http://www.6magazineonline.com

Texas and Texas A&M will hook up for the 118th time Thursday, in what will be the last meeting for the storied rivals for the foreseeable future. Texas A&M accepted a invitation to the SEC earlier this year. The non-conference records for both schools are booked up through 2017 so it will be a long time before Longhorns return to Kyle Field to face the 12th Man.

This rivalry is going the same way that Penn State vs. Notre Dame, Oklahoma vs. Nebraska, Arkansas vs. Texas, Penn State vs. Pittsburgh, Miami vs. Florida and Arkansas vs. Texas A&M have gone, which in the trash can.

Texas vs. Texas A&M will be a recent memory for those who lived to experience it and people who grow up and won’t know what it means and won’t care. Bevo, Texas’ famed Longhorn mascot, got his name from the Aggies. These two teams are interlocked as far as tradition, even if they don’t play. This rivalry will not die simply because it is not played. The Texas fight song quotes this passage “and it’s goodbye to Texas A&M” and Texas A&M has this passage “saw Varsity’s horns off” yet in this new age of college football even this great rivalry in terms of games being played, will be no more.

I remember former A&M coach, R.C. Slocum and his great teams with Bucky Richardson, Jamar Toombs, Dat Nguyen, Darren Lewis and Aaron Glenn. Texas has had just as much if not more talent come through the pipeline in recent years with Ricky Williams, Roy Williams, Cedric Benson, Vince Young, Kwame Cavil, James Brown and on and on. This is the 3rd most played rivalry at the FBS level and it is a shame to see it go by the wayside. It makes me sad, even as a stern Oklahoma Sooner supporter to see something so good for college football as a whole become an afterthought.

Moving on to the game both teams have disappointed this year especially the Horns, but in a rivalry like this, expect a war as usual. Texas A&M has also had a down season with a team full of talent but lacks consistency. I don’t think there is a team in the country that has had more devastating losses than the Aggies had to Arkansas and Oklahoma State earlier this season. They lost both games after being up by large margins. Texas A&M has a horrendous pass defense giving up over 300 yards a game. Texas is only averaging 181 in the air per game. I think which ever team can impose its will in this air, will be the winner of the game. Look for the Aggies to beat the Horns in a great game. I’ll be watching this tonight enjoying the game and wondering why all great things have to come to an end.

comments

Related Posts