Tag: Texas vs Texas A&M

Social media reacts to Jimbo Fisher suddenly wanting to play Texas

Apparently a lot has changed over the last year in regards to Jimbo Fisher’s stance on playing Texas.

When news first surfaced that Texas and Oklahoma were interested in departing the Big 12 conference to join the SEC, the Texas A&M Aggies were notably unhappy with the move. Continue reading “Social media reacts to Jimbo Fisher suddenly wanting to play Texas”

Texas mentioned twice on 247Sports’ most heated college rivalries

247Sports recently ranked their 10 most heated rivalries and eight were football matchups.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before — Texas is viewed as the Dallas Cowboys or New York Yankees of the college football world. Continue reading “Texas mentioned twice on 247Sports’ most heated college rivalries”

Texas expected to play both Oklahoma and Texas A&M every season in the SEC

According to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, Texas will play both Oklahoma and Texas A&M every year. The Sooners and Aggies should go back to facing off annually as well.

If you’ve been taking a 10-year nap, congrats, nothing has changed. To the rest of us, welcome back to the way things are meant to be.

When Texas A&M left for the SEC in 2012, a major void was left on the back end of Texas’ schedule. There was no Thanksgiving Day game, rivalry, or excitement. College football in the state felt different.

With the news of the Longhorns heading to the SEC, it seems as if the annual Lone Star Showdown is going to be back on.

According to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, Texas will play both Oklahoma and Texas A&M every year. The Sooners and Aggies should go back to facing off annually as well.

For Texas-Oklahoma, nothing is going to change. The smell of fried food at The State Fair of Texas will surround a Cotton Bowl split 50/50 of burnt orange and crimson. Nothing like it in college football.

As with everything surrounding the in-state rivalry, there should be some argument as to which school gets to host the rebirth. Texas A&M famously hosted the 2011 matchup, sending it into the sunset. Or so we thought.

No matter your opinion of the move to the SEC, Texas and Texas A&M are meant to play each other. Getting them and Oklahoma on the calendar every year is a major scheduling boost for Chris Del Conte.

What Texas’ schedule could look like in the SEC

Here is what a hypothetical schedule would look like if Texas were to move to the SEC.

With Texas and Oklahoma’s potential move to the SEC, many have been wondering how divisions would work. There have been a few ideas, ranging from two eight-team divisions to four four-team pods.

Geographically, the conference staying in two divisions makes the most sense. With the Alabama-Mississippi border being the line down the middle, most major rivalries are protected.

SEC West

  • Arkansas
  • LSU
  • Missouri
  • Mississippi State
  • Ole Miss
  • Oklahoma
  • Texas
  • Texas A&M

SEC East

  • Alabama
  • Auburn
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Kentucky
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Vanderbilt

Taking it one step further than just divisions, what would Texas’ SEC schedule look like?

Well, with nine conference games, it is easier than you think. Seven against the SEC West and two against the SEC East. Four games would be at home, with another four on the road. Of course, the Red River Showdown would remain at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Here is what a hypothetical schedule would look like if Texas were to move to the SEC. For nonconference purposes, the 2024 season has been selected.

Jimbo Fisher comments on Texas reportedly wanting to join the SEC

Jimbo Fisher was getting set to begin talking during SEC media days when the biggest college football story of the offseason dropped.

Jimbo Fisher was getting set to begin talking during SEC media days when the biggest college football story of the offseason dropped. While it does not have anything to do with Texas A&M, it certainly impacts them.

According to Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle, Texas and Oklahoma are looking to join the SEC. This would mean the triangle of former Big 12 rivals would be back in the same conference, competition against one another on the football field.

When asked about Texas and Oklahoma wanting to join the SEC, Fisher responded with “I bet they would. We got the greatest league in ball.”

To some Aggie fans, this might come as a little bit of an own, claiming Texas and Oklahoma want to get on their level. But Fisher is right. The SEC is the pinnacle of college football at the moment. Two of the biggest programs in the country would be foolish to stay away.

