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Have questions as the Texas Longhorns football team enters the SEC? We have answers.

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Have questions as the Texas Longhorns football team enters the SEC? We have answers.


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Summer camps have kicked off across the SEC, which means the start of a football season unlike any other is just a few weeks away. For the first time, 12 teams will qualify for the College Football Playoff. Texas hopes to earn a spot after going 12-2 a year ago and qualifying for its first CFP.

Got questions about the Longhorns and their debut season in the SEC? We have some answers.

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Wait, the SEC? Is this part of the college realignment I’ve been hearing about?

Why, yes, it is. After a courtship that lasted years, Texas — along with Red River rival Oklahoma — finally left the Big 12 and joined the SEC on July 1, giving the nation’s best football conference 16 teams.

How is joining the SEC good for Texas?

More money in the coffers is always good for any athletic department, and Texas’ move to the SEC will approximately double what the athletic department made in television revenue as a member of the Big 12. And yes, the SEC is really good at football. In fact, SEC schools have won 13 of the past 18 national championships.

More: Texas Longhorns offensive coordinator Kyle Flood enjoying depth on offensive line

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Where does Texas fit in with the rest of the SEC?

The SEC did away with its two divisions after expansion, since the conference wants to ensure all league members play each other at least once in a four-year span. And they haven’t committed to a long-term plan when it comes to scheduling. All the Longhorns know is that they will play Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi State in each of the next two seasons. Also, SEC officials have all but guaranteed that Texas will get rivals Texas A&M and Oklahoma every year.

Who will be tougher to beat: Oklahoma or Texas A&M?

Well, the Sooners have a pretty salty defense, but they’re replacing quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who lit up the Longhorns in a 34-30 Oklahoma win last season. At least Texas will have half the crowd behind it when the teams meet again in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Oct. 12. That won’t be the case when the Longhorns visit Texas A&M on Nov. 30. It’s been 13 years since the last game between the bitter rivals, and the Aggies will be out for blood.

More: Even without complete continuity on defense, Pete Kwiatkowski ready for Texas’ 2024 season

Are those the most challenging SEC games on the schedule?

Unfortunately for Texas, nope. Georgia, which has won two national championships in the past three seasons, will visit Austin on Oct. 19. The Bulldogs will probably start the season as the nation’s No. 1 team, and they boast a loaded roster as well as a sizable chip on their shoulder pads after being passed over for one of the four CFP spots a year ago.

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What makes Georgia so good?

The Bulldogs might have the best defense in the nation, and they might just have the country’s best quarterback in Carson Beck — if it’s not Quinn Ewers, the Longhorns’ three-year starter. In fact, the Heisman Trophy race might come down to this game. Whoever performs best and gets the win could be the front-runner.

Besides A&M and OU, what SEC road trips does Texas have?

Two more, and both seem manageable. Although a visit to Fayetteville, Ark., is never pleasant for Texas, the Razorbacks look a bit down. And Vanderbilt seems to always be down; surviving a Friday night on Nashville’s Lower Broadway looks tougher than a Saturday game against the Commodores.

More: Best of the SEC: How Texas linebackers stack up as we rank all 16 conference teams

Who’s the most dangerous of the other three SEC teams visiting Austin?

It’s not Mississippi State, since the Bulldogs are again rebuilding behind first-year head coach Jeff Lebby. Florida has the name brand and winning legacy, but the Gators haven’t found much traction under third-year coach Billy Napier. But watch out on Nov. 23 for Kentucky and one of the best defensive front sevens in the country. Longtime coach Mark Stoops is one of the nation’s top defensive minds, and the Wildcats could make things uncomfortable for a Texas squad that might be peeking ahead at the trip to College Station.

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What if Texas makes the SEC title game?

Since there are no more divisions in the conference, the top two teams in the standings will meet for the SEC title and an automatic berth in the CFP. That means Texas could face Georgia in a rematch if the Longhorns can navigate their tricky conference schedule. Ole Miss and Alabama will make a strong case for the SEC title game, too; head coach Lane Kiffin has added to a talented Ole Moss roster with an impressive portal haul while new coach Kalen DeBoer inherits a loaded Alabama squad from the retired Nick Saban. And keep an eye on Missouri, an SEC dark horse with a proven quarterback in Brady Cook.



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Nate Oats blasts Alabama basketball after Texas loss: ‘Losing doesn’t bother them enough’

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Nate Oats blasts Alabama basketball after Texas loss: ‘Losing doesn’t bother them enough’


Alabama basketball had every chance to beat Texas on Saturday. Time and time again, UA pulled it close, only to blow the opportunity to win.

Instead, the Crimson Tide fell 92-88, dropping to 1-2 to begin SEC play, and taking its second straight defeat. Afterward, Nate Oats went off on his team.

“We got guys that don’t care enough to lock in and follow a game plan,” Oats said during his postgame press conference. “Losing doesn’t bother them enough yet. I don’t know how many losses it’s going to take ‘till it bothers them, but it’s bothering me. It bothers the coaching staff, and as soon as it starts bothering the players enough, I’m sure they’ll change.”

