Takeaways from Alabama’s 26-20 victory in College Station Saturday
Despite 14 penalties and two turnovers, Alabama was able to get out of College Station with a massive win over Texas A&M this afternoon. The two sides entered Saturday’s gathering as the only two remaining undefeated in conference play in the West division. Alabama’s 26-20 road victory secured the Tide the top spot in the division with the path to Atlanta running through Tuscaloosa once again.
It felt like Alabama couldn’t stop shooting themselves in the foot, but even then it felt like they were in control for most of the fourth quarter. The Crimson Tide racked up 14 penalties which went for 99 yards which is a continuing problem from 2022. College Station and Kyle Field were absolutely rocking, so regardless of the score, this was a massive outcome for an Alabama side fighting to keep their national championship hopes alive.
The Alabama defense was very good again as they gave up 306 total yards and 20 points, numbers that should win you most games. True freshman Caleb Downs came up massive again forcing the Aggies only turnover of the evening.
The story of tonight was Jalen Milroe as he torched the Texas A&M secondary for 321 yards and three scores. Jermaine burton was a huge part of that as he accounted for nine receptions, 197 yards and two touchdowns. Milroe’s ability to make explosive plays with his arm was the difference maker in this game because again, the Tide struggled to run the ball. Alabama as a team rushed for only 23 yards which was supposed to be the bread and butter of this team.
I think Alabama is quickly evolving into a team that could compete for a national championship and getting better each weeks. They still have a lot of mental errors like the penalties to clean up, but to go into a hostile environment like A&M has and to get that kind of win says a lot about this team. The Crimson Tide will host Arkansas next weekend in what should be a bit easier of a task.
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.
ESPN College GameDay crew split on the Tide’s matchup against Texas A&M
The Alabama Crimson Tide travels to College Station this afternoon for a date with the Texas A&M Aggies. When the Tide last visited College Station in 2021, Nick Saban suffered his first loss to a former assistant as Jimbo Fisher’s squad bested Alabama 41-38 on a walk-off field goal.
Alabama got their revenge in 2022 with a 24-20 home victory. Bryce Young missed the game with an injury and Milroe made his first career start in the game. Milroe has made massive improvements from a year ago and expect him to have an even better day. The Aggies lost their starting quarterback Conor Weigman for the year last week so they have a lot of questions to figure out against a very good Crimson Tide defense.
The ESPN College GameDay crew was split on today’s outcome with Desmond Howard and guest picked Baker Mayfield both choosing the Aggies while Pat McAfee, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstriet each are rolling with the Tide. A win today puts the Tide in pole position for the SEC West, can Alabama get it done in a hostile environment?
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.
The city of Norman landed inside the top 20 in Southern Living’s best college town reader vote.
College towns are unique places that hold a special place in the hearts of those that attend the universities that make up the most significant presence in that particular city. Norman, Oklahoma, is a special place to those who’ve called it home during their time as students at the University of Oklahoma.
When it comes down to it, there’s only one thing that all these towns seem to share—and that’s your devotion to them. Inviting streets and cool music venues be darned, these are the best college towns in the South because they’re your college towns. You know that each time you step foot on campus, whether it’s every football season or once in a blue moon, it’ll still feel like home. And that certainly earns a place the distinction of being the best. Here are the South’s 20 Best College Towns as voted by you, our readers. – Betsy Cribb, Southern Living
And here’s what she had to say about Norman, which came in at No. 20 on the list in the Southern Living reader vote.
The University of Oklahoma’s campus offers two of the area’s main attractions: the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, the nation’s largest university-based museum, and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, where visitors can see works by Ansel Adams, Edward Hopper and Georgia O’Keefe. There’s fun to be had off campus, too; picnic or camp at Lake Thunderbird State Park or explore Historic Campus Corner, where dozens of shops, restaurants and bars fuel community between OU students and Norman residents – Betsy Cribb, Southern Living
While a few towns in Texas rank ahead of Norman, fear not, there is no sight of Austin, the home of the Texas Longhorns. San Marcos and College Station were the only Texas cities to come out ahead of Norman. San Marcos is the home of Texas State, and College Station is the home of Texas A&M.
It’s easy to see why anyone would love to visit Norman. There are so many different restaurants, you’d be hard-pressed to NOT find something you didn’t like.
