Texas is hosting rival Texas A&M in Austin on Friday and the stakes are high for the Longhorns.
With a win, and some help from around the nation, the No. 16 Longhorns could ascend into the College Football Playoff picture despite three losses this season.
On the other side, No. 3 Texas A&M is virtually a lock for the College Football Playoff. However, the Aggies will be seeking revenge after last year’s loss to the Longhorns in the renewal of the storied rivalry. The Aggies haven’t beaten the Longhorns since 2010.
Who will emerge victorious this year?
Sports Roundup
Columnists, writers and editors from The Dallas Morning News make their predictions below.
Lia Assimakopoulos, college sports insider
A Texas upset wouldn’t surprise me at all here, but this A&M team has proven resilient all season and has too much on the line. Marcel Reed will have another standout performance, boosting his odds of becoming a Heisman finalist with all eyes on him Friday evening. Texas A&M 35, Texas 32
Tim Cowlishaw, columnist
After surviving all the close calls with Notre Dame, Arkansas and South Carolina, time expires on the perfect season for the fighting Aggies. Arch Manning has now made the transition from overrated at the start of the season to undervalued by the end of it. The Texas defense is the real winner here, but A&M’s still got College Football Playoff games to play in December. Texas 26, Texas A&M 20
Selby Lopez, college sports editor
Texas A&M is unquestionably the better team and has been all year. But Arch Manning is playing his best football yet and the Longhorns are the more desperate team with slim chances to make the College Football Playoff. Texas 24, Texas A&M 21
Shawn McFarland, college sports insider
This game will ultimately be decided by the quarterbacks. Arch Manning has played his best college football yet in the last month and lit Arkansas up for five total touchdowns last weekend. Marcel Reed has an impressive track record against ranked road teams (see: Notre Dame, LSU), and he’s maybe the best quarterback that the Longhorns have played since their season opener. I’ll pick the one who’s done this before. Texas A&M 31, Texas 28.
Kevin Sherrington, columnist
The Aggies can make up for the last two games of this great rivalry at Kyle Field, not to mention three decades or so of angst in the big picture overall. Has Arch Manning grown up enough to match Marcel Reed? Seems like the Aggies’ year. Texas A&M 31, Texas 28
Brad Townsend, sports enterprise reporter
Arch Manning and the Longhorns showed considerably more life against Arkansas, but these aren’t the Razorbacks. Mike Elko will scheme Manning just enough, Texas will get a special teams touchdown to keep the game close, but the Aggies will win in Austin for the first time since 2010. Texas A&M 31, Texas 27
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