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sportsTexas Longhorns

Buckle up, the blood rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M is back

Which side has the advantage with a spot in the SEC title game on the line?

A recent study by the Athletic concluded that the best explanation for a crazy SEC season is there’s no place like home field. A fitting trend for Texas A&M’s hopes of making the league title game. No less an authority than a video game has declared Kyle Field the toughest place to play in all of college football, which should come in handy Saturday when its blood rivalry resumes with Texas.

The 20th-ranked Aggies will need all the built-in advantage they can get because the third-ranked Longhorns hold an edge at quarterback, usually the way to bet.

Question is, can Quinn Ewers hold off an avalanche of age-old animosity at Kyle Field?

Or will the 12th Man prove to be 100,000 too many?

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Mike Elko is counting on the latter, and not for the first time. Twice this season — against Missouri and LSU — A&M’s coach called on the faithful to avenge perceived slights against their loud-mouthed reputation. Not so coincidentally, the Aggies responded with a couple of their best performances.

Best I can tell, no Longhorn has said anything this week that could be considered a breach of etiquette. Not that this game needs any artificial stimulation. Doesn’t even need the history, as compelling as it is. It’s been 13 years since the clock counted down Justin Tucker’s 40-yard field goal, Texas’ 27-25 win and the end of the state’s greatest rivalry.

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Even if it turned out it wasn’t, it was still a long time ago. Practically prehistoric to the participants. Three generations have passed since the last time these two played each other. History lessons don’t do it for kids these days.

Fortunately, a berth in the league title game against Georgia next week should be more than enough motivation for all parties.

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The Aggies, 8-3 and 5-2 in the SEC, have no room for error from here on out. They need to beat both Texas and Georgia to clinch the SEC champ’s automatic bid. In the College Football Playoff era, 22 teams with three losses have finished in the top 12. No team with four losses has finished as high.

The Longhorns’ odds are better with records of 10-1 and 6-1. Even with a loss to the Aggies or Bulldogs, they’d probably still make the playoffs.

Come to think of it, might be nice not to have to play Georgia again.

On the other hand, a win over the Aggies would finally give Texas a win the CFP committee could defend when answering interminable questions from media doubting the Longhorns’ bona fides. Granted, Vanderbilt isn’t much as best wins go, though the Longhorns probably should earn style points for beating Oklahoma and Florida when Alabama and Ole Miss couldn’t.

The Aggies already count as Notre Dame’s best win, which has looked better each week as A&M has improved under Elko’s steady hand. He’s managed to position A&M for a shot at the SEC title despite juggling quarterbacks all season.

Marcel Reed has developed into a dual-threat, but he lacks Ewers’ experience in big games. Ewers has his detractors — roughly corresponding to his perceived slide out of the first round, in fact — but he’s still top 10 in most Texas passing categories. He’s also won in Tuscaloosa, the Big House and JerryWorld. At his best, he’s as good as any quarterback in the nation. Even at his worst, he still throws a beautiful ball.

The biggest question going into Saturday, though, is how much a tender ankle makes him an easy target. Ewers has never been particularly mobile, but he’s agile enough to buy a little time. A good pass rush by the Aggies could render Texas one-dimensional.

Of course, as good as A&M’s defense is, Texas’ is better by most metrics. Top five. The Longhorns have handled dual-threat quarterbacks such as Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia and Taylen Green of Arkansas. At the very least, I’d rank the opposing defenses a push.

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In which case the setting could prove a determining factor. EA College Football 25 ranked Kyle Field ahead of Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Ohio Stadium in Columbus and Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga.

From personal experience, LSU seems like a tougher gig. Especially at night, after the faithful are well-lubricated.

Then again, I’ve never been in another press box that felt like it might be coming loose. Given the resumption of the rivalry and stakes involved, I’m bringing a seat belt Saturday.

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