Fisher also joined The Paul Finebaum Show, discussing the possibility.

While Fisher does not directly comment on whether or not he would be in favor of Texas/Oklahoma joining, athletic director Ross Bjork did. He made it clear Texas A&M wants to be the only team from the state in the SEC.

A vote of 75% would be needed for the report to become true. Texas A&M will be doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work to make sure their wishes stay true.

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Texas A&M AD Ross Bjork on Texas joining the SEC: “We want to be the only SEC team from the state”

Texas A&M would surely vote against the addition of UT to the SEC. AD Ross Bjork has already made it clear where he stands on the addition.

Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle dropped a bombshell Wednesday afternoon, reporting Texas and Oklahoma could be looking to join the SEC. The two premiere Big 12 schools would join the already 14 team league, making what some might call a “super conference”.

While nothing is close to official, an announcement could be coming within a couple of weeks. The Longhorns and Sooners would be leave behind eight other football programs scrambling to retain their Power Five status. Not something they want to do.

You can add a ninth program that would be against Texas and Oklahoma abandoning the Big 12 ship.

Texas A&M would surely vote against the addition of the Red River rivals if a vote is called upon in the SEC. In fact, athletic director Ross Bjork has already made it clear where he stands on the possible expansion.

Since leaving the Big 12 in 2012, Texas A&M has been able to build up its brand better than if it had stayed. Staying away from the “shadow” of the Longhorns was always the goal.

Bjork doubled down on the sentiments, saying the Aggies got away from the Big 12 for those exact reasons.

“There’s a reason why Texas A&M left the Big 12 – to be stand alone & have our own identity. That’s our feeling.”

Texas A&M may have a difficult time getting other affiliate schools on board with rejecting Texas and Oklahoma, however. Two of the top named programs in the country joining the conference would help more than hurt.

From a football standpoint, and what this is really all about — money — it is a no-brainer.

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ESPN’s Paul Finebaum more confident in Jimbo Fisher than Steve Sarkisian long term

Steve Sarkisian and Jimbo Fisher will be compared for years to come. To Paul Finebaum, “it’s a really easy answer” in favor of Fisher.

Texas and Texas A&M will always draw comparisons to each other. The former in-state football rivals are not currently playing each other on the gridiron, leaving the debate to hypotheticals.

With Steve Sarkisian being hired after winning a national championship with Alabama, the Longhorns have been the talk of the offseason. Optimism has once again struck on the Forty Acres, but there will be plenty of Sarkisian and Texas doubters.

Before getting compared to his direct competitors in the Big 12, Sarkisian, of course, has to be put head to head against Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher. Even though he likes Sarkisian “a lot,” mark down ESPN’s Paul Finebaum as one in favor of the Aggie coach, saying “it’s a really easy answer.”

“Jimbo Fisher is a legitimately big-time coach,” Finebaum said Monday on WJOX. “He’s already proven it (Florida State). He is proving it now (9-1 record in 2020). He’s recruiting at a level that I think is necessary. And he also doesn’t have the distractions and interferences that Sarkisian is going to have in terms of the alumni.”

Finebaum’s last sentence is why he believes being the head coach at the University of Texas may be too big of an obstacle to overcome. A personal relationship with Mack Brown from their time at ESPN may have negatively swayed how Finebaum views the Longhorns.

“The alumni are always the problem in Austin. I mean, it’s one of the great places in the world to work, it’s one of the great places to live and visit, but they have still not solved that. And maybe I spent too much time on Sunday mornings in Connecticut hanging around Mack Brown, but you have to deal with way too many entities and a fanbase that just can’t quite get over itself.”

Expectations going into the 2021 season are going to be different for Sarkisian and Fisher. Texas is hoping to get back on track, getting closer to their third 10-win season since 2009. Wins will equal recruits.

Fisher, on the other hand, is expected to be competing with Alabama and LSU every season. A combined 3-15 record may say otherwise, but Texas A&M finished second in the SEC West last season. Finding a way to make it to Atlanta is now wanted from Aggie fans.

