Face it — football is likely the topic today.

Why it matters: Tomorrow's game is the first time the Arkansas Razorbacks will square off with the Oklahoma State Cowboys since 1980, when the Hogs won 33-20 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

• And, it's offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino's first real live test since re-joining the Razorback Nation late last fall.

(Yes, technically, the season opened with the first game against the UA Pine Bluff Golden Lions on Aug. 29, but c'mon. 70-0 is not a contest.)

What to know: The series between the two teams dates to 1912. Arkansas leads the series 30 to 15 — they tied in 1946.

• Of those games, Saturday will be only the 10th time the teams have played in Stillwater.
• Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy has never faced Arkansas and Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman has never faced Oklahoma State.
• Oklahoma State football is almost all Gundy has ever done.

The match: The Cowboys are a 7.5-point favorite with total points scored predicted to be 62.5.

• ESPN analytics leans toward OSU 56% to Arkansas 44%.
• OSU is ranked No. 16 on the AP poll this week; Arkansas is unranked.

The bottom line: The game airs on ABC at 11am Saturday and on Sirius XM Radio channel 374.

Go deeper:

• Head to Head: Comparing Arkansas football, Oklahoma State at each position (Whole Hog Sports)
• Three Things to Know about Oklahoma State's Week 2 Opponent Arkansas (Pistols Firing)
• Oklahoma State Breakdown with Matt Scott (The Razorback Daily podcast)

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Not everyone in NWA is familiar with Stillwater — Arkansas hasn't played there since 1975 — here are a few pointers.

🪩 Entertainment

The original Hideaway Pizza is there and is far better than any of the chain-ified spots you'll find in Oklahoma and Arkansas.

• Gamers may remember the board game Pente. It was developed at Hideaway in 1977 by Gary Gabrel who worked there.

Eskimo Joe's is a must-see. Now entering its 50th year, the food is OK, and the t-shirts ubiquitous.

📣 Tradition

Pistol Pete is the name of the mascot which is based on Frank Eaton, a U.S. deputy marshal who learned to shoot guns to avenge the death of his father.

• Fans use a forefinger and thumb to mimic pistols firing.
• "Go Pokes" is the parallel to "Wooo Pig Sooie!"
• All the buildings on campus appear to be made of the same colored brick.

🕷️Tarantulas

Watch the road going and coming.

• It's near mating season for brown tarantulas, native to Oklahoma.

💭 Worth's thought bubble: The weirdest thing I've ever seen were hundreds of them running across a road as I rolled into town for a slice of pizza.

⚖️ The Arkansas Supreme Court dismissed Oscar Stilley's lawsuit against Secretary of State John Thurston over his decision to reject the abortion amendment because Stilley, who was convicted of a felony, hadn't completed supervised release so he could not register to vote. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

🏢 The 28-unit Harmon Place apartment complex on S. Duncan Avenue in Fayetteville sold for $3 million. (Arkansas Business)

🎤 The bronze statue of Johnny Cash is on its way to Washington, D.C., where it will be placed at the Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center September 24. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

There's more to life than football, so some people say. Here are a few alternatives for the weekend.

🏍️ First Friday — Bentonville's monthly get-together on its downtown square is themed "adrenaline" for September. It kicks off at 11am today with food trucks, and will feature a Globe of Death, live music and a 5pm flyover by a Gamebird Composites stunt plane.

🏎️ TougeCon '24 — A celebration of Japanese cars and car culture runs through the weekend in Fayetteville, starting at 6:30pm Friday. See the complete schedule.

🐿️ World Champion Squirrel Cook Off — After three years off, up to 40 cook teams will prep their best rodent recipes for judging. The event will include the World Champion Squirrel Skinning Contest and World's Hottest Squirrel Eating Competition.

• It starts at 9am Saturday at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center in Springdale.

🛝 Family Fun Day — Music, games, food trucks, face painting and a fishing derby will be at Rogers' Mount Hebron Park on Sunday from 1-4pm.

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The new climate outlook for the U.S. this fall reflects the expected influence of a coming La Niña event in the tropical Pacific Ocean, along with longer-term trends.

Why it matters: Prevailing weather conditions during the September-through-November period could clinch records for the warmest year in some cities while affecting multibillion-dollar industries like agriculture.

The big picture: According to the NWS' Climate Prediction Center, the September-through-November period is likely to feature above-average temperatures across much of the country, particularly in the Northeast and Southwestern states.