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College Football: Top 15 rivalry games we’d like to see return in 2020

By David Glancy

COLLEGE STATION, TX - NOVEMBER 24: Jeff Fuller #8 of the Texas A&M Aggies attempts to catch a pass against Carrington Byndom #23 of the Texas Longhorns in the first half of a game at Kyle Field on November 24, 2011 in College Station, Texas. The pass was incomplete. (Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images)
COLLEGE STATION, TX - NOVEMBER 24: Jeff Fuller #8 of the Texas A&M Aggies attempts to catch a pass against Carrington Byndom #23 of the Texas Longhorns in the first half of a game at Kyle Field on November 24, 2011 in College Station, Texas. The pass was incomplete. (Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images) /
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COLLEGE STATION, TX – OCTOBER 15: Antwan Goodley #5 of the Baylor Bears runs during a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on October 15, 2011 in College Station, Texas. The Texas A&M Aggies defeated the Baylor Bears 55-28. (Photo by Sarah Glenn/Getty Images)
COLLEGE STATION, TX – OCTOBER 15: Antwan Goodley #5 of the Baylor Bears runs during a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on October 15, 2011 in College Station, Texas. The Texas A&M Aggies defeated the Baylor Bears 55-28. (Photo by Sarah Glenn/Getty Images) /

11. Texas A&M vs. Baylor

Games played: 108
Series record: Texas A&M leads 68-31-9
Last played: 2012
Rivalry name: Battle of the Brazos
Next meeting: No scheduled

While the Texas A&M-Baylor rivalry isn’t one to get the general public overly excited, with Baylor’s recent resurgence, another match-up in the Battle of the Brazos would make for an exciting game.

The 108-game series between Baylor and Texas A&M is another long standing rivalry, dating back to 1899. The game was an annual matchup from 1945 until Texas A&M left the Big 12 following the 2011 season and a failed lawsuit from Baylor looking to block the Aggies move to the SEC.

Located just 92 miles apart by the Brazos River, the two Texas schools have a long-standing resentment dating back to the 1925 homecoming brawl resulting in the death of an A&M cadet.

While the series would go on a hiatus for four years, the two schools began playing each other again in 1931 and would continue their attacks against each other. Both school performed various acts of vandalism on each other’s campus, while A&M student made multiple attempts at stealing Baylor’s live bear mascots.

While each campus went back and forth with their attacks against each other, the Aggies have mostly owned the football rivalry with a 68-31-9 lead over the Bears. The two programs mostly went back and forth between the late 1950s through mid-1980s until Texas A&M went on a 23-2-1 roll from 1986 until the series end in 2011.

Between A&M’s dominance over Baylor and no major attacks against each other, the rivalry mostly faded after the Aggies left for the SEC.

The Aggies have struggled to move up the SEC pecking order while the Bears have had their most success since the 1950s. Baylor finished the 2011 season with a 10-3 record under fourth-year head coach, Art Briles. The Bears would then go on to be ranked within the top 10 between the 2013-16 seasons winning two conference titles and seeing their first Heisman Trophy winner.

In the aftermath of the sexual assault scandal, Baylor would struggle until this past season, when the Bears finished the season at No. 13 following a Sugar Bowl loss to Georgia.

With Baylor’s recent success, a reboot of the Battle of the Brazos could make for one of the most enticing match-ups in the rivalry’s 108-game history. The Bears are entering the 2020 season under first year head coach, Dave Aranda, after Matt Rhule left for the NFL. Meanwhile, the Aggies continue to build their program under Jimbo Fisher.

With no discussions between the schools and A&M prioritizing a series with Texas over Baylor, it looks as though the only way these two continue their Battle is through a bowl game.

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