Sarkisian vs Fisher will continue as the season goes on.

In-state rivals agree to play on Thanksgiving night

With the Thanksgiving night slot open, another intrastate rivalry has taken precedent. MSU and Ole Miss have agreed to play on Turkey Day.

Outside of turkey, football is the best thing about Thanksgiving. You show up at a relative’s house and make small talk before focusing on the NFL’s three matchups of the day. The Cowboys lose in hideous fashion… it’s a great holiday.

In the state of Texas, a bitter in-state rivalry that split households into two corners once dominated Thanksgiving night before — and after — the NFL added a prime-time game in 2006. Texas and Texas A&M finished their regular seasons with the most anticipated game of the year.

When Texas A&M left for the SEC after the 2011 season (thank you Justin Tucker), Thanksgiving night became boring. Texas has begun to play random opponents on the Friday after, while the Aggies try to force a hatred between them and LSU.

Since then, both schools have struggled on Thanksgiving weekend. Texas has a 3-6 record against various opponents, while Texas A&M is 2-7 vs LSU.

With the time slot open, another heated in-state rivalry has taken center stage.

Mississippi State and Ole Miss compete for the Golden Egg Trophy every season. Outside of the Iron Bowl, the Egg Bowl is the most heated rivalry within the SEC.

On Thursday, the conference announced the annual matchup will once again take place on Thanksgiving night. Mississippi State will host the game this season, while Oxford will get its opportunity in 2021.

The Egg Bowl has taken place on Thanksgiving night 23 times in its history, most recently in 2019. Entertaining would be one way to describe the rivalry, both on and off the field.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnLSu-rWW-o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_ptoEYuRIY

The offseason is fully upon us with spring ball over. Of course, discussion of the Texas vs Texas A&M rivalry is going to come up. Recruiting is where the two schools battle these days, but a return to the football field is needed.

Steve Sarkisian was asked about the Aggies during his introductory press conference back in January.

Chris Del Conte and Ross Bjork: Please cancel your FCS (A&M) and Group of Five matchups. We want our Thanksgiving nights back.

Top in-state tight end, Texas A&M commits says “there will be no visits to Austin”

Donovan Green was on Twitter pondering where he should take his five official visits. Soon there after, he shot down the idea of a UT visit.

Tight end has been a position of mystery in Austin for years now. Before Cade Brewer stepped on campus, no player Texas has recruited at the position has had more receiving yards than M.J. McFarland’s 178 yards in three seasons (2011-2013).

Andrew Beck, who signed and played as an inside linebacker originally, had 435 yards in three seasons as a tight end.

With the hiring of Jeff Banks, the thought would be top tight end recruits would want to play for the former Alabama assistant. Especially within the state of Texas, where he used to be a successful tight ends coach with Texas A&M.

However, that has proven to be unsuccessful early on, especially for one top in-state prospect in particular.

Donovan Green is the top in-state tight end and rated a four-star on the 247Sports composite. He locked down his commitment to Texas A&M in January, adding to the list of Houston area players for Jimbo Fisher.

With on-campus visits opening up for recruits, Green was on Twitter contemplating where he should take his five official visits. His top six schools before committing were Florida, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, and USC. “Could new blood be in the water?” he asked.

Less than 45 minutes later, he shot down the notion that the Longhorns will be getting an official visit.

“Just so it’s known UT is not looking at me so there will be no visits to Austin,” said Green.

Green never seemed to be the biggest fan of the Sarkisian hire, showing his emotions through Twitter once again after the former Alabama offensive coordinator was hired.

He claimed there was “no action at TE” when asked about the reigning national champions.

The Texas-Texas A&M rivalry continues to roll, even if there is no scheduled matchup in sight. Recruiting will be where the displeasure for each other will be held, especially through petty social media battles.

Banks will continue to look for a tight end to be a member of his first recruiting class at Texas. Safe to say that Green will not be one he continues to pursue.