The Lone Star Showdown Is Back, As Texas And Texas A&M Renew A Rivalry Bred For College Football

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For the first time since 2011, Texas and Texas A&M will take the field on Saturday night to reprise a rivalry that is one of the cornerstones of college football. It’s only fitting that this game will decide who plays in the SEC championship next weekend. 

The last time the Lone Star Showdown took place was in 2011, just before the Aggies set sail for the SEC, leaving the Big 12 behind for what it imagined were greener pastures. But one of the most important games in college football, similar to the Iron Bowl, came to an end in dramatic fashion as the Longhorns drilled a last-second field goal to win the game. 

There have been moments of celebration for the Aggies since that faithful kick sent them off to the SEC, but they have not experienced the joy of playing for a conference title since joining the league. But as crazy as this season has been, coming off a loss to Auburn last week in four-overtimes, Texas A&M has a shot at playing for a league title, with the Longhorns standing in their way. 

Let’s be honest, it’s only fitting that one of the greatest rivalries in college sports is returning, and not only will they renew that hated rivalry, but an SEC title game appearance is on the line. Talk about upping the stakes for this game, which did not need any extra fireworks to begin with. 

Justin Tucker hit the GW field goal for Texas, the last time they played Texas A&M (Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images)

If you want to feel old, remember that Justin Tucker drilled the 40-yard field goal as time expired to give the Longhorns the 27-25 victory in 2011. 

For those that want to attend the game on Saturday, I hope you already have tickets. If not, you’re going to have to make a decision on whether to pay the rent, or watch these two teams battle in College Station. According to Stubhub, it will cost you over $700 just to get into the game. Maybe you can write this off as some type of business expense, or wait until the first quarter has started to see if any remaining tickets have taken a price dive. 

Either way, the atmosphere surrounding this game at Kyle Field will be well-worth the price of admission, if you are a diehard fan of either team. 

It’s Been 25 Years Since Tragedy Surrounded To Texas vs. Texas A&M Game

If you’re a Texas A&M fan, it’s hard to forget the tragedy of 1999, as Aggie fans prepared to celebrate the upcoming game against the Longhorns. 

It was called the “Fightin’ Texas Aggie Bonfire”, which was a way to describe the Aggies ‘burning desire’ to beat Texas on the field. One of the most visually stunning traditions on college sports, Texas A&M students would build this massive bonfire, stacking more than 4,500 18-foot logs, dating back to 1907. 

On the night of Nov. 18th, 1999, tragedy struck the College Station community. The massive logs buckled under the pressure a week before the game as it was being built, killing 12 students in the process. When the incident occurred, rescuers rushed into the area, looking to find any survivors of the massive destruction. 

Among those who were running to the scene were Texas A&M football players, who did everything they could to remove the logs, hoping to find some of their classmates still alive. It was a tragedy that will never be forgotten, and neither will the efforts from the Texas Longhorn football team, who organized a blood drive in Austin, hoping to help in any way possible. 

There was an investigation into the tragic incident. According to the report released by local officials, there wasn’t enough on the bottom part of the massive stack of logs, which caused it to buckle, collapsing onto those who were building it. 

Just last week, Texas A&M held a ceremony to remember those that were lost. The game in 1999 was a time for grieving and remembering, as both fan-bases sat in the stands, taking part in multiple tributes during that meeting. The schools called-off the bonfire for this year, due to weather conditions in the area. 

Is This The Biggest Texas vs. Texas A&M Game To Date? It’s Massive

There will be over 105,000 fans packed into Kyle Field on Saturday night to enjoy this rivalry renewal, with the entire college football community looking on, for many different reasons. 

Thanks to a wild season in the SEC, this game will determine who plays for the conference championship against Georgia next weekend in Atlanta. Even though the Aggies lost to Auburn last weekend, they still have a chance to make the college football playoff, thanks to Oklahoma defeating Alabama. 

For this reason, with so much at-stake, I would say that this showdown in College Station is the perfect way to re-start this historic rivalry in college football. Both teams have a shot at winning an SEC title, but will have to decide on the field which team gets the opportunity to play Georgia. 

Can Quinn Ewers lead Texas to a win over Texas A&M? (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Once Texas decided it was going to join the SEC, at the behest of the Aggies, the Texas A&M administration made sure that the first time these two teams would play each other it would take place in College Station. 

Consider it a ‘I’m Sorry, But Don’t Care About Your Feelings’ gesture by the SEC office in giving the first one to the Aggies. 

Looking back, there are certainly games that will live on forever between these two teams. But I tend to agree with the folks in Texas that have tabled this matchup the biggest game in this rivalry’s history. 

It’s not just about bragging rights on Saturday night, though that would be enough for most. This about two schools that have massive disdain for each other playing for a spot in the SEC championship, with College Football Playoff hopes on the line. 

Everything is bigger in Texas, including this showdown.