Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2 SEC) and the Texas Longhorns (10-1, 6-1 SEC) will meet for the first time since the 2011 season in the renewal of the Lone Star Showdown, but this season, pride isn’t the only thing on the line.
After Alabama’s loss to Oklahoma in Week 13, the winner of the rivalry matchup will result in a spot in the SEC Championship game on Dec. 7 against Georgia, while the loser will have to wait out a potential spot in the College Football Playoff over the next week.
Looking back at the rivalry’s history, too many players stick out to mention, but thanks to CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah’s recent article about the return of the big game, his interview with former Texas A&M starting quarterback Stephen McGee stood out the most.
Leading the Aggies to two of the last three wins over the Longhorns since the 2006 season, McGee was a vital piece in the running game as well as the passing game, scoring the game-winning rushing touchdown in the 12-7 win over Texas in Austin in his second season.
Nationally, the importance of the game still doesn’t resonate with some since the 13-year absence. This is a bitter rivalry between two programs with completely different backgrounds, as McGee noted that this is a clash between cultures and former high school teammates in the most talent-rich football state in the country.
“You’re talking about the most football-rich state in the world,” McGee stated. “Nowhere is football more important than it is in the state of Texas. All you’ve got to do is go to a high school football game on a Friday night to see how important football is to people in every community. Then when you think about Texas A&M and Texas, you’re taking the best of the best of all those communities which have put their heart and soul in their kids.”
Texas currently leads the series 76-37-5. This will be the 119th meeting, hopefully just the start of what’s to come in the expanded SEC.
No. 19 Texas A&M will host No. 3 Texas on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ABC.
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