On the defensive end, Alabama couldn’t get enough stops when it needed to. Texas’ Jordan Pope led all scorers with 28 points, tying his career high.

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Dailyn Swain and Tramon Mark had 18 each for the Longhorns. UT averaged 1.314 points per possession.

Alabama’s defensive efficiency dropped to 79th in the nation following the loss according to KenPom.

“All of it starts with effort,” Oats said of the defensive issues. “Want to. Competitive edge. Guys who just don’t want to lose, they’re gonna give you everything they got. Guys are apparently too comfortable with losing right now because they’re not giving us everything they got on that end of the floor. SO I think it starts with having guys that just refuse to lose, to start with.

“From there it goes to guys in the moment having some personal pride on stopping their man. Too many blow-bys.Too many isolation plays were just beat one-on-one. Guys not locked in on the help side.”

Another issue for Alabama late in the game was poor free-throw shooting. UA hit 11-of-12 attempts in the first half, but went just 8-for-15 from the line in the second, which became crucial as the referees made their presence known late.

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Oats was asked what went wrong from the charity stripe.

“When you’re worried about the wrong stuff,” Oats said. “When you’re locked in, you’re locked in. When you’re locked into defense, all you care about is winning the game. And when you’re locked in on the defensive end, then you go to the line and you’re locked in and you’re just focused on winning the game, you’re gonna step up and you’re gonna make your free throws.

“And when you’re worried about a lot of stuff that’s a distraction and you’re worried about stats and some other stuff and you’re not locked in, that’s when you get to the line and you miss. Especially when you’re a good shooter. Guys that should be making free throws at a high level.”

Alabama travels to Mississippi State on Tuesday to try and get back on track, before a Saturday trip to Oklahoma. Oats did offer some hope that his team would improve, drawn from the team that just beaten the Crimson Tide.

Texas coach Sean Miller had called out his team after its previous loss to Tennessee.

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“It bothered Texas,” Oats said. “Texas lost two in a row and started 0-2 (in the SEC). That team looked a lot different than the team that played at Tennessee. So it obviously bothered them enough to change. So hopefully at some point it bothers our guys enough that they’ll invest on the defensive end of the floor.”



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Cal Pulls Young Linebacker From Texas A&M Out of the Portal

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Cal Pulls Young Linebacker From Texas A&M Out of the Portal


Tristan Jernigan, a Texas A&M sophomore linebacker who was a four-star prospect in high school, has signed with Cal out of the transfer portal.

Jernigan comes to Berkeley with three years of eligibility after seeing action in just two games this season. He played against Notre Dame without any stats and had three tackles, including one tackle for loss, against Samford.

He is the second members of the Aggies’ squad to join the Bears, following defensive end Solomon Williams, who signed last Sunday.

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The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder from Tupelo, Miss., also drew interest from Tennessee, Memphis, Louisville, Ole Miss, Arizona State, Baylor and San Diego State.

Jernigan played eight games as a true freshman in 2024, primarily on special teams. He had 11 tackles, including five against McNeese State, and was named the team’s defensive scout team player of the year.

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At Tupelo High School, Jernigan had 177 tackles with 11.5 sacks his final two seasons. Those teams compiled a  two-year record of 22-4 with a Class 6A state semifinal appearance as a junior in 2022.

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He was rated by 247 Sports as the No. 28 linebacker prospect in the class and the No. 9 recruit in the state of Mississippi.

He is not related to former Cal linebacker Myles Jernigan, who was from Grand Prairie, Texas, and spent five years in Berkeley through the 2023 season.

Follow Jeff Faraudo on Twitter, Facebook and Bluesky

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American Airlines to start serving Texas BBQ on select flights

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American Airlines to start serving Texas BBQ on select flights


Starting in February, some American Airlines passengers will have the option of eating authentic Texas barbecue as their in-flight meal.

The airline said they’ll be partnering with Pecan Lodge restaurant to serve Texas barbecue on board.

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American Airlines to serve Texas BBQ

The meals will be available to first-class passengers on flights from DFW International Airport to LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The meals will be available for preorder starting on Jan. 11 through aa.com or American’s mobile app.

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What they’re saying:

“As we celebrate American’s centennial anniversary in 2026, we’re looking forward to delighting our customers in new ways that honor unique regional tastes, beginning right here in our home state through one of the most beloved barbecue restaurants in Texas,” said Rhonda Crawford, American’s SVP of Customer Experience Design and Strategy. “Our customers deserve nothing but the best, and Pecan Lodge is certainly that.”

Pecan Lodge meals

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February offering: Pecan Lodge barbecue platter

Smoked brisket and smoked sausage, paired with creamy mac and cheese, crisp coleslaw and a side of pickles, onions and barbecue sauce

March offering: Smoked chopped brisket sandwich

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Chopped brisket on a fresh brioche bun, served with roasted green beans, creamy potato salad and a side of pickles, onions and barbecue sauce

The Source: Information in this article comes from American Airlines. 

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