Texas football: The Longhorns history vs their new SEC foes

On Thursday, it was officially announced that Texas football and Oklahoma would be leaving their Big 12 contracts one year early to enter the SEC in the summer of 2024. This has been in the works since it was initially announced that the two programs would join the Southeastern Conference in 2021.

There are a lot of angles we can cover about the move as Texas takes its 20 varsity sports to the SEC. While the conference is very well-rounded, we all know it is most recognized for its prowess on the football field.

With the addition of Texas and Oklahoma, the SEC has won 16 football National Championships this century. The ACC is the next closest conference, with four in that same span.

I thought it would be a fun exercise to see how the Texas football program has stacked up against its 14 new SEC foes over the 121-year history of the program.

Below I listed all of the Longhorns’ new conference opponents with head-to-head records, the most recent matchup score, and a few words on what I believe is the best game of each matchup’s history.

There were two things I found interesting. Texas leads the head-to-head against all but three of its future conference mates, and the Horns have an overall record of 191-94-9 against the current SEC.

Texas football’s history against teams from the SEC

Alabama

Head-to-Head: Texas leads 7-2-1

Most recent matchup: Alabama 20 Texas 19 – 9/10/2022

Most memorable matchup: Alabama 37 Texas 21 – 2010 BCS National Championship

The infamous 2010 BCS National Championship has to be the most memorable matchup between these storied programs. The No.1 ranked Crimson Tide and No. 2 ranked Longhorns both came into this matchup 13-0, but as you very well know, a first-quarter shoulder injury to Colt McCoy cost Texas any chance at winning their fifth National Championship. Freshman quarterback Garrett Gilbert came in and completed just 15-of-40 passes. Alabama attempted only 12 passes as Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson combined for 256 yards and four scores.

Arkansas

Head-to-Head: Texas leads 56-23

Most recent matchup: Arkansas 40 Texas 21 – 9/11/2021

Most memorable matchup: Texas 15 Arkansas 14 – 12/6/1969

Often dubbed the “Game of the Century,” the 1969 matchup between the Longhorns and the Razorbacks was one to remember. No. 1 Texas traveled to Fayetteville to take on No. 2 Arkansas. Down 14-0 heading into the fourth quarter, the Longhorns scored 15 unanswered points to keep their National Championship hopes alive. James Street’s 42-yard touchdown scamper was a momentum shift in the early part of the fourth quarter. Street finished the game with 197 total yards playing in front of President Richard Nixon.

Auburn

Head-to-Head: Texas leads 5-3

Most recent matchup: Auburn 14 Texas 10 – 9/21/1991

Most memorable matchup: Texas 35 Auburn 27 – 9/15/1984

The 1984 matchup between these two programs featured the No. 11 Auburn Tigers traveling to Austin to take on the No. 4 Longhorns. Texas got it done via a strong performance from quarterback Todd Dodge. Dodge threw for 214 yards and a touchdown while adding another score on the ground.

Florida

Head-to-Head: Texas leads 2-0-1

Most recent matchup: Texas 26 Florida 0 – 12/7/1940

Most memorable matchup: Texas 26 Florida 0 – 12/7/1940

Slim pickings for the most memorable matchup between these two programs, but the most recent matchup of 1940 seems as good of a pick as any. The Longhorns went into Gainesville and shut out the Gators 26-0. The most memorable note I found from this game was from a Tampa Tribune article that argued the game would have been closer “had the men with a whistle been a little more vigilant.”

Georgia

Head-to-Head: Texas leads 4-1

Most recent matchup: Texas 28 Georgia 21 – 1/1/2019

Most memorable matchup: Georgia 10 Texas 9 – 1/2/1984

In the 1984 Cotton Bowl, No. 2 Texas squared off against No. 7 Georgia. The undefeated Longhorns came into this matchup having won 17 consecutive games. Ronnie Robinson paced the Horns with 88 yards rushing, but four Texas turnovers did the Longhorns in. The Bulldogs capitalized with a 17-yard touchdown run with 3:22 remaining to claim victory on the 48th edition of the Cotton Bowl.

Kentucky

Head-to-Head: Texas leads 1-0

Most recent matchup: Texas 7 Kentucky 6 – 9/22/1951

Most memorable matchup: Texas 7 Kentucky 6 – 9/22/1951

By default, the Longhorns’ 7-6 victory over Kentucky is the most memorable matchup between these two programs. Byron Townsend led the way with 61 rushing yards as the Wildcats turned the ball over six times in the loss. The win for Texas was their 50th consecutive home opener victory.

