If Texas A&M and South Carolina had flip-flopped their dominant halves Saturday, we’d have a different view of the Aggies’ 31-30 win. In climbing out of a 27-point halftime hole with a school-record comeback, they not only salvaged their College Football Playoff standing, they got points for resilience, fight and making history.
Pretty nice bonus for beating a team with one Southeast Conference win.
The undefeated Aggies seemingly can’t go wrong in Mike Elko’s second season, which, if you ask me, means they’ll end up in the College Football Playoff pretty much no matter what happens from here on out.
Texas Tech seems a sure bet, too. Even if the Red Raiders should stumble in the Big 12 title game, their 10 wins include a manhandling of one-loss BYU, which just mauled TCU.
Texas College Sports
Question is, can the Lone Star State get a third partner in the big dance?
SMU is still eligible, but, in order to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference title game and a shot at a conference champ bid, the Mustangs need to win out; Virginia Tech to beat Virginia; Pitt to beat Georgia Tech; and Miami to beat Pitt.
Seems like a lot of beats, not to mention a couple of big asks with Tech over Virginia and Pitt over Tech. But at least it’s a narrative for the Mustangs going into Saturday’s game vs. Louisville.
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Texas’ CFP chances at 7-3 seem better than SMU’s 7-3. For one thing, the difference between the SEC and everyone else is as stark as ever. If the Horns beat Arkansas and A&M, could the committee make Texas its fifth SEC bid? Might come down to the Horns and Oklahoma. Texas owns the head-to-head, but the State Fair was a long time ago. Since then, the Sooners salvaged their season with road wins over Tennessee and Alabama. The committee loves just such a résumé.
As for a résumé with its only road wins over Kentucky and Mississippi State?
Not so much.
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In other Best in Texas news, Tech set up Jacob Rodriguez for an offensive touchdown in the linebacker’s Heisman bid; North Texas matched its highest win total in school history with its blowout of UAB; and break up the Bearkats, who have now won two games in a row after starting the season 0-8.
1. Texas A&M (10-0)
Marcel Reed threw himself out of the Heisman race in the first half, then threw himself right back in it in the second.
Last: 31-30 win over South Carolina.
Next: Samford on Saturday.
2. Texas Tech (10-1)
Raiders, in Big 12 driver’s seat, reach double-digit wins for first time since 2008.
Last: 48-9 win over UCF.
Next: West Virginia on Nov. 29.
3. Texas (7-3)
Longhorn defense gives up 21 points in fourth quarter two weeks in a row.
Last: 35-10 loss to Georgia.
Next: Arkansas on Saturday.
4. SMU (7-3)
Mustangs still long shot in ACC, but it’s a shot.
Last: idle.
Next: Louisville on Saturday.
5. UNT (9-1)
Caleb Hawkins rushes for school-record five touchdowns.
Last: 53-24 win over UAB.
Next: at Rice on Saturday.
6. Houston (8-2)
Coogs can really turn up heat on Sonny Dykes.
Last: idle.
Next: TCU on Saturday.
7. TCU (6-4)
Bad sign: Sonny says Frogs were “excited to play.”
Last: 44-13 loss to BYU.
Next: at Houston on Saturday.
8. Baylor (5-5)
Bears give up three TD runs of 60-plus.
Last: 55-28 loss to Utah.
Next: at Arizona on Saturday.
9. UTSA (5-5)
Will Henderson III runs for 185 yards on just 19 carries.
Last: 28-7 win over Charlotte.
Next: East Carolina on Saturday.
10. Rice (5-5)
UNT and USF loom large between Owls and bowl.
Last: idle.
Next: UNT on Saturday.
11. Texas State (4-6)
Bobcats halt five-game losing streak.
Last: 41-14 win over Southern Miss.
Next: Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.
12. UTEP (2-8)
Miners run out of gas after 17-point, game-tying third quarter.
Last: 38-24 loss to Missouri State.
Next: New Mexico State on Saturday.
13. Sam Houston (2-8)
Bearkats on a winning streak!
Last: 26-23 win over Delaware.
Next: Middle Tennessee on Saturday.
No. 10 SMU volleyball upsets No. 5 Stanford on the road behind Malaya Jones’ 24 kills
The Mustangs handed Stanford only their second ACC loss of the season and ended the Cardinal’s 11-game winning streak.
Oklahoma State basketball pulls away in second half to beat Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Led by Anthony Roy’s 15 points off the bench, the Cowboys turned a 37-35 halftime lead into a rout.
SMU knocks off Virginia to win 2025 ACC men’s soccer championship
With the championship win, SMU secured an automatic bid to this year’s NCAA men’s soccer tournament.
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