The Longhorns face Texas A&M in College Station on Saturday in a revival of one of college sports' most storied rivalries.

Why it matters: At stake is a spot in the SEC championship game — and, perhaps more importantly, bragging rights in Texas.

Catch up quick: The Aggies and Longhorns first met in 1894 and faced each other around Thanksgiving for years — until the Aggies left for the Southeastern Conference in 2012.

• Texas joined the SEC this year, paving the way for the teams to meet once more.

Flashback: The rivalry was marked with unspeakable tragedy.

• In 1999, the Aggie Bonfire, an annual tradition meant to embody A&M's desire to beat Texas, collapsed during construction, killing 12 people and injuring 27.

By the numbers: Texas leads the rivalry with 76 wins and 37 losses. The teams have drawn five times.

Yes, but: Texas leads the series by just five games in College Station.

What they're saying: "I watched this game on Thanksgiving," UT head coach Steve Sarkisian said yesterday about tuning in as a kid to watch the annual Texas-A&M match-up. "It was like, that's how I fell in love with Texas from the very beginning. The uniforms, the helmets. Then I knew that the rivalry was what it was because what did you do as a kid? You watch football."

• "Our focus is single-handedly on Texas… I mean Auburn," A&M coach Mike Elko said last week — before the Aggies lost in quadruple overtime to Auburn over the weekend. 

What to watch: Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers is practicing this week following an ankle injury last weekend, but expect a big dose of all-purpose back Quintrevion Wisner.

• Wisner "might be the toughest guy on our team," Sarkisian said Monday. "He is cut from a Brillo pad."

How to watch: The game airs at 6:30pm on ABC. As of yesterday afternoon, tickets were averaging $1,072 a seat, per online marketplace TickPick — making it the most expensive college football game ever, per Forbes.

• Texas is a 6-point favorite.

A&M's noisy strategy

If you're planning to fly American Airlines out of Austin for the holidays, don't even think about trying to cut the boarding line.

• The Fort Worth-based airline is cracking down on "gate lice" who finesse their way through the boarding process.

Why it matters: Customers with AAdvantage status or higher fare types say boarding with their assigned group is an important part of their experience, the airline said in a news release.

The big picture: About 315,000 Texans are expected to travel by air this week, per AAA, and patience can wear thin on this holiday of gratitude.

The latest: American Airlines plans to expand its boarding technology to over 100 U.S. airports, including Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, by Thanksgiving.

How it works: The technology will sound an alarm if someone tries to board early and reject their boarding pass. They will be asked to rejoin the line when their group number is called.

• Gate agents can override the alert for travelers flying with someone in an earlier boarding group than them.
• The technology will also tell agents how many customers are in each boarding group and track the incoming flights that people are connecting from.

What's next: American says it will continue expanding the technology to more airports in the coming months.

🎬 The recently launched Austin AI Film Festival nonprofit will operate its first film festival March 14-15, timed for the end of South by Southwest. (Austin Business Journal 🔒)

• The films must be made using AI software, but a majority of the scripts must be created by humans. Entries are open through Feb. 15.

🚊 Austin Democratic state Rep. John Bucy has filed a bill calling for a high-speed rail line along I-35 to connect Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. (Fox 7 Austin)

• Yes, but: The proposal is very unlikely to get anywhere in the GOP-dominated Legislature.

🥐 Austin bakery Swedish Hill has opened a second location in Westlake, by the corner of Bee Caves Road and Westbank Drive. (Eater Austin)

Gate lice aside, about 5.7 million Texans are expected to travel this week for Thanksgiving, per AAA. 

Why it matters: Nationwide travel is projected to be the busiest on record for the holiday, with nearly 80 million Americans expected to travel more than 50 miles from home to eat turkey.

The big picture: The vast majority of people traveling for the holiday will drive.

⛽️ Context: Average gas prices in Texas are the lowest they've been around Thanksgiving since 2020. 

• An average gallon of regular gasoline in the Austin area is $2.68, below the national average of $3.06.

🇮🇹 Please pass the gelato: Texans who want to escape the country are likely headed to Rome, per AAA.

🫖 Asher here, your hardened and shameless tea drinker reporting for duty. 

The big picture: With vaguely cooler climes finally upon us, who doesn't wish to warm up their afternoons with a cup of Earl Grey — milk and sugar, please! — and some sort of dainty pastry as an accompaniment?

• You get to feel childlike and sophisticated at the same time.

Zoom in: I recently grabbed a slice of lemon tea bread ($4.50) at Brentwood Social House — moist, crumbly and zingy in just the right ways. 

• It's made in-house with fresh lemons — and there's a gluten-free version if you swing that way. 

🛝 Pro tip: If you've got a kid, you can throw them on the small playset out back. And around 10am Fridays, the city garbage truck rolls around, honking its horn to delight the children.

What we're watching: The planned return of Texas French Bread next summer and its terrific lemon poppyseed loaf.