trip was “obviously a mistake” and that he had “second thoughts” about it. He spent just one day on his trip.
This winter crisis in Texas and other states across southern America has profound implications, suggesting that climate change is bringing with it intense, volatile fluctuations in weather patterns. Alice Hill, who oversaw planning for climate change risks under the Obama administration, says, “We are colliding with a future of extremes.” Experts have been warning that other states and electrical grid operators should take note of the causes of the current situation in Texas.
On Saturday, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, Texas’s utility regulator, reported that it was investigating the factors that, combined with extreme winter weather effects, disrupted the distribution of electricity to millions of Texans. Additionally, Governor Greg Abbott is convening an emergency meeting to investigate and examine what occurred.
Relief for Houston: PC Fundraises to Help Hurricane Harvey Victims
by The Cowl Editor on September 9, 2017
News
Texas Storm Hits Close for Some PC Students, Faculty, and Staff
By Liza Sisk ’19
Breaking News Staff
Continue reading “Relief for Houston: PC Fundraises to Help Hurricane Harvey Victims”