Texas A&M Faces Déjà Vu in High-Stakes Matchup With Texas Longhorns

Despite their seasons seemingly going in two different directions, the Texas A&M Aggies will have repeat stakes of 2024's regular season contest with the Texas Longhorns as they seek a Southeastern Conference championship berth.

Nov 30, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko, left, shakes hands with Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian after the game. The Longhorns defeated the Aggies 17-7. at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Since Week 1, Texas A&M football and the Texas Longhorns have been on a collision course. Though both parties have been on two seperate paths and started out in a different ways, the objective of the end of the season has remained the same: beat the rivals.

What has also remained the same is what's at stake for the Aggies, and that's a shot at their first Southeastern Conference championship berth. Last season, despite a whirlwind end of the season, the Maroon and White had their chance at Atlanta but lost 17-7 at Kyle Field.

But now as an 11-0 team, A&M has more than just the SEC Championship in mind, but also the national title. However, things won't be easy with bragging rights, pride and the dominion over the state of Texas at stake. Now let's dive in to how things are shapping up for both squads.

State at Stake

Nov 22, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) before a game against the Samford Bulldogs at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images | Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images

In a game against bitter rivals, the game of football goes far from just the gridiron. It's the conversation between families, husbands and wives, and the population of the country's second biggest state.

Quarterback Marcel Reed and the rest of the A&M offense were able to sit out for the better part of three quarters against Samford, where the former threw three touchdown passes before he took a seat on the bench. Reed, however, will have his work cut out for him against the Longhorns' tackle-leading linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., who is expected to return to the field after breaking his hand two weeks ago against Georgia.

Hill will have a strong complement on the defensive front in outside linebacker Colin Simmons, a young man who has been a game-wrecker with 10 sacks this season. He is second in the conference in that category, with defensive end Cashius Howell on the Aggies' side leading the SEC with 11.5.

On offense, the Maroon and White have developed a real three-headed monster with the pass-catching unit of wide receivers KC Concepcion, Mario Craver and Ashton Bethel-Roman. The group accounts for 2,052 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns, as each has played a vital role in achieving the Aggies' best start since 1992.

The Longhorns' quarterback Arch Manning has rebounded from a choppy beginning of the season, passing for 23 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. He has continued to perfect his craft over the course of the latter half of the season, but will face one of the nation's top defensive lines with Howell and Co. chasing him down.

Ultimately, it will be a matter of showing up in the big moments for A&M, as a disciplined Aggies team has shown no signs of slowing down when any single player's number is called. Texas, with its three losses, however, will be making its last gasp at reaching the College Football Playoff.

A loss most likely means a home playoff game for the Aggies, but with far more to gain with a victory, the Aggies will be hungry to rectify one last loss from a season ago in the state's capital of Austin.