Texas vs Ohio State: A Family Affair

[DiggsTX]

This week is personal.  I met my wife at UT in 2013.  Little did I know what I was getting into.  Turns out, she's from a family of Buckeyes.  Her mom and dad are both Ohio State alumni.  All of their family friends, die-hards.  For a long time, it was fine.  My wife balanced dual allegiances with ease, as the two teams haven't faced each other since the Fiesta Bowl in 2009 and Texas always gets priority on our TV (though shoutout YouTube TV's multiview).  But now we've got a real life house-divided on our hands.

 

Funny story about that Fiesta Bowl.  My sister-in-law also went to Texas and was a junior at the time.  She's a proud Texas-Ex, burdened by the same familial split allegiances.  However, when it came down to it, she was all-in on the Horns of course, rocking her burnt orange and cheering the Longhorns to a Fiesta Bowl victory in an epic game.  My father-in-law took her to that game.  He... did not have as great of a time.  He stormed out of the game and, unable to bear the Texas celebrations and the Eyes of Texas, told her to find her own way back to the car.  That's a story that's been told countless times at family gatherings over the years, hilarious every time.

 

All-in-all, I've enjoyed being married to a family that's as invested in football as I am.  I've been to "The Game" and multiple other games in The Shoe.  They've been some of the most fun football game experiences and most raucous crowds I've been a part of.  Though, I always approached with the awareness of how Ohio State fans are, how they treated Texas fans when we went up to Columbus.  When I could blend, it was a great time.  There's no blending this time. 

 

My father-in-law passed away in 2019, but we're taking my mother-in-law to the game and she is a DIE HARD.  She's made bets with her Longhorn friends (wagering buckeye chocolates for chocolate longhorns).  She flies an Ohio State flag outside of her Texas home, is donned from head to toe in Buckeye gear every Saturday, and I think the Ohio State ornaments outnumber all others on her Christmas tree.  She's given me multiple unsolicited actual buckeye nuts over the years "for luck."  I have carried one in my work bag faithfully over the years, but it has been removed and placed in a drawer for the week.  I have a hilarious video of her storming out of a delayed Thanksgiving gathering in 2022 for a cool down, following the Buckeyes' third straight loss to Michigan.  She's already griping about having to sit on the Texas side (she's outnumbered 3 to 1 at this point), though she's "feeling pretty good" about the Buckeyes' chances.

 

I can't wait to arrive back in Texas for this game.  It'll be a family affair.  The air will be tense (and cold).  The family has issued a frosty gag order to maintain the peace leading up to the game. 

 

I believe in the Horns.  I very much dislike Ryan Day.  Let's get it done.  I'm looking forward to finding my own way back to the car 🤘.

 

Hook em

[DiggsTX]

Seen at Ohio State vs Penn State, November 2019