It's the game both fan bases have waited 13 years for, with some of the highest stakes the rivalry has had in its over 100-year history. A trip to the SEC Championship and a year's worth of making up for the 13 missed opportunities of bragging rights is on the line.
Here are the five games within the Texas vs Texas A&M game that will determine the outcome.
1. Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr. as a QB Spy on Texas A&M's Marcel Reed
Marcel Reed is most dangerous on the move, whether on a zone read or scrambling out of the pocket to throw to a late-breaking wide receiver. But what happens when the linebacker across from him is 50 pounds heavier and nearly as fast? Ask Oklahoma.
Anthony Hill Jr. tormented Michael Hawkins Jr., the Sooners' freshman quarterback, when he tried to rely on his athleticism instead of passing from the pocket. Hill Jr. finished with 11 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.
Granted, Reed is more experienced and has a better supporting cast than Hawkins did. But Hill Jr. aced his first test against a quarterback with a similar play style, and he'll be the best athlete at linebacker Reed will see. Hill Jr. is the only FBS linebacker with at least 70 tackles, 15 tackles for-loss, six sacks and three forced fumbles.
2. Texas A&M Edges Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton vs Texas tackles Kelvin Banks Jr. and Cam Williams
All four are projected Top 20 NFL Draft picks in Matt Miller's latest Mock Draft for ESPN. There are millions of dollars on the table Saturday night. Who grabs it?
Banks Jr. has been an expected first-round selection since he started at left tackle for Texas from Day 1. Williams, his counterpart on the right side, has allowed just 11 pressures on 376 pass blocking attempts. But it's run blocking where both tackles will be tested the most. Stewart is the ninth-ranked edge rusher in the nation against the run, per PFF.
However, Scourton's inconsistent pad level could be a boon for Texas, which has the physicality to stonewall him if he gets too high.
3. The Playcalling Battle Between Mike Elko and Steve Sarkisian
Elko and Sarkisian are two coaches at the height of their powers calling plays against each other whenever Texas is on offense and Texas A&M is on defense, and best believe they've saved some play designs for each other. But the Longhorns haven't looked high-powered in the back half of the season. After averaging over 43 points in the first six games, Texas has scored over 30 just once in the last five.
The lackluster output is partly because teams are turning up the heat. Texas gave up 13 total sacks against Georgia, Vanderbilt and Arkansas, and 8.5 came from second-level defenders on blitzes. If Texas gets into third-and-long situations, Elko's defenisve play calling will go on the offensive with stunts. It's up to the offensive line to diagnose them, and for Ewers to get the ball out quickly.
4. Texas QB Quinn Ewers vs the Texas A&M Crowd
Minus the Georgia game, Ewers has always performed his best in the biggest moments, usually in hostile territory. He was surgical in trips to Alabama last year and Michigan in Week 2.
But the first Texas-Texas A&M game in Kyle Field in 13 years with an SEC Championship Game berth on the line will be the most hostile crowd he'll see as a college quarterback. He'll have to conquer it on two fronts. First, pre-snap penalties due to crowd noise will put Texas behind the chains, and, as stated above, that's where Texas A&M's defense can pin its ears back. If Texas A&M rushes Ewers into mistakes, he'll then have to deal with the roaring reaction.
5. Texas nickelback Jaylon Guilbeau vs Texas A&M WR Noah Thomas
Texas wins the battle on the edges of the formation. Jahdae Barron is a front-runner for the Thorpe Award, and fans haven't heard Maalik Muhammad's name called because he's doing his job well.
But if Texas A&M wins games in the trenches, its passing game wins inside the hash marks. Slot receiver Noah Thomas was a matchup nightmare for Auburn, catching five passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. On paper, he's too fast for most linebackers and too big (6-foot-6, 200) for nickelbacks. Thomas, however, has only gone over 100 yards receiving twice this year. It's on nickelback Jaylon Guilbeau to ensure he doesn't repeat his Auburn outing.
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