LSU

Head-to-Head: Texas leads 9-8-1

Most recent matchup: LSU 45 Texas 38 – 9/7/2019

Most memorable matchup: LSU 45 Texas 38 – 9/7/2019

The most memorable matchup in Texas and LSU’s storied history is the most recent matchup, the Tigers’ 45-38 2019 win inside DKR. A top-ten-ranked matchup at the time, the Horns gave the Tigers everything they could handle. Sam Ehlinger threw for 401 yards and four touchdowns while adding 60 yards and another score on the ground. Unfortunately for Longhorn fans, the infamous 3-and-17, 61-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase was the nail in the coffin. This was the second game of the season for a 15-0 National Champion LSU team that would go down as one of the best teams in college football history.

Mississippi State

Head-to-Head: Tied 2-2

Most recent matchup: Texas 38 Mississippi State 11 – 1/1/1999

Most memorable matchup: Texas 38 Mississippi State 11 -1/1/1999

In the 1999 Cotton Bowl, the Longhorns rolled to a 38-11 win over the Bulldogs of Mississippi State. To cap off Mack Brown’s first season as head coach, Ricky Williams totaled 248 yards and two touchdowns. Major Applewhite completed 16-of-25 passes for 225 yards and three scores in a nearly flawless game for Texas.

Missouri

Head-to-Head: Texas leads 18-6

Most recent matchup: Texas 33 Missouri 16 – 2017 Texas Bowl

Most memorable matchup: Texas 56 Missouri 31 – 10/18/2008

Colt McCoy’s impeccable 2008 performance against the Missouri Tigert strikes me as the most memorable matchup in this series’ history. The No. 1 ranked Longhorns welcomed No. 11 Missouri to DKR for a Big 12 shootout dominated by the home team. McCoy completed 29-of-32 passes for 337 yards and two touchdowns. He added two more touchdowns on the ground as the Longhorns went on to miss out on a chance to play for the National Championship this season due to Michael Crabtree’s heroics in Lubbock.

Ole Miss

Head-to-Head: Texas leads 6-1

Most recent matchup: Ole Miss 44 Texas 23 – 9/14/2023

Most memorable matchup: Texas 66 Ole Miss 31 – 9/15/2012

Maybe a bit selfishly, the Longhorns’ 66-31 pasting of Ole Miss in Oxford in 2012 is the most memorable matchup between these two programs. David Ash threw for 326 yards and four scores, and Malcolm Brown carried the ball 21 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns. The then No. 14 ranked Horns improved to 3-0 on their way to a 9-4 finish.

South Carolina

Head-to-Head: South Carolina leads 1-0

Most recent matchup: South Carolina 27 Texas 21 – 10/5/1957

Most memorable matchup: South Carolina 27 Texas 21 – 10/5/1957

By default, South Carolina’s 1957 victory over the Longhorns is the most memorable matchup in this series. The Gamecocks stormed into Austin and scored 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to take down Texas. The Horns outgained the Gamecocks 326-207 but averaged just 3.2 yards per carry.

Tennessee

Head-to-Head: Texas leads 2-1

Most recent matchup: Texas 36 Tennessee 13 – 1/1/1969

Most memorable matchup: Texas 36 Tennessee 13 – 1/1/1969

All three matchups between the Horns and Vols have come at the Cotton Bowl on January 1st. The most memorable of those matchups came in 1969 when No. 5 Texas took down No. 8 Tennessee 36-13. Led by 238 total yards and two touchdowns from quarterback James Street, the Longhorns jumped out to a 28-0 first-half lead. Cotton Speyrer added five catches for 161 yards and two scores.

Texas A&M

Head-to-Head: Texas leads 76-37-5

Most recent matchup: Texas 27 Texas A&M 25 – 11/24/2011

Most memorable matchup: Texas 26 Texas A&M 24 – 11/27/1998

There are so many terrific games in the Texas/Texas A&M rivalry, but for the purpose of this exercise, I chose the run Ricky Run matchup of 1998. Ricky Williams carried the ball 44 times for 259 yards in the Texas win. It was a momentum-changing win in the series as the Horns went on to win seven of the next eight matchups against the Aggies.

Vanderbilt

Head-to-Head: Vanderbilt leads 8-3-1

Most recent matchup: Vanderbilt 13 Texas 12 – 10/13/1928

Most memorable matchup: Vanderbilt 20 Texas 0 – 10/21/1921

Vanderbilt is one of two SEC teams to lead the head-to-head against the Longhorns. Although they have not played in 95 years, the Commodores dominated this matchup in the sport’s infancy. The one matchup with some backstory was their meeting in 1921. It was the first of six annual meetings at the Texas State Fair in Dallas. The Horns were coming off an undefeated 1920 season and had allowed zero points in three games to start the 1921 campaign. The Commodores ended Texas’ 12-game win streak with a 20-0 beat down.