Texas Sized Fight Biggest Rivalry in College Football

By Sean Quinn

Someone should tell ESPN, CBS and the like, that rivalry weekend isn’t over.  The greatest and fiercest rivalry in all the land hasn’t even been played yet, Texas-Texas A&M.

Yes, we know that Michigan already played Ohio State.  Compared to the battle for the state of Texas, however, the showdown between the Buckeyes and the Wolverines is a second rate rivalry.You have to feel sorry for Ohio State players because they think they have the best rivalry.  But what do you expect from a program that suspends players, then buys them cars.  Ohio State is involved in one of the greatest rivalries, though, rivaling Florida State as the most dishonest program in the country.  The Buckeyes can’t help but be wrong about three other things, however.  Number one, the tradition of dotting the “i” is not the greatest tradition in college football.  That would belong to the Ags and the 12th Man tradition in College Station.  A clumsy tuba player (who was too nerdy to play the trumpet) dotting arguably the weakest of all the vowels in our language doesn’t even deserve to be mentioned in the same category as Reveille and Midnight Yell Practice.  There is nothing like going to Kyle Field and experiencing the 12th Man.  It’s that simple.  Number two, the Ohio State band is not the best damn band in the land.  They are loud, that’s it.  The best damn band, ma’am, is the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band.  “The Spirit of Aggieland” just might be the best piece of musical composition of all time.  While experiencing the 12th Man, watch the Aggie Band and you’ll see that the turf at Kyle Field is just honored to be graced by the presence of these members of the Corps of Cadets.  Number three, Ohio State-Michigan is a second rate rivalry compared to the Aggies and the Longhorns.  (I realize I’ve said this twice, but UT alumni can be a little slow).

    Alabama-Auburn?  Also a great rivalry, but only historically speaking.  The last time this was the spotlight game was when Bear Bryant was roaming the sidelines at Legion Field.

    Florida-Florida State?  The only time the word rivalry is used is when talking about Florida State’s criminal record  rivaling the likes of Mike Tyson’s.

    Army-Navy?  When both teams are constantly striving for mediocrity, you could find a better game at the local middle school.

    Harvard-Yale?  When teams are more concerned about board scores than score boards, there is no rivalry.

    Texas-Texas A&M is the only rivalry that is lived year round, side by side.  Colleagues, neighbors, and friends all feud over this rivalry.  It separates the very fabric of the state of Texas.  And as we all know, Texas is the recruiting Mecca of the football universe.

    Let’s be honest, though, Texas has gotten the better of A&M during the latest installment of the 110-year rivalry.  Texas Coach Mack Brown has only lost once to the Aggies (back in 1999 after the collapse of the Bonfire in College Station).  This year’s squad, however, should bring back some of the competitiveness that has been lacking in recent years.

    The rivalry starts with the quarterbacks, both Vince Young of Texas and Reggie McNeal of Texas A&M came out of high school as the top quarterbacks in the state.  This will be the first game McNeal can call his own, after his first two meetings against Texas came in a frenzied offense during R.C. Slocum’s last year, then last season’s debacle with new coach Dennis Franchione.  This year, McNeal and the Ags come in ranked 22 and the Wrecking Crew is finally alive in College Station.  McNeal has thrown just two interceptions to Young’s 10, and McNeal led A&M to a shootout against Oklahoma, where Young provided about as much offense against the Sooners as Screech Powers on prom night.  

    Now that McNeal and Franchione have a real team for the 12th Man to get behind, the UT-A&M rivalry will be the center of the college football world this weekend, like it should be.  And for Mack Brown, the initials A&M should be a heck of a lot scarier than the initials BCS.  This will be the first real meeting between Coach Fran and Coach Brown, and the Ags will saw Varsity’s horns off in Austin.