In 2023, the Aggies and Cowboys will square off in Houston following radically disparate seasons.
No. 20 Oklahoma State and Texas A&M, two historically rich college football programs, will face battle in the Texas Bowl on Wednesday at NRG Stadium in Houston. Under 19-year coach Mike Gundy, the Cowboys will be attempting to win ten games for the eighth time, while the Aggies are attempting to win while going through a coaching change.
After a 6-4 start to his sixth season, Jimbo Fisher was sacked as Texas A&M’s coach on November 12. Fisher’s replacement, former Duke coach and A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko, has been announced, although Elijah Robinson, the interim coach, will guide the Aggies in the bowl game.
As Kirk Ferentz of Iowa is the only FBS coach with a longer career, Gundy of Oklahoma State is an example of stability. With the exception of their 4–7 inaugural season in 2005, the Cowboys have qualified for a bowl in each of Gundy’s 17 bowl outings, winning 11 of them.
The Big 12 has dominated the competition in recent years, defeating the SEC in five of the last six Texas Bowls. The lone exception, though, was in 2019 when Texas A&M defeated Oklahoma State. There will be a rematch four years later.
How to watch the Texas Bowl in real time
Wednesday, December 27 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Houston, Texas’s NRG Stadium
ESPN on TV; Fubo live streaming
Need to know about Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State
The show by Jaylen Henderson:
Transfer to Fresno State After Max Johnson and Conner Weigman suffered injuries, Jaylen Henderson—who started the season ranked third on Texas A&M’s quarterback depth chart—will be making his fourth straight start at quarterback. With six touchdowns and two interceptions on 52 of 77 passes for 704 yards, Henderson has played well. After just two seasons as a reserve at Fresno State, he has already proven to be a significant asset and has ran for two touchdowns.
The encore by Ollie Gordon:
Running back Ollie Gordon II of Oklahoma State, who led the country in rushing yards (1,614) going into bowl season, will be hoping to finish off an incredible season with one more successful performance. In eight of the Cowboys’ most recent ten games, the sophomore standout eclipsed 100 yards rushing, and throughout the regular season, he scored 20 touchdowns on the ground. Gordon is the only player in program history to score five rushing touchdowns in a game, aside from Barry Sanders, and he was named unanimously to the first team of All-America.
2019 rematch:
This game is a rematch of the Texas Bowl, which Texas A&M won 24–21 in 2019. In the opening quarter, Oklahoma State led 14-0 until the Aggies scored 24 points in a row to take control. After punting for a late touchdown, the Cowboys were unable to recover the onside kick. It was the first time the two institutions had met since Texas A&M’s final Big 12 season in 2011.
Texas Bowl predictions and selections
As Texas A&M moves from Fisher to Elko, the program is changing. Elijah Robinson, the acting coach, is in charge of guiding an A&M squad that might find it difficult to stay motivated following a 7–5 regular season. If Oklahoma State wins and has star running back Ollie Gordon on its side, it will reach 10 wins. The Aggies were strong against the run this season, but Gordon should be able to find some running lanes with defensive mainstays like Walter Nolen and Fadil Diggs in the transfer.
Select: +2 Oklahoma State
