SEC afraid of Texas-Aggy matchup?

[Sirhornsalot]

http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/college-football-playoff-rankings-alabama-sec-texas-am-bowl-game-cfb-am-111914?cmpid=tsmfb%3Afscom%3Afox

How much progress has Charlie Strong made at Texas in his first season as the head coach?

One indication was the Longhorns becoming bowl eligible last week in a season they’ve openly admitted was a rebuilding year in Austin. Another is the growing feeling that Texas could give No. 5 TCU a lot of trouble when the Horned Frogs visit on Thanksgiving evening.

But the greatest might be this: Is the SEC afraid of Texas A&M facing the Longhorns in a bowl game? Apparently the league is letting bowls with SEC and Big 12 tie-ins know they wouldn’t support that matchup.

According to a report from HornsDigest.com’s Chip Brown, the SEC believes there’s too much for the league to lose in recruiting power if the Aggies and Longhorns square off.

From Brown’s story:



Two sources close to the situation told HornsDigest.com SEC officials have indicated to bowls with SEC and Big 12 tie-ins that the SEC won’t support a Texas vs Texas A&M postseason matchup. In short, A&M has too much to lose from a potential loss.



Right now, the Aggies and Kevin Sumlin are seen as the school to beat in the Lone Star State in recruiting. Why risk diminishing that status with just more than two months until National Signing Day? 



Especially when UT and A&M have been head-to-head on so many key recruits.



Because the SEC handpicks which of its schools will play in the Outback, Gator, Belk, Liberty, Music City and Texas bowls, the conference known as the biggest, baddest bully on the block can make sure no fight is made unless they say it’s made.


Well, that’s too bad – and probably a bit paranoid on the SEC’s part. The Longhorns are going to get their share of recruits within the state regardless, and there’s more than enough talent in Texas to fuel two programs humming at a high level. Currently, the Aggies have the No. 6 recruiting class for 2015, according to 
http://247sports.com/Season/2015-Football/CompositeTeamRankings247Sports’ composite rankings
http://247sports.com/Season/2015-Football/CompositeTeamRankings, and Texas is at No. 16. (
Update:
 SEC says 
http://www.foxsports.com/southwest/story/sec-says-no-decision-s-been-made-on-a-m-texas-bowl-111914no decision has been made
http://www.foxsports.com/southwest/story/sec-says-no-decision-s-been-made-on-a-m-texas-bowl-111914 on A&M-Texas bowl.)


THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

1. Alabama jumped to 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...-new-top-25-nov-18-selection-committee-111814No. 1 in the new College Football Playoff
http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...-new-top-25-nov-18-selection-committee-111814 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...-new-top-25-nov-18-selection-committee-111814rankings
http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...-new-top-25-nov-18-selection-committee-111814, while 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/oregon-ducks-teamOregon
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/oregon-ducks-team, 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/florida-state-seminoles-teamFlorida State
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/florida-state-seminoles-team and 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/mississippi-state-bulldogs-teamMississippi State
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/mississippi-state-bulldogs-team rounded out the top four. TCU dropped one spot to No. 5 while 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/ohio-state-buckeyes-teamOhio State
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/ohio-state-buckeyes-team jumped up to No. 6 to split the Big 12 duo, with 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/baylor-bears-teamBaylor
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/baylor-bears-team coming in at No. 7. Here are 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...-mississippi-state-ohio-state-reaction-111814some quick takeaways from Stewart Mandel
http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...-mississippi-state-ohio-state-reaction-111814 on the new rankings.
2. 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/usc-trojans-teamUSC
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/usc-trojans-team has 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/usc-trojans-reinstate-josh-shaw-111814reinstated cornerback Josh Shaw
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/usc-trojans-reinstate-josh-shaw-111814 nearly three months after he concocted a story about how he injured both of his ankles. Shaw’s fake story – that he jumped off a balcony to help save a drowning nephew – became a viral sensation when USC wrote it up and published it on the school’s website, lauding Shaw’s courageous act. They were quickly embarrassed when the story unraveled and the public found out that Shaw actually jumped off a balcony at his apartment complex in Los Angeles after a heated argument with his girlfriend that got so loud police were called. Seeing authorities outside made Shaw scramble. A domestic violence case was opened, and authorities closed it earlier this week after concluding there would be no charges. USC then welcomed Shaw back on Tuesday, and Steve Sarkisian will determine how the senior can help the 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/usc-trojans-teamTrojans
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/usc-trojans-team in the remaining few games of the year.
3. Midweek MAC football is already bound to get weird, but now bad weather across the country is really making things interesting. Bowling Green plays at Toledo tonight, and somehow Kent State 
http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/2014/11/18/kent-state-football/19255131/made it to Buffalo for tonight’s game
http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/2014/11/18/kent-state-football/19255131/; Buffalo was hammered by snow yesterday. There were 
http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014...e-very-cold-akron-band-play-to-an-empty-crowdseveral people at the Massachusetts-Akron game
http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014...e-very-cold-akron-band-play-to-an-empty-crowd on Tuesday night to see Akron win, 30-6, and then 
http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014/11/18/7244579/theyre-tipping-cow-people-at-niu-akronthings just got bizarre
http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014/11/18/7244579/theyre-tipping-cow-people-at-niu-akron at Northern Illinois’ 21-14 win at Ohio.
 



THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW


1. A recruit 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...ng-to-god-alabama-crimson-tide-pj-blue-111814met with Alabama coach Nick Saban
http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...ng-to-god-alabama-crimson-tide-pj-blue-111814 and said it was “almost like talking to God.â€
2. 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/georgia-bulldogs-teamGeorgia
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/georgia-bulldogs-team lawmakers 
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/stat...itter_2014_sports_sfp#916189ab.3828699.735555want a $25,000 fine and jail time for autograph brokers
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/stat...itter_2014_sports_sfp#916189ab.3828699.735555who try to pay college football players like Todd Gurley for money. That’s all fine, as I’m certainly against third parties profiting off college athletes when the athletes themselves can’t, but I think it redirects the real problem, which is the NCAA’s audacity to sit a player out four games for collecting a small amount of money for his autograph. Yes, I know “rules are rules†and they must be enforced, and no, I’m not advocating rule breaking of any kind in college sports. What I’m advocating is changing the damn rule.
By the way: Those rumored Jameis Winston autographs that were floating around now have 
http://espn.go.com/college-football...-jameis-winston-items-due-legitimacy-concernsserious suspicions about their authenticity
http://espn.go.com/college-football...-jameis-winston-items-due-legitimacy-concerns.
3. Ohio State injured QB 
http://www.foxsports.com/collegefootball/player/braxton-miller/1263400Braxton Miller
http://www.foxsports.com/collegefootball/player/braxton-miller/1263400 reportedly 
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...axton-miller-not-planning-to-transfer-for-nowplans to return to the Buckeyes in 2015
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...axton-miller-not-planning-to-transfer-for-now rather than explore transfer options or the NFL. Miller is out this season with a shoulder injury, and in his absence redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett has become a star. It’ll be a problem to sort through for Urban Meyer and his staff next fall, but it’s a good one to have. Injuries and poor performance happen.


THREE THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW


1. Someone 
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/11/chip-kelly-florida-gators-wikipediamessed with Chip Kelly’s Wikipedia account
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/11/chip-kelly-florida-gators-wikipedia to make it read that the Philadelphia Eagles coach is now coach of the 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/florida-gators-teamFlorida Gators
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/florida-gators-team. It since has been corrected, but Gators fans must have been dreaming wildly for a few hours (and, no, I don’t see any way that would actually happen – not this year).
2. 
http://www.foxsports.com/collegefootball/player/cole-stoudt/1263406Cole Stoudt
http://www.foxsports.com/collegefootball/player/cole-stoudt/1263406 will start for 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/clemson-tigers-teamClemson
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/clemson-tigers-team on Senior Day, and Dabo Swinney went on the offensive 
http://www.tigernet.com/story/football/Swinney-calls-Clemson-fans-boo-Cole-Stoudt-13268against fans who might boo the QB
http://www.tigernet.com/story/football/Swinney-calls-Clemson-fans-boo-Cole-Stoudt-13268after his poor game against 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/georgia-tech-yellow-jackets-teamGeorgia Tech
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/georgia-tech-yellow-jackets-team last week. Totally with Dabo here.
3. Tuesday was the 15-year anniversary of the 1999 Texas A&M bonfire tragedy, and the Universiy of Texas did a nice thing by 
https://twitter.com/UTAustin/status/534794882339340288offering its support on social media
https://twitter.com/UTAustin/status/534794882339340288.
 



