Sorry about the long wait since my last post about the Houston Rockets, but I was taking the rest of the week off, much like the Rockets. Plus, Nick's posts were difficult to top so I decided to lay low until they blew over.
Someday soon I plan on writing about my personal experiences as a Big 12 South student, seeing as I'm somewhat of an expert (or perhaps just a floozy...I've attended several schools in my collegiate career that directly conflict with each other as Big 12 rivals). However, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to talk about the quasi-epic showdown going down on Thanksgiving night in Austin, Texas between Texas A&M University and the University of Texas.
This season has been interesting for the Aggies and Longhorns, highlighted by some good coaching decisions (welcome to the field, Tannehill) and some bad player decisions (ehh, Gilbert Grape). The roles between the two teams have also switched this year, as the unranked Longhorns plan to play spoiler to #17 Texas A&M. I know how ridiculous it sounds when I say that the Aggies are the favorite to win this Thursday's game. What am I going to tell you next, that tigers could be extinct soon? Oh, wait. To top it all off, this game pits the Smith family against each other in a most unusual way.
With the exception of my Aggie brother-in-law, my family bleeds more burnt orange than Bevo himself. My dad, who my friends and I lovingly nicknamed Red after his uncanny resemblance to the great character on That 70s Show (seriously, put a full head of hair on Kurtwood Smith and he is my dad), has always taken me to games since I was a little kid. My mom and sister know more about football than all of the ignorant t-shirt Longhorn fans (you know who you are... and you're the Worst.) If that's not enough, my great uncle even built the famous fountain outside of the football stadium. Needless to say, I was raised a Longhorn fan throughout my entire youth, brainwashed so effectively that I decided to attend UT's affiliate school in San Antonio rather than Texas A&M my freshman year in hopes of attending school in Austin my sophomore year. Long story short, I saw my sophomore self pulling a wild card, reneging on my acceptance letter to UT and instead choosing to attend Oklahoma University. An even longer and more outlandish story short, I found myself coming full circle at Texas A&M University, the school I had once forsaken, for my junior year. I was harder to keep in one place than the island on Lost, and despite much playful prodding from friends, I still remain in College Station for my final year. (Like I said, if you're interested in the longer story, I promise I will go into further detail on the ridiculousness of my situation someday down the road. If you're not interested, well...here's the Door.)
Saying my collegiate experience has been unconventional is more redundant than saying Bo Pelini has severe anger issues.
Here at Texas A&M, the saying is that 98% of the student body is wholeheartedly invested in the traditions, football yells, and other cult-like happenings at the school...labeling everyone who isn't a "two-percenter." After years and years of being a Longhorn fan, combined with the one magical year at OU that culminated in driving eighteen hours straight with my friends from Houston to Miami to watch them play in the National Championship game, I was quick to call myself a 2%er here at A&M. Because as much as I like rooting for my college, I was a little weary of doing the same mundane yells, such as the "BTHO" yell, endless times during Aggie games. Not to mention that I still think it's more than a little ridiculous that we Aggies feel the need to give UT so much credence by 'sawing Varsity's horns off' and having these decals on our cars. (Come on, Ags, we're a big-time university. Let's worry about our own school and stop acting like UT's kid brother.) However, I have come around during my time here, going as far as preparing to order my Aggie ring and actually having pride in it. Although I'm still probably a "two-percenter" in the traditional sense, I still think Texas A&M is an incredible university and that there's no school I'd rather be at. (If none of this makes sense to you, I apologize. Just know that while I'm not the greatest Aggie, I've come a long way in the past year and a half. I really couldn't be prouder to be a student at Texas A&M.)
This past weekend proved to be the biggest game for Texas A&M football in over ten years. Students set a record by pulling over 30,000 tickets to the game vs. #8 Nebraska. There was more hype and optimism surrounding this game in College Station than there was in Portland after drafting Greg Oden a few years ago. Although College Gameday unwisely chose to be apart of the circus at Wrigley Field, Herbstreit and Musberger were coming to do the commentary for the game on ABC. This game was undoubtedly a big deal here.
Yet instead of showing my new found Aggie fandom, I found myself in Austin, Texas, taking in the rather unspectacular game between the Longhorns and the Florida Atlantic Owls. A family friend from Colorado was visiting Texas for the first time ever and seeing as he is in high school and my parents still consider George Strait cool, I tagged along upon their request to keep him company and help show him around the campus that I spent my entire life thinking I would be attending. (This included Red pointing out his picture from his intramural basketball team that still hangs in Gregory Gym nearly forty years later, as well as this nonchalant gem--"There's the tower... sometimes people go up there and shoot other people." My family has a very dark yet hilarious sense of humor. I love it.) In true 2% fashion, I gave away my student ticket to my final home game in College Station without hesitation. But despite their continuous gratitude, my parents should know that it isn't necessary, because even if I knew how entertaining the Aggie game was going to be compared to the blow-out game in Austin, I would make the same decision again. Family comes first. (Cliche statements come second.)
So this Thanksgiving will once again stir a house divided (I expect the game to be closer than expected, with A&M prevailing in the end), yet at the end of the day I am happy to be blessed with such an awe-inspiring family. And although my group of best friends are mixed between what feels like every Big 12 school and our allegiances run strong here in the south, I'm grateful that I can call each and every one a friend, even if we are quick to make fun of each other (some more than others). So love your family and friends this holiday season and enjoy the game. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Oh yeah, and go Ags!
-PB
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