Texas A&M will remain close to home during bowl season and play an opponent familiar to their fan base.

The Aggies (7-5) will face Oklahoma State (9-4) in the Dec. 27 Texas Bowl, a rematch of the 2019 bowl game and a reunion of former Big 12 South foes.

New Aggies coach Mike Elko, hired from Duke last weekend, will get a quick chance to look at his team, which will be led by interim coach Elijah Robinson. The national championship game, considered a possible destination for the Aggies by some of their fans prior to the season, is scheduled for Jan. 8 in Houston’s NRG Stadium, opened in 2022.

The game promises to be a shootout. The Cowboys have averaged 29.6 points and 421 yards per game. Ollie Gordon II leads the nation in rushing with 1,651 yards. A&M averaged 34.2 points and 404 yards per game, with players sharing the passing and rushing duties.

In Oklahoma State, the Aggies draw an unpredictable opponent. The Cowboys were blown out at home by South Alabama, then lost at Iowa State. After beating Kansas State and Oklahoma, they lost 45-3 at Central Florida and needed overtime at home to beat Brigham Young and earn a berth in the Big 12 Championship, where they were blown out by Texas.

The Aggies were competitive in every game, losing to Alabama, Tennessee and Ole Miss by a combined 16 points and winning 4 conference games.