Game: Texas A&M Aggies at Texas Longhorns
Date & Time: Thursday, November 28, 7:30 PM EST
Location: Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX
Betting Line: Texas A&M -2.5, Over/Under 52.5
The Storyline
The wait is over. For the first time since 2011, the Texas A&M Aggies and Texas Longhorns will battle for state supremacy on the gridiron. The Lone Star Showdown is back, but this time, the stakes are different. This isn’t just a non-conference rivalry; it’s a full-fledged SEC showdown on Thanksgiving night with conference and postseason implications on the line. The Aggies travel to Austin as slight road favorites, but in a rivalry this heated, home-field advantage and raw emotion could render the point spread meaningless.
Texas A&M Aggies Breakdown
The Aggies enter hostile territory with the oddsmakers’ favor, looking to assert their dominance in the renewal of this historic series. To walk out of Austin with a victory, Texas A&M will need a signature performance from its defense and a poised game from its offense, likely led by quarterback Marcel Reed. The key for the Aggies will be to silence the raucous home crowd early. This means controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, preventing the Longhorns from establishing a rhythm, and avoiding the costly mistakes that can swing momentum in a rivalry game. A win on the road wouldn’t just be a victory; it would be a monumental statement in the new SEC landscape.
Texas Longhorns Breakdown
The Longhorns welcome their old rivals back to Austin as home underdogs, a role they will surely relish. The biggest storyline for Texas revolves around the health and performance of quarterback Arch Manning. After dealing with a concussion scare in late October, Manning was cleared to start in early November and is the critical component for the Longhorns’ offense. His ability to handle the pressure of this moment will be the single most important factor for Texas.
The Longhorns have also dealt with injuries throughout the season, but received some positive news in recent weeks with offensive lineman Cole Hutson and defensive lineman Lance Jackson trending in the right direction. Having key players healthy in the trenches will be vital as they look to protect Manning and disrupt the Aggies’ game plan. Fueled by a frenzied home crowd, Texas has a prime opportunity to score a season-defining upset.
Prediction
This matchup is essentially a toss-up, with the -2.5 spread for A&M barely negating Texas’s home-field advantage. In a game this charged with emotion and history, the intangibles often outweigh the statistics. Texas is the home underdog with a quarterback in Arch Manning who will be playing in the biggest game of his career. The atmosphere at DKR will be electric. While the Aggies have the talent to win, the combination of home-field energy and the motivation of an underdog in a revived rivalry points toward the Longhorns. Expect a hard-fought, back-and-forth affair that comes down to the final quarter.
The Pick: Texas +2.5Over/Under: Over 52.5
Sources:
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi: Welcome Home
Texas A&M University Kingsville
Texas A&M Aggies Scores, Stats and Highlights – ESPN
Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Texas A&M International University
West Texas A&M University | WTAMU
2025 Football Schedule – Texas A&M Athletics – 12thMan.com
Texas A&M Texarkana
Texas A&M Athletics – 12thMan.com – Official Athletics Website