TV, radio & other facts

Rankings: UT is third by AP and the BCS, second by USA Today.

TV: ESPN (Ch. 27) with Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Craig James (commentary), Jesse Palmer (commentary) and Erin Andrews (sidelines).

Radio: Texas A&M network, with Bryan's WTAW (1620 AM) as the flagship station. Dave South will handle play-by-play duties and Dave Elmendorf will provide commentary. The game will be on Sirius at Ch. 122.

Pick line: UT opened as a 221/2-point pick.

The series: UT leads, 74-36-5. UT won last year, 49-9. A&M won at Kyle Field two years ago, 38-30. UT has won 9 of the 13 Big 12 games.

Coaching: A&M's MIke Sherman (Central Connecticut State, 1977) is 10-13 in his second year as A&M's head coach. He is 0-1 against UT as a head coach and was 4-3 as an assistant.

UT's Mack Brown (Florida State, 1974) is in his 12th year with the Longhorns (126-26). He is 212-100-1 overall.

What's at Stake

Texas has already clinched a berth in the Big 12 title game and Thursday is all about staying on course for a national championship. It's also the stretch run for postseason awards. Another big game on national TV could be a big boost for quarterback Colt McCoy's renewed Heisman campaign. For the Aggies, it's all about getting the win to spoil any chance of Texas playing for the BCS title.

Key Matchup

Texas QB McCoy vs. A&M pass rusher Von Miller. McCoy is on a torrid pace over the last five games with 1,487 yards and 12 touchdowns. He'll need to be able to spot Miller before the snap because Miller leads the nation with 15 1/2 sacks.

Players to Watch

Texas: TB Tre' Newton. The Longhorns' leading rusher is back in the starting lineup ahead of Cody Johnson. Texas has been able to throw deep the last few weeks because the running game has kept defenses honest. If Newton gets off to a good start, it opens up the field for McCoy.

Kansas: QB Jerrod Johnson. The most athletic quarterback Texas has faced all season has more touchdowns (24) than McCoy, but also has been under fierce pressure behind a struggling offensive line that has allowed 24 sacks

Facts & Figures

McCoy has 43 career victories but is 1-2 against A&M. The Aggies and Kansas State are the only teams with winning records against McCoy ... The Aggies' six wins were by an average of 27 points. Their five losses were by an average of 25.4 ... McCoy has more than 3,000 yards passing in three of his four seasons.