TEXAS — College football season is back, and the University of Texas is off to a good start after winning last week’s opener against Texas State 59-7 and stunning No. 1 Ohio State after coming back from a 20-point deficit to win 24-23 on Saturday. 

College football brings a lot of business to sports bars across the state, especially in the Austin-area.

A friendly rivalry on Austin’s infamous 6th Street was playing out ahead of the UT-Ohio State game between popular bars Inn Cahoots on the east and Buford’s on the west. It’s all because Ohio State’s mascot, Brutus Buckeye, was bearing down on bar-goers entering Buford’s. 

“There’s a very good number of Ohio State alumni that live in Austin, Texas, so that gives them a home,” said Bob Woody, the owner of Buford’s.

Putting Brutus above his bar’s entrance has raised some eyebrows amongst UT fans.

“Just driving down the street and saw this huge Buckeye, and I was like, ‘What is happening in downtown Austin?’” said Kristen Carson, a UT alum and the owner of Inn Cahoots.

After seeing Brutus, she decided to wager a bet against Buford’s for the big game.

“If Ohio State wins, I would take all of Buford’s staff to get a steak dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse,” Carson said. “But if UT wins, I want them to post the final game score on the Buckeyes’ forehead in the size and font of my choosing for the rest of the season.”

This challenge has been made very public, with Buford’s playing along, and both bars going back and forth with each other on social media.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Woody said. “I’m going to win either way.”

Jokes aside, at least there’s one thing that these rivals can agree on: Texas football games, especially the ones at home, play a vital role in the local economy and bring a lot of business to their bars.

“We’re not only a music venue and a bar, and an event space; we’re also a hotel, so we are super impacted when these games come into town,” Carson said.

Hundreds of people watch the games from local bars, and then hundreds more make their way over after watching the game at the stadium.

“Why not park down here and then walk up to the game?” Woody said. “And then when it’s over, you come back here and celebrate, or you drown your tears in a glass of beer. Nah, I’m just kidding, but you get the idea. This is our entertainment district. We thrive on this. We’re made for it. We’re built for it.”