Report: Texas officials paranoid about Texas A&M’s success
By Jack Crosby
When Texas A&M announced a couple years back that they would venture out of the Big 12 and head off to the mighty SEC, it was a decision that had officials at the University of Texas privately chuckling among themselves. A&M, throughout history, was largely seen as the little brother to the Longhorns, whom many view as rulers of the entire Big 12. They were more than happy to see their annoying little brother go off to the Southeastern Conference and more than likely get their heads handed to them.
Well, one year, one Heisman-winning QB, one Cotton Bowl victory–and a convincing one over another former Big 12 foe, Oklahoma–later, and it’s funny how things have worked out to be the complete opposite.
Yes, since joining the SEC last season, the Aggies have enjoyed much more success on a national stage than have their former conference mates in Austin. They beat the #1 team in the nation in Alabama in 2012, and seem well on their way to similar success in 2013.
Meanwhile in Austin, the only thing being focused on lately is the failures. Head coach Mack Brown is under constant watch of losing his job with every disappointing loss he and his team suffers.
It’s amazing how quickly the perception changed for each school. And now, according to a report from the Dallas Morning News, Texas officials are becoming obsessed with it all.
A source told the newspaper that Longhorn officials are constantly becoming more and more paranoid with the notion that they’re being completely out-shined–on and off the field–by the team that they used to treat as if they were non-existent.
"“What they are concerned about is not just a football season or a football team,” the source said. “What they’re concerned about is that we’re going to lose this kind-of war to A&M. They are really paranoid about A&M."
But, as I sad before, it’s not just competition on the football field that officials are worried about. Texas A&M is beginning to beat them in basically every facet of being a college institution. As evidenced in the report, A&M’s enrollment is skyrocketing, and so are their donations.
The problems at Texas seem to go well beyond whether or not Mack Brown will keep his job.