Texas Longhorns are steadily moving toward their SEC dream. They already hit the playoff bubble. Now, the next bullseye happens to be a first-round bye. A dominant 20-10 win against the Arkansas Razorbacks Saturday made them fascinate over a dreamy championship chase route more than ever. Doubters got their answers of how the Longhorns would fare once they reached the thick of the SEC. Steve Sarkisian delivered. But is the job done? Or do they still have some bumps in the road? David Pollack spilled out a humbling truth.

The path to the Texas Longhorns SEC title game certainly became closer, but definitely not easier. They are back at the top of the chart, with the Aggies sitting second. Providing they keep taking care of the business in each game, both the top-tier programs will be set for a week 14 rivalry resumption, and the winning team will be handed a conference title shot. In contrast, the loser’s fate will keep hanging in the balance.

”You still got Texas and Texas A&M with one loss league record in the conference, but they play each other, so one of those teams is guaranteed to go right in, and then whoever the loser is, my goodness, you’re going to be in there with Tennessee.” said the veteran analyst, articulating the foreseeable future of a Texas vs Texas A&M loser. But personally, he has his votes for the Longhorns, who they believe should be in the go-getter energy for the projected clash.

”Texas is the one to me that has to win that game more than… like if Texas loses that game against A&M and they’re 10 and two without playing in the SEC Championship game. I think they’re the odd man out,” Pollack explained what a loss to the Aggies could mean for Sarkisian and his team.

Aggies coach Mike Elko has a lot to prove in his first year in the program. The entire Aggies squad knows that one loss, and they will not be in Atlanta. As simple as that! So, despite Pollack emphasizing the Longhorn’s pressure, we can sense the heat brewing over the potential lone-state rivalry. On the flip, from the players’ front, there have also been some interesting anecdotes that are likely to play a role in the Nov 30th high-voltage match-up.

Texas vs Texas A&M game goes beyond professional 

Coming into the season, Quinn Ewers had all the right noises surrounding him. A potential top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the season hasn’t gone as he would have liked to. It didn’t help that he had an injury and was replaced by Arch Manning. Longhorns’ QB2 made new fans during his outings for Sarkisian’s team. Since Ewers’ comeback, it hasn’t been a smooth ride at the position.

In their Week 12 Arkansas victory, Ewers failed to live up to his benchmark. He finished 20-of-32 passes for just 176 yards (5.5 YPA) and two touchdowns, marking a huge dip in the Longhorns’ offensive numbers. He is going to be in the spotlight for the marquee Texas A&M game as well, but maybe for some different reason.

The prized Texas quarterback has an intriguing connection with Texas A&M Punter Tyler White. During a recent media call, White reflected on the long-standing friendship he has with the Longhorns’ sensation since their Southlake Carrol school tenure together.

White has earned his stripes as one of the top-tier punters among the conference leaders and can have a lot of say on the Longhorn’s possession during the November 30th match-up.

”I’m not going to be out there tackling him, but hopefully, I can have him starting at the 1-yard line a few times,” White said, connecting his personal and professional instinct right on the spot. It will be interesting to see how the power-conference game fares going forward.