COLLEGE STATION, Texas — It's been over a decade since Texas A&M and Texas met on the football field, and with the Lone Star Showdown now having major implications on the postseason as well as bragging rights, Saturday can't seem to come soon enough for both teams.
However, for those that don't want to wait, there's always simulations in the closest thing to the game itself: the college football video game.
Unfortunately for the Aggies, the simulations haven't favored them over the Horns.
This video from Gaming Entertainment Network four months ago doesn't have things going the way of the Aggies, but also doesn't account for injuries both teams have suffered at running back and Marcel Reed now starting for A&M over Conner Weigman.
In a "blast from the past" type of simulation done in NCAA Football 14 by PS2SPORTSINFOSTATION, the result once again goes the way of Texas.
In what might be the most accurate simulation of both rosters, a simulation posted on the Texas at The Voice of College Football YouTube channel once again tabs the Horns as the Lone Star Showdown winner, this time featuring more up-to-date rosters than the previous videos.
Outside of the game, when it comes to the odds, Texas has opened up the week as a 5.5-point favorite against Texas A&M at Kyle Field. On Friday the week prior, Texas opened as a 7.5-point favorite, which can be seen as a slight relief that oddsmakers see the game as a tighter contest than a touchdown, but A&M remains the underdog.
Ultimately, these projections aren't anything more than fun exercises to simply simulate what could happen this Saturday, as a raucous Kyle Field and unpredictability of a rivalry game could spell trouble for an otherwise lightly-pushed Texas team.
On the same hand, an Aggie roster without major ground contributors could find themselves folding against the mountain of talent that has allowed Texas to remain in the conversation of elite teams in the sport for the entire year.
Regardless of if the game ends up going the way of the Aggies or Longhorns, it's ultimately why the sport is played the field and not just in simulations.