AUSTIN, Texas – In the final chapter of a storied college football regular season, the Texas Longhorns are hosting their in-state arch-rivals, the Texas A&M Aggies, in the Lone Star Showdown.
The matchup features two teams playing for postseason positioning, but the context is much different than most people expected in the preseason.
Texas, which entered the season as the No. 1 team in college football, is fighting for a slim chance to grab one of the final seeds in the College Football Playoff, while preseason No. 19 Texas A&M is looking to cap off an undefeated regular season and further position itself as a candidate for a first-round bye.
It’s a stark contrast from preseason expectations. Here’s how we got here:
The Longhorns entered the 2025 season as the top-ranked team in the AP Poll, surpassing even the reigning CFP champion Ohio State Buckeyes. The champs swiftly reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the season opener, taking down Texas in a 14-7 rock-fight in Columbus.
Across their next 10 games, it was a mixed bag for the team in burnt orange. Texas won arguably its most important game in dominant fashion, bludgeoning Oklahoma 23-6 in a Red River wrecking. They also looked sharp against Vanderbilt, a team that is still well within playoff talks with one Saturday left to play.
READ MORE: Arch Manning and Texas get much-needed 23-6 win over No. 6 Oklahoma in Red River Rivalry
But there were some ugly moments, too. Texas lost to a Florida Gators team that is still looking for its fourth win, and dropped another one against a playoff-ready Georgia Bulldogs squad. Despite entering the season with Heisman Trophy hopes, quarterback Arch Manning has had some rough showings. Head Coach Steve Sarkisian, widely regarded as one of football’s strongest offensive minds, even had to answer questions over whether or not he should continue calling plays.
Now at 8-3, Texas is looking to give the CFP committee a tough decision, or at the very least, spoil the Aggies’ perfection. There’s reason to believe they have a shot, as Manning’s play has improved dramatically throughout the season.
A&M enters the matchup with an 11-0 record for the first time since 1992. The Aggies put the football world on notice in September, taking down the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on the road. Since then, they’ve mowed through the SEC, with a résumé that includes dominant road wins over the LSU Tigers and Missouri Tigers. Quarterback Marcel Reed has also positioned himself as a savvy Heisman pick.
Despite the perfect record, A&M’s résumé has sparked some concerns. The Aggies only edged out a 45-42 game against the Arkansas Razorbacks, a team that has only won two games. Their schedule has also been very accommodating by SEC standards, as they avoided matchups against conference heavyweights like Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss.
Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. from Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The Aggies enter as a 2.5-point road favorite.
KPRC 2 will have a live blog posting updates throughout the contest.
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