Campus Corner always comes alive on the weekend and now that the campus is coming out of the pandemic, live is finally starting to feel normal once again.
I’ve never regretted my decision to attend the University of Oklahoma for a moment. Norman feels much more like a home than other college towns I visited when looking at schools.
The way you can see the imposing Gaylord Memorial Stadium while walking around campus always makes it feel as if the ghosts of OU Football are watching over the campus.
Being able to just drive anywhere on any day and find somewhere to be is so easy in Norman. Just yesterday morning, I had brunch at Neighborhood Jam with some friends. It was excellent. Just stuff like that where you can be with friends and have a nice time is why Norman feels like home.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.
A dead rivalry since 2011, Texas used to play Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night. Here is the series history between these two bitter rivals.
One of the best rivalries in all of college football, the annual Lone Star Showdown between Texas and Texas A&M was played every single year from 1915-2011. The rivalry had started before then, being played 22 times beginning in 1894.
Being played on Thanksgiving for the first time in 1901, it became an annual tradition beginning in 1996. Playing on the holiday for a total of 63 times, it was one of, if not the only, college football game played that night.
When Texas A&M left for the SEC in 2012, the matchup that had been played 118 times went dormant. There have been rumors of the two schools playing each other in a bowl game, but until then, it remains a dead rivalry.
Here is the series history of the historic Thanksgiving Day rivalry between the Longhorns and Aggies:
All-time series record: Texas leads 76-37-5
Largest wins: Texas 48-0 in 1898, Texas A&M 42-10 in 1985
Latest Texas win: Nov. 24, 2011
The final matchup between the two schools took place in College Station where the 25th ranked Longhorns faced now NFL quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Neither team lit up the stat sheet, with Texas having 237 yards and Texas A&M having 328. Both teams each had 10 penalties, totaling 187 yards.
The Aggies were in total control of the game in the middle of the second quarter, up 13-0. Their defense had forced the seventh straight Texas punt, but returner Dustin Harris muffed the punt and the Longhorns recovered. One play later, wide receiver Jaxon Shipley threw a double pass 41-yard touchdown to Blaine Irby.
After a couple A&M field goals to end the half, Tannehill threw a pick-six to Carrington Byndom to cut the Longhorn deficit to two. Later in the quarter, Quandre Diggs took a punt down to the Aggie nine-yard line to set up the field goal that gave Texas their first lead. The Longhorns extended that lead to 24-16 on their next drive via a Cody Johnson rushing touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, A&M scored 10 points in their final two drives, taking the 25-24 lead. With 1:48 left in the game, quarterback Case McCoy lead Texas on a drive to put them in field goal range that included a 25 yard run from McCoy. They set up kicker Justin Tucker to have a chance to end the rivalry with a game-winning field goal.
Tucker hit the field goal to give the Longhorns their 76th win in series history. Texas ended the rivalry the only way they knew how, with a win.
Latest Texas A&M win: Nov. 25, 2010
Thanksgiving night 2010 ended up being the final Lone Star Showdown that took place in Austin. The Aggies were ranked No. 17 at the time and had a chance to make an appearance in the Big 12 championship with a win. Even though they beat Texas by seven, they still came up a little short of winning the Big 12 South.
The story of the game was Texas A&M’s running back Cyrus Gray. On 27 rushes, he ran for 223 yards, averaging 8.3 yards per carry. A good chunk of his yards came on his two touchdowns, where he had an 84-yard score in the second quarter and a 43-yard touchdown that ended up being the game-winning score for Texas A&M.
For Texas, quarterback Garrett Gilbert was under-center, where he went 20-37 with 219 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. His one touchdown came late in the first quarter, as he found Marquise Goodwin for a 31-yard touchdown. Running back Cody Johnson had 107 yards on 14 carries, leading the Longhorns in rushing.
Down seven late in the fourth quarter, Texas had the opportunity to tie the game up in the red zone. On 3rd and 5, Gilbert threw his second interception of the night, sealing the A&M win.
Since the game ended in 2011, both teams have played different teams on Thanksgiving weekend. Texas has played TCU and Texas Tech on both Thanksgiving night and the day after the holiday. Add Kansas into the mix and the Longhorns have not had a consistent opponent. For Texas A&M, they have developed a small rivalry with LSU while also playing Missouri.
While it may be a long ways off, these two schools will find a way to renew the rivalry, hopefully on Thanksgiving night.
