SPORTS UPDATE
AUSTIN, Texas — When No. 3 Texas A&M took the field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium against rival No. 16 Texas for the first time in 15 years, they were greeted by chants from the home crowd.
“Overrated! Overrated!”
It may be a slight from Texas fans, but it was an unfamiliar one to the Aggies. The last time Texas A&M was ranked higher than the hated Longhorns in an AP-ranked matchup was 1985. The 2010 Aggies’ win came in a year where Texas A&M was ranked and Texas missed a bowl. Simply, anytime Texas and Texas A&M have played meaningful football in the 21st Century, the Aggies have come in as underdogs.
On Friday, the Aggies were the center of attention. They could cement their first SEC Championship Game appearance and first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. And perhaps more delicious, they could plant a dagger in the heart of the Texas playoff case. Instead, in a stunning 27-17 loss, the battered Aggies of old re-emerged.
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“We’re going to drive to College Station for the next two hours and it’s probably going to be really silent,” linebacker Taurean York said. “It hurts a lot.”
Texas A&M was resilient during its perfect 11-0 start, the first since 1992 in College Station. The program was defined by finding a way, whether it be through big plays from quarterback Marcel Reed or their star-studded defense.
But against Texas, that confidence proved to be their undoing. The Aggies jumped out to a 10-3 lead at the half, and received the ball to start the third quarter. Texas A&M was 15-0 when leading at halftime under Mike Elko. A touchdown could have opened the floodgates.
Instead, Texas A&M gave up one of its worst quarters of the season, a 17-0 run to Texas dominated by missed opportunities. There was a botched fourth-and-1 call that was called for a false start, forcing a punt. The secondary bit hard on an Arch Manning rushing attempt, leaving Ryan Wingo wide open in the end zone for a toe-touching catch. Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner took over for the second year in a row.
Texas A&M fought back in the fourth quarter, but the damage was done. Quarterback Marcel Reed threw two bad interceptions — including one in the red zone to safety Michael Taaffe. The collapse was on.
“We wanted to go to the SEC championship,” York said. “We’re tired of losing to the same team in back-to-back years, tired of not winning that trophy.”
Across the season, Texas A&M lived on a razor’s edge. They needed a magical fourth-down conversion to shock No. 8 Our Lady 41-40 under the watchful eye of Touchdown Jesus. They outlasted Arkansas 45-42 and came from 27 points down in a 31-30 victory against South Carolina.
In big moments, Texas A&M has stood tall, but the on-field resume had some holes. The Aggies were 7-0 in SEC play, but the wins came against teams with a combined record of 11-41 in conference play. No. 16 Texas is the first team that Texas A&M played that was ranked in the committee’s top 25 since Notre Dame in Week 2.
Because of the mediocre resume, Texas A&M was the lowest-ranked of the remaining undefeateds at No. 3. Losing pushes them into the range of other one-loss teams. Certainly, No. 4 Georgia will jump them after outlasting No. 23 Georgia Tech. No. 5 Texas Tech will also have a chance if they win the Big 12 next week.
With the disappointing loss against an up-and-down Texas team, will No. 6 Oregon factor in? Or No. 7 Ole Miss? And equally as disappointing, Texas A&M’s conference title drought dates back to 1998.
A rivalry game win is off the table, along with an SEC championship, but Texas A&M still has plenty to play for. The Aggies are a lock for the College Football Playoff with an 11-1 record in the SEC. A lone bright spot, the postseason could now head to Kyle Field if the Aggies fall out of the top four.
“There’s a lot in front of us,” Reed said. “We’ve got a lot to work for, so we can’t hold our heads down. We’ve got to get prepared for what’s next.”
On a gloomy day in Austin, Texas A&M had a chance to silence critics and put the notorious Battered Aggie Syndrome behind them. Instead, once again, they came up short.