LASTLY


* Here's my hit from 
http://media.espn929.com/a/99252827...ilis-on-the-eric-hasseltine-show-11-18-14.htmTuesday on the Eric Hasseltine Show
http://media.espn929.com/a/99252827...ilis-on-the-eric-hasseltine-show-11-18-14.htm in 
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/memphis-tigers-teamMemphis
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/memphis-tigers-team talking a bunch of CFB stuff.
* The Yale student president put a lot of effort into 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Srn6rI0UE1Ymaking a YouTube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Srn6rI0UE1Y to talk trash to Harvard by challenging its student president to a boxing match before The Game. It was a nice effort.
And then sometime shortly thereafter, Harvard president Gus Mayopoulos 
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153338829703761&set=vb.740998760&type=2&theaterposted a 19-second Facebook video
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153338829703761&set=vb.740998760&type=2&theater from his dorm room asking one simple question (warning: language).
Official decision: Gus Mayopoulos by knockout!
Have a great Wednesday, all.


Teddy Mitrosilis is an editor and writer for FOXSports.com. 

http://www.twitter.com/TMitrosilisFollow him on Twitter @TMitrosilis
http://www.twitter.com/TMitrosilis and email him at tmitrosilis@gmail.com.

 

[Brasky]

"Any place, any time".  

Another in the extraordinarily long list of Aggie jokes.  

 

[Bevostuntdouble]

Great read! Thanks!

 

[primal defense]

I'm glad this is going national as Kenny Bania said on Seinfield "That's gold Jerry gold." This is recruiting gold for Texas. Whoever leaked this to Chip did a very good job. It's a hard to have swag when your believed to have duck your main rival or have your conference do it. That's phony swag, real swag is when you say you'll play anyone at anytime not some BS helicopter.

Also for all the SEC suck ups who say that the SEC is the greatest conference in the history of college football this doesn't make them look so big and bad. This is just the latest good news for UT. Every since that video of the players body surfing Charlie, things have been looking up.

 

[Brasky]

I'm glad this is going national as Kenny Bania said on Seinfield "That's gold Jerry gold." This is recruiting gold for Texas. Whoever leaked this to Chip did a very good job. It's a hard to have swag when your believed to have duck your main rival or have your conference do it. That's phony swag, real swag is when you say you'll play anyone at anytime not some BS helicopter.

Also for all the SEC suck ups who say that the SEC is the greatest conference in the history of college football this doesn't make them look so big and bad. This is just the latest good news for UT. Every since that video of the players body surfing Charlie, things have been looking up.

This is absolutely correct.  I get the posters and fans who are tired of aggy talk but this should be a story worth keeping in the consciousnees of the media, recruits, fan bases, etc.  It is detrimental to both aggy and the SEC.  No other conference hand picks their matchups.  The backlash against the SEC for the obvious bias, the favorable schduling / locales, etc is obviously mounting and if more people knew how they operate behind the scenes to bolster their inflated perception, the better for everyone else.

 

[primal defense]

This is absolutely correct.  I get the posters and fans who are tired of aggy talk but this should be a story worth keeping in the consciousnees of the media, recruits, fan bases, etc.  It is detrimental to both aggy and the SEC.  No other conference hand picks their matchups.  The backlash against the SEC for the obvious bias, the favorable schduling / locales, etc is obviously mounting and if more people knew how they operate behind the scenes to bolster their inflated perception, the better for everyone else.

I saw that, I wouldn't worry about any UT fan who doesn't enjoy this embarrassment for the aggies and the SEC. Also, the possibility that it may help UT in recruiting. Don't you let them keep you from enjoying this.

 

[Juan]

— Twitter API (@twitterapi) November 7, 2011

 

[streettopeschel]

— Twitter API (@twitterapi) November 7, 2011

awesome.  

 

[java]

awesome.  

Oh, street...

pure awesomeness!

Hook 'em!