Alabama Football: The Crimson Tide and the Aggies go way back
By Ronald Evans
A Short History of the Games
1942 Cotton Bowl
The 1941 Aggies had a good chance of winning a national championship under coach Homer Norton. The undefeated TAMU team faced Alabama in the Cotton Bowl, coached by Frank Thomas. Thomas, of course, was Paul Bryant’s coach at Alabama. The Tide intercepted eight passes and won 29-21.
The 1968 Cotton Bowl
Alabama was ranked No. 9 and the Aggies were unranked after four losses. Kenny Stabler led Paul Bryant’s team while Gene Stallings coached his alma mater to a 20-16 victory. Paul Bryant never wanted to lose but he was so happy for Stallings he lifted Gene onto his shoulders in a midfield post-game celebration.
Alabama won 23-10 at Legion Field in 1985.
The Hurricane Gilbert Game (1988)
Alabama coach Bill Curry refused to play on the original date due to Hurricane Gilbert. Curry was derided for the decision and the weather on what would have been the gameday proved he was wrong. It was a December, Thursday night game and the Crimson Tide handed former Alabama football player and TAMU coach, Jackie Sherrill, his last loss as an Aggie, 30-10.
Johnny Football in T-Town (2012)
Manziel razzled and dazzled the Aggies to a 29-24 victory. Johnny Football went on to win the Heisman and the Aggies finished the season in the top five after taking down Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.
Since then it has been four straight wins for Alabama football.
Fellow FanSided writer Matthew Bartlett of Gig’Em Gazette responded to a question of how the Aggies view the Tide.
"Aggies love the Crimson Tide. We just left a conference with an overbearing central school that kept everyone else at arms length. That’s not been our experience in the SEC. Alabama defines what SEC football is about. When the Aggies won in Tuscaloosa in 2012 it was almost as of there was an acknowledgement that we belonged in the conference and mutual respect was in order."