FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema played up the Razorbacks' selection to play old rival Texas in the Texas Bowl as a dream scenario.
In a pre-practice meeting with his players on Sunday morning, Bielema gave the team his choice of bowl destinations.
"I said if I had a favorite, I'd love to play Texas in Texas, just because I've got so many guys from the state of Texas," Bielema said in a news conference after the SEC bowl announcements. "And they reacted favorably, so I think they'll be excited."
The Razorbacks (6-6) will take on the Longhorns (6-6), their long-time Southwest Conference rival, at 8 p.m. on Dec. 29 at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans.
The game will pit traditionally strong programs in rebuilding modes with two coaches early in their terms.
Arkansas showed it could hang with some of the nation's toughest teams in the SEC West in Bielema's second season. Texas was 3-5 entering November under first-year Coach Charlie Strong, who is from Batesville. The Longhorns won successive games against Texas Tech, West Virginia and Oklahoma State to reach bowl eligibility before falling 48-10 to TCU on Thanksgiving night.
Bielema said he thought the Razorbacks might have had a good shot at the Texas Bowl if they had beaten Missouri in their season finale, so being included in one of the "Pool of 6" SEC bowl games even after losing to the Tigers was a bonus.
The pairing and venue is meaningful for Arkansas in many respects, notably for recruiting and for what it means to long-time Razorbacks fans.
"To come full circle and get the chance to play Texas ... to be a part of some of those that came before us and honor that part of history is huge and will be really big for Arkansas fans who think back and realize the two coaching legends with Coach [Frank] Broyles and Coach Darrell Royal. To have an opportunity to join that series is pretty cool."
Bielema noted that this will be the Razorbacks' third appearance in Texas, after playing Texas Tech in Lubbock and Texas A&M at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The game will also pit Strong against his home state's flagship school.
"Just growing up there, you're a Razorback fan because they're really the only school, the only major college you had in the state at the time," Strong said. "I saw a lot of matchups with Texas, but really excited about playing them."
The Razorbacks and Longhorns last met in 2008, when No. 7 Texas crushed Coach Bobby Petrino's first Arkansas team 52-10 in Austin, Texas. The schools still have a pending return game for the Razorbacks set for Sept. 11, 2021 in Fayetteville.
Texas leads the all-time series 56-21. The teams have met in one other bowl game, a 27-6 victory for the Razorbacks in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 2000.
Bielema, who frequently references his passion for the the traditions associated with college football, seemed giddy about hooking up with the Longhorns.
"To play the Longhorns and have a chance to be a part of a series that was such a meaningful game to both teams in the day when the Southwest Conference was there and all that goes into it, I know it will mean a lot to some of those old timers, which to me I really enjoy," Bielema said.
Sports on 12/08/2014