One of the biggest advantages of the Texas Longhorns joining the SEC was the combination of improving the home slate and renewing historic rivalries.
In their second year, both of those goals come together
in a pivotal matchup that will determine the Longhorns’ postseason fate as they host the Texas A&M Aggies. The Aggies are in the midst of a historic season for them, sitting 11-0 heading into the rivalry game and a lock for their first College Football Playoff appearance in school history. Quarterback Marcel Reed has emerged as one of the top offensive weapons in the conference, thanks in part to a dynamic pair of wide receivers and his top-tier athleticism. A&M has had its scares this year, including surviving a one-point game against Notre Dame and putting up an unlikely comeback over the South Carolina Gamecocks. A common criticism of the Aggies is that they’ve feasted on competition that sits toward the bottom half of the conference, but they have done what good teams do against most of those bad teams, win convincingly.
The Longhorns rebounded from an embarrassing outing against the Georgia Bulldogs with their biggest win of the season, putting up 50 points against the Arkansas Razorbacks on a career night for quarterback Arch Manning. The biggest advantage for Manning was his ability to deal with a clean pocket, which may be a tougher ask against the Texas A&M front. That being said, Manning also displayed the mobility that made him an elite prospect, using his legs to move the pocket, create time, and find open receivers downfield.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian previews the regular-season finale against the hated Texas A&M Aggies.
