It all comes down to this. A blood feud with high stakes. Texas at Texas A&M would be a huge deal if it was just the game. But it’s so much more. It’s the 13-year wait after the Aggies left the Big 12 do to jealousy of Texas. It’s the Aggies trying to kill the deal that brought Texas and Oklahoma into the SEC. And most relevantly, the winner goes to the SEC championship game.
There will be a lot of attention on the game. ESPN College GameDay will be in College Station Saturday morning. CBS Sports analyst Josh Pate will also be on hand.
Pate is very excited that, not only is the Texas-Texas A&M series is back on, but the games means something within the SEC. “This Saturday, some of you are going to learn something about the pure unadulterated, unfiltered, unexplainable hatred,” Pate explained. “The winner is going to Atlanta. What I hoped is there would be implications on this beyond just the rivalry.”
Pate wants the entire country to witness the spectacle that the Lone Star Showdown produces. “These two are going to get into a knife fight no matter what. But someone in Reno, NV might not care as much if one or both of them were out of the playoff race or SEC Championship race. Well, they’re both in both of them. We got what we wanted.”
“Emotion is such a huge part of college football,” Pate continued. “And it will be a a premium. You will never see such an emotional outpouring, just a guttural hatred like you will when Texas comes into Kyle Field.”
So, can Texas overcome the crowd and the emotions on the road and get the win? Pate favors the Horns by a slim margin. “A&M absolutely has what it takes to win this thing. But Texas is my pick for a reason. I think their best football is in front of them. They need to find it this week. I am going to take Texas to win. I don’t like the points. (Texas -5.5) I think it’s going to thread the needle. I think it’s going to be a very, very close game. I’ll take Texas to win. A&M to cover.”
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: CBS Sports’ Josh Pate announces his Texas vs. Texas A&M pick
