Say What You Will About Texas, it has a Winning Record Against Alabama

However that one loss in the BCS Championship Game in the Rose Bowl is the only one fans really remember until the rematch on Saturday in Austin.

There are only two Southeastern Conference schools that have a winning record against Texas, and they'll probably surprise you: South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

The Gamecocks enjoyed their only meeting with the Longhorns in 1957, long before South Carolina joined the SEC, and the Commodores haven't faced them since 1928. But Vanderbilt is 8-3-1 in the series. 

Otherwise, Texas has an outstanding record against the other teams in its new league, including Alabama. 

Not only do the Longhorns have a winning record against the Crimson Tide, they have the best record of any team that has faced Alabama more than once outside of Rice (3-0).

Texas is 7-1 in the series.

A lot of the Longhorns' success against the SEC is due to being matched up for bowl games, many of which were played in the Cotton Bowl. Game organizers love to have a representative of the Lone Star State whenever possible, with Texas having the most appearances, and by a wide margin.

Texas has played 22 times in the Cotton Bowl, with Texas A&M second with 13, and Arkansas third with 12.

The Longhorns' first bowl game was the 1943 Cotton Bowl, and they were matched against Georgia Tech, when the Yellowjackets were still in the SEC. Texas won 14-7.

It also played Missouri in the 1946 version, long before the Tigers joined the SEC, and won again, 40-27.

It's probably not a coincidence that the only active SEC members who have not played in the Cotton Bowl are South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

The Alabama series dates back to 1902, and Texas won all three meetings before Alabama claimed its first national title in 1925.

The first postseason game was the 1948 Sugar Bowl, where No. 5 Texas thumped No. 6 Alabama, 27-7.

The Longhorns are 4-1-1 in postseason meetings. However, Alabama won the only time a national title was on the line for both schools, the 2010 BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl.

Marcell Dareus knocked Texas quarterback Colt McCoy out of the game, plus intercepted shovel pass and returned it 28-yards for a touchdown just before halftime, to help lead a 37-21 victory.

Alabama had two running backs top 100 rushing yards and score two touchdowns in the game, Mark Ingram II and Trent Richardson, and Eryk Anders had a crucial sack and strip that Courtney Upshaw recovered to help kill Texas' comeback chances.

This was Alabama's first title since 1992, eighth since the advent of the polls in the 1930s, and its' seventh Associated Press championship. It also marked the beginning of the Crimson Tide dynasty under Nick Saban, with his second title overall and first at Alabama.

Texas vs. SEC

CFP record: 0-0

Bowl games: 16-8 (vs. current SEC teams)

Overall:

School, Record, Last Meeting

Alabama 7-1-1, 2010 Rose Bowl: Crimson Tide 31-27

Arkansas 56-23, 2021, Razorbacks 40-21

Auburn 5-3, 1991, Tigers 14-10

Florida 2-0-1, 1940, Longhorns 26-0

Georgia 3-1, 1983, Longhorns 28-21

Kentucky 1-0, 1951, Longhorns 7-6

LSU 9-8-1, 2019, Tigers 45-38

Mississippi State 2-2 1998, Longhorns 38-11

Missouri 18-6, 2017, Longhorns 33-16

Oklahoma* 62-50-5, 2021 Sooners 55-48

Ole Miss 6-2, 2013, Rebels 44-23

South Carolina 0-1, 1957, Gamecocks 27-21

Tennessee 2-1, 1968, Longhorns 36-13

Texas A&M 76-37-5, 2011, Aggies 33-31

Vanderbilt 3-8-1, 1928, Commodores 13-12 

Will having Texas in the league spark a new rivalry for Alabama? Yes to a certain degree. 

But the Crimson Tide will have to get in line. 

When Texas and Oklahoma end up joining together in 2025 (if not earlier) they'll bring one college football's best annual showdowns along with them, plus a pair of longstanding rivals are eager to rekindle things: 

Red River Rivalry 

Oklahoma vs. Texas

Texas leads series 62–50–5

Formerly known as the Red River Shootout and Red River Classic, the annual game is still played at the same site every year, Cotton Bowl Stadium, during the Texas State Fair on the second weekend of October.

The seating is evenly split between the teams at the 50-yard line, one side in burnt orange and the other in crimson and cream.

"Its a bowl game at midseason," former Texas coach Mack Brown said.

“Heroes are made in this game. You can stink the rest of your career, and if you make a play in this game, they love you for the rest of your life."

Although the series dates back to 1900, back when Oklahoma was still a territory and the local Texas newspaper referred to it as a "practice game," the rivalry really began to ramp up in the 1960s when both programs were on college football's top tier.

For example, Oklahoma was ranked No. 1 and Texas No. 2 for the 1963 meeting.

The Sooners also got caught spying on the Longhorns at practice during the 1970s.

When both schools played in the same conference, the rivalry rose to new heights because it often had a direct impact on the Big 12 title.

"Our games were important," former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer said before a recent showdown. "This game has more weight. [Before] you could lose or tie and still have a chance to win the national championship. It was an intersectional game. Now it's more than intersectional."

Oklahoma's recent domination of the series is partly why Texas has yet to make an appearance in the College Football Playoff.

The Sooners, who have defeated their rival i 10 of the last 13 meetings, already have four national semifinal appearances, but without a win.

With both Oklahoma and Texas coming over to the SEC together, the Red River Rivalry could become one of the conference's biggest annual games, probably second only to the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn.

Texas vs. Texas A&M

Texas leads series 76-37-5

The Aggies left the Big 12 because they were sick of being in the Longhorns' shadow, and of feeling that the deck was stacked in their rival's favor.

It was.

Books could be written about how that all developed, but the important thing on the field is that Texas leads the all-time series 76–37–5.

More reflective of the rivalry is that the game was usually played during the final weekend of the regular season as a Thanksgiving matchup. When Texas A&M split from the Big 12, and the schools couldn't agree on how to continue the matchups, it was the third longest series in college football.

It was the inspiration behind both the Aggie Bonfire and Hex Rally.

Each school has the other mentioned in its fight song (Texas Fight and Aggie War Hymn). When Texas beats Texas A&M, the UT Tower is lit a specific way.

You get the idea, only now the rivalry may rise to new heights. During its time in the SEC, Texas A&M has seen dramatic improvement both in recruiting and emerging as a national power.

If anything, being back in the same conference again should only heighten the in -state feud.

Arkansas

Texas leads series 56–23 

The 2021 game served as a nice appetizer for what is to come. Depending on how the scheduling works out, they could end up playing again every season.

This is a bit of an old-school rivalry, but Arkansas has never really found a substitute in the SEC (LSU? Missouri?)

The series dates back all the way to 1894, and Texas leads all-time, 56–23.

Their most famous meeting was in 1969 when No. 1 vs. No. 2 played in the Game of Century. The Longhorns came back from a 14–0 deficit after three quarters to win 15–14.

The teams had previously last met in the 2014 Texas Bowl, won by Arkansas 31-7. 

Parts of this post originated from the book, Huddle Up: Texas Football. This is the first story in a series that will examine the history of the Longhorns football program, and what it will bring to the Southeastern Conference.

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