THE TEXAS REPORT
Ranking the Texas Div. 1 schools: A&M stumbles as SMU rises up the rankings
Sep 12, 2019, 6:59 am
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Born with a comic book in one hand and a remote control in the other, Cory DLG is the talent of Conroe's very own Nerd Thug Radio and Sports. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio show at www.nerdthugradio.com!
12. RICE
This season isn't looking up for Rice after a brutal loss to Wake Forest. This is the team though with the least to prove and just want to survive this season in better shape than how they finished last year. None of that starts here this week against Texas though.
11. TEXAS STATE
So last week I wrote they probably aren't the 11th worst team in the state but they were down. Well, they stayed down and this week they play SMU and another loss basically locks them in here at the bottom of the list.
10. UTEP
At 1-1, they at least are better than Texas State and Rice right now, but the Texas Tech game was brutal and you hate to have time off after a bad loss. A lot of coaches talk about time off is the hardest thing in a season, if you're winning you want to keep playing and if you're losing then you want to get rid of that funk as possible. On the plus side you can't lose to the bye week.
9. UTSA
So UTSA lost to Baylor and honestly the only reason they didn't move down is because UTEP lost to Texas Tech so they can all stay in the same spots but be sad about it. Army's coming to town and they've been playing and playing well, so it'll be interesting to see how UTSA can prepare for the triple option offense.
8. NORTH TEXAS
They lost to SMU. They should have been a little bit better than SMU but they weren't and now Cal is inviting them to town and things don't look to get better this week. It's always hard to drop a game with a hard game on the schedule coming up, they call them "trap games" and honestly this is what happens when teams lose focus. Hopefully they can get it back this week.
7. TEXAS TECH
Like I talked about last week, they beat a team they should have beat. The expectation of a win was high and the team took care of business. The real test comes this week, on the road at Arizona. They aren't my pick to win, so an upset would certainly help their case for dominance in the best state in the country.
6. SMU
SMU came out on top, and if you tuned in last week, you saw I predicted they might. They were the team most likely to steal one from this list last week. SMU is now poised to be the darling of the list if they can keep momentum going and beat Texas State which they really should considering they are at home and coming off a good win. Although this is the one where teams can get too excited and experience a letdown. SMU is a team that can go either way this week.
5. BAYLOR
Baylor won, which was the expectation and taking care of business is expected but not rewarded, so they stay in fifth place. They're off this week so there isn't any real pressure or expectation of progress but we'll keep an eye on it.
4. HOUSTON
This might just be the up and down season that comes with starting up a new program after a failed program. They beat Prairie View which they should have, but now they face #20 Washington State and a win would be massive for this program, especially at this time in the season. If they lose though, it isn't a big upset but it's kind of how this season may go.
3. TCU
Coming up this week is Purdue, on the road at the Boiler Makers. This is a tough game but winnable and would be a program boosting win nationally. This is one to watch this week.
2. TEXAS A&M
Texas A&M went out and under performed against Clemson honestly. I thought Clemson and A&M were closer than this but it turns out they aren't. Now the real question becomes, is Clemson that much better than this many programs or is A&M worse than we thought? This week we shouldn't learn much as Lamar shows up to take a beating.
1. TEXAS
That was an awesome heavyweight fight between two programs but someone has to lose and someone has to win. Texas coming out the other side of this knows they played well and belong with the big boys this season. Rice is coming to town and that isn't a problem unless they aren't paying attention to this week which is a possibility.
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The Houston Astros wrapped up yet another series win this week, this time taking two of three from the struggling Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Despite missing several key players and a bullpen that wasn’t fully available, the Astros continued their recent run of success, pushing their record to 52-35.
Manager Joe Espada appeared to be playing the long game in the rubber match on Thursday. After Houston rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning, Espada stuck with reliever Jordan Weems instead of turning to his high-leverage arms. That decision, while frustrating to some fans hoping for the sweep, underscored the team’s cautious approach to workload management as they navigate a long season.
One bright spot continues to be rookie Cam Smith, who delivered again in the clutch with a two-run triple in the seventh inning on Thursday. Smith has been Houston’s most dependable bat with runners on base and is quickly settling into the cleanup role—a rarity for a first-year player but one he’s earned with his poise and production.
Astros cleanup hitter RBIs this season:
Cam Smith: 10 RBIs in 7 games
All others: 28 RBIs in 80 games
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The transparency around Alvarez’s situation is part of a larger shift. After being criticized in recent seasons for vague injury updates, the Astros have begun issuing daily availability reports. It’s a move that signals the front office is trying to regain some trust with the media and fans after a stretch of frustrating ambiguity around player health.
Now, the Astros head to Los Angeles for a marquee matchup with the defending champion Dodgers. Friday’s opener will feature Lance McCullers Jr. making just his second start since returning from the injured list. McCullers gave up eight runs in his return against the Cubs and will be under the spotlight as he looks to settle back into form. Control will be the key, as walks have long been McCullers’ Achilles’ heel.
Saturday sets the stage for one of the most anticipated pitching matchups of the season: Framber Valdez versus Shohei Ohtani. With both teams fighting for positioning in their respective divisions, this weekend in LA should serve as a measuring stick—and perhaps a postseason preview.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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