With bright lights shining down on their faces, a group of Longhorns prepared to once again compete against their age-old rival — Oklahoma. However, this Red River showdown did not take place at the Cotton Bowl Stadium, but rather on an air-conditioned studio stage.      

On Sept. 9, NBC’s Capital One College Bowl game show kicked off its sophomore season with matchups between Ohio State and Notre Dame, and of course, Texas and Oklahoma. Hosted by Peyton and Cooper Manning, the show hosts teams of three from rival universities in a head-to-head competition for the chance to win a life-changing scholarship and the coveted “Capital One College Bowl” trophy. Teams selected from each school go for the gold and try their hands in trivia about a variety of topics ranging from poetry, soccer and more.  

Finance and business honors senior Kyle Winter, biology senior Hailey Kaplan and Jisoo Yu, an economics and philosophy sophomore, teamed up to represent UT. While Yu participates in the University’s Quiz Bowl team, neither Winter nor Kaplan came equipped with any formal trivia experience prior to their College Bowl debut. Winter said the group opted to hone in on their specific interests and their enjoyment of trivia.

“I would watch past episodes (of College Bowl) to help me understand the types of questions I’d be asked and get used to the format of the game,” Winter said. “I’ve always enjoyed trivia, so I would use different apps on my phone and (watch) Jeopardy more than I would otherwise.”

With a vast pool of questions covering a variety of different areas of curriculum, the three Longhorns brought their brains to the table. In the weeks leading up to the show, Kaplan said they strategized and identified each teammate’s specific expertise, leading to a compelling and dynamic on-air team. 

“We had a really well-rounded team with different backgrounds,” Kaplan said. “I knew that with whatever topic came up, I felt like we had someone who would be good for it.”

Kaplan said the show climaxed during its “Two Minute Drill” section, in which contestants were given two minutes to answer as many rapid-fire questions as possible. During this section, each correct answer earned 25 points, with a 100-point bonus for every five correct responses. 

The drill came to make a great advantage for Texas, who entered the round down by 70 points. Despite a valiant effort, the UT team lost the match by one question, with a final score of 395-375. However, because Texas finished with a higher final score than Ohio State, the team advanced in the competition.

“That moment was very exciting and was like riding a giant roller coaster,” Yu said. “I got whiplash from the initial disappointment to then feeling ecstatic that the team could keep going.” 

Regardless of the final results, Yu said the Texas team felt grateful for the opportunity to represent their University on national television and make meaningful connections in the process. 

“I was able to form long-lasting relationships and have these experiences with friends who support each other,” Yu said. “I found this to be a lot more valuable than just people getting together by chance.”