Texas defeated Texas A&M once more in a heated rivalry match, and this particular loss is expected to linger in the minds of the Aggies for a long time. The Longhorns” 27-17 win on Friday night not only dashed Texas A&M”s hopes for a Southeastern Conference title, but also ended their perfect season and impacted their potential placement in the College Football Playoff. Quarterback Marcel Reed”s late-season momentum as a Heisman Trophy candidate also took a hit. However, the Aggies still have a shot at the playoffs and the chance to compete for a national championship.
“There”s still a lot right now to be proud of,” Reed commented, highlighting that the Aggies achieved 11 wins in the regular season for the first time since 1992. “There”s still a lot to work for… I think we believe that we can make it to the national championship. And so we”re just going to put our heads down and grind.”
The Aggies, with a record of 11-1 and ranked No. 3 in the College Football Playoff, are well-positioned to reach the playoffs for the first time. Yet, the season”s special nature has been overshadowed by back-to-back losses to the Longhorns, especially since this rivalry had resumed after a decade-long hiatus. “We”re just thinking about not getting the job done tonight,” Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko remarked. “Maybe coming out of this weekend, we”ll regroup and figure out moving forward what the positives are of 11-1. Right now it just hurts that we lost to our rival.”
Since joining the SEC in 2012, the Aggies have never made it to the conference championship game, while Texas reached it in their inaugural season last year. The Longhorns began this season ranked No. 1, and Texas A&M had a chance to eliminate their playoff aspirations. Now, with their victory, the Longhorns can begin to advocate for their own playoff inclusion. “We want to go to the SEC championship. We”re tired of losing to the same team back-to-back years, tired of not winning that trophy,” linebacker Taurean York stated. “But, you know, that”s the bright side, so we”ll look at it that way.”
Reed had a significant opportunity to strengthen his Heisman candidacy and initially appeared poised to do so after overcoming an early ankle injury scare and guiding the Aggies to a 10-3 lead at halftime. However, he was ultimately outperformed by Arch Manning, his Texas counterpart. Manning, who began the season as a Heisman favorite, had struggled earlier in the campaign. Reed”s stock had risen after a stunning comeback against South Carolina weeks prior, but there was no such rally for A&M this time around. Though the Aggies narrowed the gap to 20-17, Manning sealed the game with a decisive touchdown. Reed concluded the match with 180 passing yards, but two late interceptions sealed the Aggies” fate.
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