Texas A&M is 11-0 for the first time since 1992 and yet it still needs another victory to assure a berth in the Southeastern Conference title game.
The No. 3 Aggies look to clinch in a spot in the conference championship contest when they visit No. 16 Texas on Friday night in Austin.
Texas A&M coach Mike Elko allowed it’s a tough road when your squad can be one of three unbeaten teams nationally and still need to win your final regular-season contest to play in the conference’s marquee game.
“I think the way things broke this year with our schedule inhibited some of our tiebreaker abilities,” Elko said Monday of the club’s 7-0 SEC mark. “It’s going to force us to go 8-0 to get to Atlanta and it is what it is. I think in another year, certainly last year, it wouldn’t have taken the same.
“But that’s just how this conference goes, and so you’ve got a lot of teams playing each other, battling it out. We’re just fortunate to still be in it going into the last weekend of the year again.”
Texas A&M trails only top-ranked Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana in the College Football Playoff poll so the Aggies know they will be part of the playoffs.
In the SEC, Texas A&M is a half-game ahead of No. 4 Georgia (7-1) and one game ahead of No. 7 Ole Miss (6-1) and No. 10 Alabama (6-1).
But beating fierce rival Texas in an intense atmosphere on the road would be a satisfying way to finish off an undefeated SEC slate.
“They’re a really talented football team,” Elko said. “Obviously, anytime you play this game, it’s going to have a little bit of a different energy about it. That will be one of the biggest challenges that comes along with it, and I think it’ll be an exciting opportunity for us Friday night.”
The Longhorns (8-3, 5-2) need a victory to keep their at-large playoff aspirations alive. A loss would signal the end to the pursuit.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian didn’t want to discuss whether a win over the Aggies would get the Longhorns into the CFP field.
“I’ll talk about that after the game,” Sarkisian said. “If we’re fortunate enough to win the game, I’ll talk about that after the game because I think that would be a better platform.”
Texas lost its season opener to then-No. 3 Ohio State, had a bad SEC loss to Florida on Oct. 4 and were later drubbed 35-10 by then-No. 5 Georgia on Nov. 15.
The Longhorns, who are in a three-way tie for fifth place in the SEC, remained alive with last weekend’s 52-37 home win over Arkansas.
Quarterback Arch Manning became the first Texas player since the legendary Bobby Layne to record passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns in the same game. Layne accomplished it against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1946.
Manning passed for a season-high 389 yards to go with four passing scores as he accounted for six touchdowns overall, second in Texas history behind Clyde Littlefield (seven in 1915).
Sarkisian, a former college quarterback, said the game has slowed down for Manning.
“I think it has for him,” Sarkisian said. “I think he’s done a really good job of his decision making. He had a couple scrambles the other day where I think Arch early in the year puts his head down and starts barreling forward and maybe gets 2 or 3 more yards.”
Manning has passed for 2,763 yards, 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also has rushed for seven scores.
Texas A&M star quarterback Marcel Reed has thrown for 2,752 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He has added six scores on the ground.
Last season, the teams played for the first time since 2011 and the Longhorns notched a 17-7 road win.
