Cotton Bowl: Texas A&M caps successful inaugural season in SEC with win over Oklahoma

“Tonight was really indicative of the season,” A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, a former Sooners assistant, said. “It's one of the teams I thought in the country that truly got better every week. We didn't always do everything right all the time but I don't think there was ever a game this year where these guys didn't play with tremendous effort.”

The Aggies' first season in the Southeastern Conference didn't necessarily start with a thud — A&M lost 20-17 at home to a Florida team that went on to play in the BCS.

But it was enough to raise questions over whether the Aggies could compete in the SEC over the course of a season.

Texas A&M more than did that — knocking off No. 1 Alabama in the process and leaving the Sooners wondering whether Texas A&M, not Notre Dame or Kansas State, was the best team they played this season.

“They're certainly right there,” Sooners defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said.

Texas A&M's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Johnny Manziel, torched the Sooners defense like he had defenses in the defense-centric SEC all season.

The Aggies, in their first season of SEC play after moving over from the Big 12, set the conference on fire.

Friday night, A&M became the first team in conference history to put up more than 7,000 yards of total offense over a season.