Texas A&M and Texas are fierce rivals and their quarterbacks Marcel Reed and Arch Manning play a key role in that. But the pair may be more alike than it appears.
The rivalry between Texas A&M and Texas is one that needs no introduction. Simply known as the Lone Star Showdown, the Aggies and Longhorns have spent decades doing battle for bragging rights across the state.
While the annual meetings hit a slump after the Aggies waved goodbye to the Big 12 and said hello to the SEC, leaving its archenemy behind in the process, Texas' recent decision to follow suit and join the conference restarted the feud.
Much to the ire of Texas A&M, the Longhorns have been victorious in the latest two editions. But each program has been extremely successful outside of the lone game and both do not show any signs of slowing down soon.
This newfound fortune for the Aggies has been due in large part to the coaching of Mike Elko and the strong play of quarterback Marcel Reed.
While Reed was just a sophomore, he dazzled in many of the pivotal contests for Texas A&M and continued to impress after stepping in a few final matchups the year prior.
However, Reed also put his youth on full display with a handful of costly miscues, namely interceptions, that hampered that Aggies in an otherwise memorable season.
Now entering his second full season under center, expectations for Reed to display the lessons he has learned are exponential.
Does this all sound a bit familiar?
Heading on back over to Austin, the Longhorns' primary passer Arch Manning shares a strikingly similar storyline to that of his Aggie counterpart.
Manning began his first year as a starter for Texas with high hopes centered around his talent and family lineage at the quarterback position.
He showed flashes of his true abilities, especially late in the season for the Longhorns, but still mistakes mired his debut and halted the team from reaching its loftiest goals.
But those around the program are optimistic that his late surge is emblematic of the leap that Manning will hopefully take heading into another hyped campaign for the orange and white.
Entering his college career, there were fewer names that carried with them the magnitude of Manning, however, Reed's place as the leader of one of the nation's most passionate programs has eyeballs glued to him ahead of the season.
Both the Aggies and Longhorns, tied together usually by only their shared disdain, are now linked through their quarterbacks, who shoulder most of the high hopes that this may finally be the year that they get over the hump.
Reed and Manning represent the historic beef between the longtime rivals, but there may be more that actually unites the pair than it would initially appear.
