Texas vs. A&M: Lone Star Crash Course

On Friday, the University of Texas football team travels to Bryan-College Station for another matchup with the Aggies of Texas A&M. 

I don't want to be guilty of overhyping a game which on paper may not appear to be that good, but I must state that the UT-A&M game is the main course of my favorite week of the year.

Monday through Wednesday may not be that noteworthy, but Thursday through Sunday are the best four consecutive days on the calendar. Thursday consists of turkey and dressing, pumpkin pie, and the Cowboys. Add in the surprisingly important Green Bay-Detroit and Arizona State-USC matchups, and you have the recipe for a great day on the couch.

Saturday and Sunday are always the best days of the week for football fans, but this weekend the games will be even better, with the addition of leftover turkey sandwiches and pumpkin pie. 

But for most Texans, Friday is the day to look forward to. This is year is no different. Can Texas stop A&M's running game, specifically Steven McGee? Can Texas' offense continue their success running the ball? Can Colt McCoy avoid enough mistakes to win? 

Texas has separated itself from A&M in terms of talent, but the Aggies always show up to play against their rivals from Austin. As a Longhorn fan brought up in the late 80s and early 90s, I remember the days when UT was the underdog. Because of that, I have an innate fear of A&M's 12th man—see last year for an example.

For A&M, this is a game that can alter their momentum going into an offseason that is sure to be interesting. Many questions are swirling around this team, most having to do with soon-to-be-former coach Dennis Franchione's contract.

As much as Tech fans may disagree, A&M is the number-two football school in the state of Texas. They cannot afford to get beaten in their recruiting efforts in-state by outsiders like LSU and Oklahoma, as they have in recent years. 

Until they clearly re-establish themselves as a dominant force in Texas football, A&M will have to settle for just two or three wins a decade against the rival Longhorns.

Oklahoma's recent troubles have made this game interesting. Texas actually has a chance to go to the Big 12 Championship game if the depleted Sooners can't finish the season. 

How ironic would it be if OU lost their last two games and let UT skate into the conference championship? Texas would just need to overcome A&M to turn a very weird, up-and-down season into another ten-win year with a shot at a BCS bowl and maybe the Big 12 trophy to boot. Who knows, maybe they get Hawaii, this year's Boise St. in a BCS at large game.

To make it happen, the Longhorns first have to get past lowly A&M. Who now take this game more seriously than the Longhorns. They wouldn't want it any other way—and frankly, neither would I.