Guest: RT Young, writer for Inside Texas, author of Longhorn Alphabet, and creator of the Substack "Dance with Who Brung Ya"
Brock sits down with his longtime friend RT Young, one of the most thoughtful voices in Texas Longhorns coverage, for a wide-ranging conversation about football fandom from two very different perches. From a small house in Austin with 15 people and an offensive lineman too big for Christmas, to the philosophical stakes of the NIL and transfer portal era, this one covers it all. Plus, Brock pitches his Football Heaven Weekend dream of watching UC Davis play SMU in Dallas before driving down to Austin for Ohio State vs. Texas that same night.
How They MetBrock and RT (known to Brock as Taylor) crossed paths in Austin when Brock visited his now-wife Katelyn's home turf. The setting: a house with 15 people, stadium seating couches, and a UT offensive lineman who was, in RT's words, "too big for everything."
The Transfer Portal and NIL EraA centerpiece of the conversation. RT and Brock dig into what has changed in college football and why it matters beyond the surface level. They discuss player identity, school loyalty, and the long-term cost to both programs and players when connections are cut short. RT shares the story of Quintravian Weissner at Texas as a case study of a player who had every reason to stay and finish his career in burnt orange but transferred to Florida State for his final year instead. Brock brings up Teddye Buchanan, who spent four years at UC Davis, earned his degree, then made the jump to Cal before being drafted in the third round by the Ravens.
FCS Football in the Modern EraWhat it means to be a program like UC Davis when portal pressure is pulling your best players to the FBS level. Brock points out that the Aggies lose only about three to five players a year to FBS, which given the talent level at the program is genuinely impressive. The academic value of a UC Davis degree keeps guys around in ways NIL money at mid-major programs cannot always replicate.
The College Football Playoff ExpansionAre first-round FCS-style upsets coming to the expanded CFP? Both hosts are skeptical. The Appalachian State at Michigan moment was a product of timing, early season rust, and a home crowd. Deep in December with top programs fully locked in, that magic is a lot harder to manufacture.
Football Heaven WeekendBrock pitches his dream September 12th itinerary: fly into Dallas Friday, watch UC Davis play SMU at what he hopes is an 11 a.m. kickoff, then drive down I-35 to Austin in time for Ohio State vs. Texas that night. RT breaks down the logistics, the Baylor traffic risk, and the real question of whether Brock is better off checking flights from Love Field to Columbia instead.
SMU PreviewWhat to expect from UC Davis's opponent on Football Heaven Weekend. RT breaks down SMU's transfer portal philosophy of reclaiming Dallas-area kids who flamed out at bigger programs, and why that strategy is hard to evaluate heading into a new season. He also confirms the Mustangs are everyone's second-favorite team, including their own fans, which might mean a few UC Davis fans outnumber the home crowd.
West Coast Football and the Reality GapBrock gets honest about the size difference between the college football worlds he and RT inhabit. High school football participation in Northern California is a fraction of what it is in Texas. UC Davis recruits Hawaii for size because the NorCal player pool simply does not produce many offensive linemen. And yet UC Davis has gone 5-6 against FBS opponents over 22 years, a number that holds up respectably by any measure.
Website: insidetexas.comSubstack: Dance with Who brung ya (free, covers Spurs, sports columns, parenting and youth sports)Book: longhornalphabet.com
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Go Ags.
