COLLEGE STATION – Officials from the Advocare V100 Texas Bowl already treat the newly-hatched Big 12 vs. SEC matchup as a magnificent Christmas present, in the showdown two days prior to New Year’s Eve.

But there’s one more big gift that might be suddenly sliding down the chimney in December, and one not only benefiting the Texas Bowl but college football fans across the Lone Star State starved for what was once its annual marquee matchup:

The solid possibility of Texas vs. Texas A&M, in an ultimate dysfunctional family reunion.

The Longhorns (6-5) of the Big 12 earned bowl eligibility with a 28-7 whipping of Oklahoma State on Saturday, while the Aggies (7-4) of the Southeastern Conference fell to Missouri 34-27 around the same time.

“We just shut down in some moments when we really needed some plays,” A&M receiver Malcome Kennedy said.

No matter how the regular season shakes out from here in both conferences, A&M and UT on Dec. 29 in NRG Stadium is an option already. A Texas Bowl official on Sunday said while they’re thrilled about any SEC-Big 12 matchup, a possible A&M-UT reunion had really brought some electricity to the table. A&M and Texas haven’t played since 2011, the Aggies’ last year in the Big 12 and a 27-25 UT victory at Kyle Field.

“The regional significance of the bowl is already compelling for fans, and then when you consider a matchup like Texas and Texas A&M, if that does happen, that would really be outstanding for fans, our community and the two schools,” Texas Bowl president Jamey Rootes said. “Fortunately Texas has gotten bowl eligible to be in the conversation. There are some exciting scenarios coming to light, and certainly Texas and Texas A&M is one.”

Multiple insiders said Sunday one possible reservation on the part of the SEC is A&M playing consecutive games in NRG Stadium – even if they’re in different seasons. The Aggies and Arizona State open their 2015 swings on Sept. 5 in the Advocare Texas Kickoff.

Meanwhile the Aggies and Longhorns are veering in different directions as the season winds down. Unranked Texas A&M was 5-0 and ranked sixth on Oct. 4, the same day UT fell to 2-3 with a 28-7 loss to Baylor in Austin. The Aggies were then blown out in three consecutive SEC West contests against Mississippi State, Mississippi and Alabama, rebounded with victories against Louisiana-Monroe (nonconference) and Auburn, before allowing Missouri an eye-popping four third quarter touchdowns in the Tigers’ victory on A&M’s home field.

The unranked Longhorns, under first-year coach Charlie Strong, have won three consecutive games against Texas Tech, West Virginia and OSU by an average of 20 points, following a 23-0 loss on Oct. 25 at Kansas State.

“I told the seniors I’m so happy for them to get to a bowl game, because a few weeks ago nobody thought we would be here – everybody just wrote us off,” Strong said. “I tell them all of the time, ‘Don’t let outside forces control this football team.’”

A&M, behind third-year coach Kevin Sumlin, closes out its regular season on Thanksgiving night at Kyle Field against LSU, while UT plays host to TCU the same night. The Aggies were without starting defensive linemen Myles Garrett and Ivan Robinson because of injuries, while the Longhorns have stayed relatively injury free of late.

Both sides fan bases’ have reacted passionately over the weekend to the possibility of a meeting away from Austin or College Station – both with calls to bring it on, or utter disdain at the possibility.

The gain for A&M with a victory? A chance to fade out 27-25 in 2011, a scene that had then-A&M coach Mike Sherman on one knee and unable to watch Justin Tucker’s game-winning field goal – and a final score Longhorns have enjoyed reminding their Aggies brethren of since.

The gain for UT with a victory? The chance to hush the Aggies’ perpetual braggadocio as members of the powerful SEC, along with claims of “We Run This State” posted as “#WRTS” on one of A&M football’s official websites. In addition, recruiting on both sides might benefit from a victory by one of the state’s two most prominent schools over the other.

In August 2013, the Texas Bowl announced it would feature an SEC-Big 12 matchup starting this year and through 2019. Last December, Syracuse of the ACC defeated Minnesota of the Big Ten in the Texas Bowl – a contest that didn’t have quite the punch A&M-UT would bring.

brent.zwerneman@chron.com

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