It sure sounds like Texas A&M is scared to schedule Texas in football

Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman spoke extensively about his desire to play Texas A&M in 2020, but the Aggies do not seem up to the challenge.

University of Texas head coach Tom Herman spoke candidly about his hopes to reignite the school’s rivalry with Texas A&M in 2020, per Nick Moyle of San Antonio Express-News, pointing to the coronavirus pandemic as a possible “catalyst” in getting the matchup scheduled.

According to Herman, the Longhorns have reached out frequently about reviving the in-state rivalry, and the fourth-year head coach seems frustrated by the Aggies’ reluctance to schedule a game.

“We’ve reached out to try to play in the past — didn’t go real well,” Herman said during a virtual luncheon hosted by the Touchdown Club of Houston. “Maybe this will be the catalyst to make it happen.

“I haven’t heard anything like that. But who knows? Desperate times call for desperate measures. And we’d love to play ’em, I know that.”

Herman pointed to non-conference rivalries like Clemson-South Carolina and Georgia-Georgia Tech as success stories and lamented the fact that the Longhorns and Aggies cannot seem to do the same.

Reviving the great Texas-Texas A&M football rivalry is a must for fans.

With the coronavirus pandemic forcing most major conferences to play conference-only schedules, conferences like the Big 12 and SEC could reportedly consider a plus-one arrangement allowing one non-conference game.

In this case, a Longhorns-Aggies rubber match would not only be possible, but prudent. Limiting travel is essential for the NCAA if the football season is to take place as planned, and taking a bus rather than a plane to the game would limit potential contact with COVID-19.

However, the Aggies appear to be dug in. Herman’s strong statements suggest that reviving the rivalry is nothing more than a pipe dream, as Texas A&M has not commented on the potential of scheduling Texas in 2020 or beyond.

Per Austin American-Statesman, the Longhorns boast a 75-37-5 record in the all-time series, with the most recent game between the two teams coming in 2011. With such little success against their rivals, Texas A&M’s stance on the rivalry comes off as fearful.

The matchup makes plenty of logistical sense in 2020, but the Aggies seem to be resigned to the idea that a game against Texas is just a guaranteed loss. With conference obligations no longer forcing the two teams to play together since Texas A&M moved to the SEC, Herman’s comments have seemingly shed some light on why the rivalry has been on hiatus for so long.

While the Longhorns appear more than willing to play the Aggies, Texas A&M is apparently intimidated by the idea.

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