IRVING - When Texas A&M faced a Big 12 team in a football game a little more than a year ago, the Aggies played the role of loitering relatives over the holidays, with their host conference champing at the bit to slam the door behind them.

Funny how a successful first season in the Southeastern Conference has suddenly increased A&M's claim of family - because now they're apparently still members of both leagues (at least in spirit).

"When you look at them, they're a Big 12 offense," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said of first-year A&M coach Kevin Sumlin's high-octane bunch. "Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Texas Tech, Baylor - we all run the same plays."

Stoops added for clarification, "Call it what you want as to how (the Aggies) look, but they're an SEC team now."

High Cotton for SEC

A&M played in two Cotton Bowls as the Big 12 representative during the last nine seasons, incurring double-digit losses to Tennessee (following the 2004 season) and LSU (following the '10 season).

Julio Cortez/Staff

Now the Aggies are taking a different angle on the storied game - from the SEC side of life, starting Friday night against the Sooners at Cowboys Stadium.

"This has been a year of firsts," said A&M defensive lineman Spencer Nealy. "We haven't won the Cotton Bowl in a (long time). Hopefully, this continues as a year of firsts."

The SEC has won eight of the last nine Cotton Bowls over the Big 12.A&M, having enjoyed a 10-2 season of surprises, now tries to reverse its losing trend in the Cotton Bowl in its new role as SEC flag bearer.

The Aggies earned a double-digit win total for the first time since 1998, toppled then-top-ranked Alabama on the road 29-24 on Nov. 10, and saw freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel became their first Heisman Trophy winner since John David Crow in 1957.

'Finish strong'

Now they have a chance to become A&M's fourth squad to win at least 11 games.

"We've been talking about finishing strong all year long," said A&M linebacker Sean Porter. "It's been our theme: Start fast and finish strong. It would mean a lot to finish strong and be one of the few teams in A&M history to win at least 11 games."

Added Sumlin: "If we can get to 11, these guys will never be forgotten."

What most coaches and players aren't playing up, however, is the Big 12 vs. SEC angle, although current Big 12 members appear to take some pride in the accomplishments of their former league brethren this season.

A&M leads the SEC in total offense, rushing offense, passing offense, scoring offense and third-down conversions.

"The way A&M has played proved what type of offenses (the Big 12) has," OU quarterback Landry Jones said.

As for the conference pride aspect? Both sides say it's more about A&M-OU than SEC-Big 12.

"That's all propaganda and what the media does," Stoops said. "We need to win for other reasons."

Year of milestones

So do the Aggies.

"This was our first year in the SEC. We had the Heisman Trophy winner, the Outland Trophy winner (in offensive tackle Luke Joeckel), and we had four All-Americans," running back Ben Malena said. "This could be one of the best years Texas A&M has ever had."