Texas Football Takes On New Challenge In Joining SEC
It was never a question of "if" but rather "when" regarding Texas' status in the transition from the Big 12 to the SEC. Now, both questions have been answered.
Texas and Big 12 rival Oklahoma will depart the Big 12 Conference following the 2023-24 calendar season to join the 14-program conference in the Southeast. Both schools will pay $50 million apiece to break their media rights contract a year early, giving the funds to the eight "legacy" programs remaining behind.
It's a new era for Texas football under third-year coach Steve Sarkisian. Yes, the program has improved in multiple facets since Sark arrived in 2020, primarily on the recruiting side. The Longhorns have finished with back-to-back top 10 recruiting classes, according to the On3 consensus recruiting page, including landing prospects such as quarterback Arch Manning, running back Cedric Baxter Jr. and receiver Johntay Cook II.
Still, this is the SEC. It's a gauntlet of programs with aspirations of winning more than conference titles each season. And since the start of the College Football Playoff format in 2014, the conference has decimated its competition, winning six of the previous nine matchups.
Texas and Oklahoma will be the new faces in town, but they should be familiar with several programs thanks to previous rivalries. Texas A&M and Missouri called the Big 12 home until their departure in 2011. Arkansas was a fixture of the Southwest Conference from 1915 until 1991. And the Longhorns recently battled it out with top-ranked Alabama last season in Austin in a 20-19 loss.
They'll make the trip to Bryany-Denny Stadium in Week 2 next season for a rematch that should draw headlines due to the recent news of conference realignment.
As for the rest of the SEC? Here's how Texas has performed in matchups against all 14 programs entering the new era.
ALABAMA
A shoulder injury to quarterback Quinn Ewers ultimately sealed the Longhorns' fate against Nick Saban and the Tide last September at DKR. All time, Texas actually has Alabama's number, winning seven of its nine matchups.
Both wins of the Crimson Tide have come at vital times. Alabama first won in the 2009 National Championship back at the Rose Bowl, kickstarting the Saban dynasty into high gear. Last season, the victory in Austin kept the Tide undefeated before a pair of losses to Tennessee and LSU knocked them out of the College Football Playoff picture.
ARKANSAS
A fan-favorite matchup between those who remember the Southwest Conference days, the Hogs and Horns will meet (barring a matchup in bowl season next fall) for the first time since Week 2 of the 2021 season. Arkansas dismantled Texas in the second half at Donald W. Reynolds Razor Stadium 40-21 en route to its best season in the Sam Pittman era.
Currently, the Razorbacks are on a two-game win streak against the Longhorns, having also won in the 2014 Texas Bowl. All time, Texas leads the series 56-23.
AUBURN
One of the more meager series among SEC programs, Auburn and Texas have met eight times since 1910. The Longhorns hold the 5-3 advantage, but the Tigers won the last matchup in a 31-3 beatdown under Pat Dye in 1987 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
FLORIDA
A rivalry on the rise, both programs are looking to get back to national championship aspirations under their respective regimes. Florida, led by second-year coach Billy Napier, used to be the staple of college football, winning a pair of titles with Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow at the helm in the mid-2000s.
Texas holds a 2-0-1 lead in the series all time. The two programs last played in 1940, when the Longhorns nabbed a 26-0 win in Gainsville.
GEORGIA
The last time Texas faced Georgia, Sam Ehlinger proclaimed the two words that are nails on a chalkboard to folks on the Forty Acres. Still, the Longhorns capped off their best season in the Tom Herman era over the Bulldogs with a 28-21 victory in the Sugar Bowl back in January of 2019.
The two programs have met five times, with Texas holding a 4-1 series lead. Prior to their showdown in the Louisiana swamp, the last game occurred in 1984 under legendary Bulldogs coach Vince Dooley.
KENTUCKY
The Wildcats may become a fierce competitor against Texas in the coming years. The two schools last played in 1951, when the Longhorns picked up a 7-6 win in Austin.
LSU
Before the 2019 Tigers became one of the more prolific programs in college football history, they were a roster ready to take on Texas at DRK. The legend of Joe Burrow grew in Austin on a September evening as the eventual Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick threw for 471 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-38 win.
The Tigers and Longhorns met 18 times since 1896, with Texas holding a 9-8-1 lead. The Longhorns were expected to travel to Tiger Stadium in 2020 before COVID-19 led to the NCAA changing the season format to just conference games.
MISSISSIPPI
The Rebels and Longhorns have faced off eight times since 1912. Ole Miss won its last matchup in 2013 but lost the previous three games. The Longhorns have held the Rebels to seven points or fewer in four games.
MISSISSIPPI STATE
The next victory takes the lead in the series. Both programs have won two games, with Texas grabbing the latest win back in 1999 under Mack Brown.
MISSOURI
A rivalry renewed in a new conference, the Longhorns and Tigers regularly played against each other as members of the Big 12. Before their departure, Missouri defeated Texas at Faurot Field 17-5 in 2011. All time, the Longhorns hold the 18-6 lead, with their latest win coming in Houston at Texas Bowl in 2017.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Both programs could be on the rise under Sarkisian and Shane Beamer. Although there's little history in the series, the Gamecocks won their only matchup against the Horns in a 27-21 bout back in 1957.
TENNESSEE
Who is the real "UT" of the SEC? Fans will find out soon enough. For now, the Longhorns have won two of their three previous matchups, with the latest victory coming at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas back in 1969.
TEXAS A&M
The Lone Star Showdown is finally back. The Longhorns and Aggies were a staple of Thanksgiving festivities when the two programs called the Big 12 home. And the fire that fueled the rivalry? It still exists, even if the younger fans of the programs might not understand the hatred just yet.
In 118 total matchups, Texas leads the series, 76-37-5. Most recently, the Longhorns sent its "little brother" packing for new adventures with an epic 27-25 victory at Kyle Field in 2011, capped off with a game-winning field goal from Justin Tucker.
VANDERBILT
One of the more expanded matchups, Texas and Vanderbilt have played each other 12 times since 1899. Surprisingly, the Commodores hold an 8-3-1 series lead, with the latest win coming in Dallas back in 1928. The Longhorns are 0-4 when playing in Nashville.
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