Both teams escaped rivalry week with a victory, as the Bulldogs survived eight overtimes against Georgia Tech, while Texas charged into College Station and dominated Texas A&M Aggies. While Georgia got the best of Texas in Austin during Week 8, the oddsmakers clearly think that Texas is trending in a better direction than the Bulldogs are.

It should have been easier. Nothing, however, in rivalry games -- especially the first time the teams played in 13 years -- was going to be simple. Texas raced to a 17-0 lead but had to overcome a pick-six,

Texas nearly doubled up Texas A&M in total yards and dominated in the trenches, holding Aggies dual-threat quarterback Marcel Reed in check for much of the night and running for 243 yards. The Longhorns jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead thanks to a touchdown run from backup quarterback Arch Manning and a touchdown pass from starter Quinn Ewers,

Texas secured a spot in the SEC championship game with Saturday's win over Texas A&M. Texas will play Georgia next week in Atlanta for the SEC title.

The Texas Longhorns raced out to a 17-0 lead before holding off the rival Texas A&M Aggies 17-7 on Saturday night in College Station, Texas, securing a berth in the SEC Championship game next week in Atlanta,