Texas Bowl Preview
The 2019 Texas Bowl will feature the Texas A&M Aggies and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The game will be played in Houston, TX in NRG Stadium. This is the same stadium that the Houston Texans play in. Oklahoma State finished its season as the 25th ranked team in the nation.Texas A&M finished the season unranked.
Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State History
The two teams have met a total of 27 times in their program’s history. The Aggies currently own the all-time record with 17 wins and 10 losses. The last time the two schools met was on September 24, 2011.Oklahoma State won 30-29. It has been over eight years since the two teams have played one another. They used to play each other yearly when they were both in the BIG XII. However, since Texas A&M’s departure from the BIG XII to the SEC, they have not played. The Cowboys have won their last four meetings against the Aggies dating back to October 4, 2008.
Texas A&M and Oklahoma State have played each other in only one bowl game; the Independence Bowl in 1981. Texas A&M won 33-16. The two teams played each other for the first time over a century ago on November 10, 1913. Oklahoma State would narrowly win this game by three as Texas A&M failed to score a point. While these teams do not have a deep and rivalry-type history, it should make for a great match-up in the Texas Bowl.
Oklahoma State In 2019
Oklahoma State seemed to exceed expectations this year. While their 8-4 record may not stand out, they found a way to finish third in the BIG XII. They finished behind the Oklahoma Sooners and the Baylor Bears. Oklahoma State was involved in some close games this season. One of their losses came by six points to the-then prominent Texas Longhorns. Another close loss came to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Oklahoma State should have won this game, however, lost 45-35.
The Cowboys had an up and down 2019 season, however, they were able to string together some big wins to earn their 25th place ranking. They feature one of the nation’s premier running backs. Chuba Hubbard has 1,936 rushing yards this season to go along with 21 touchdowns. He leads the NCAA in rushing yards and is second in all of the NCAA in rushing touchdowns. However, he was not given as much recognition for his performance as some other backs such as Travis Etienne, J.K. Dobbins, and Jonathan Taylor.
Texas A&M In 2019
Texas A&M entered the season as the number 12 ranked team in the nation. However, the Aggies fought an uphill battle all year. Texas A&M was dealt a very difficult schedule. Some of the best teams that they played included Clemson, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, and LSU. The Aggies finished their season at 7-5. However, their five losses came to teams who finished their season in the top 15. The Aggies fell victim to a tough schedule which included two of the teams involved in last year’s college football championship.
Texas A&M won all of the games that they were expected to. Unfortunately, they were unable to recover following their losses to both Georgia and LSU. Texas A&M finished 61st in points per game averaging 30. However, their defense faired far better as they finished 36th in the nation allowing only 22.7 points per game. Texas A&M will be forced to rely on the play of quarterback Kellen Mond on the offensive side. However, their defense is what will ultimately win them this game.
Predictions
Taking all things into consideration, Oklahoma State should win this game by at least seven. Their running game is far superior to that of Texas A&M. Hubbard has over 1,000 more rushing yards than Texas A&M’s leading rusher Isaiah Spiller. While Oklahoma State’s defense is suspect, their explosive offense will carry them to victory. However, the dual-threat ability of Kellen Mond will surely keep this game interesting. This game will be decided by defense. If the Aggies can hold Hubbard at bay, then the Aggies have a chance. Similarly, if the Cowboys can reduce Mond to just a pocket passer than Oklahoma State will win the game. The biggest thing to keep an eye is the performance of Hubbard, bottom line.
