Fans of Texas and Texas A&M love to one-up each other, love to have the upper hand. In the case of most rivalries the chief argument of superiority lies with the results of the annual football game. But with the Aggies and Longhorns, things aren’t so simple. With no football game to obsess over, something - anything - must fill the vacuum, and oh look, both football head coaches threw out first pitches at their school’s baseball game. Well dad gummit our coach is the best darn ceremonial first pitcher since post-9/11 George W. Bush, and we’re gonna prove it with SCIENCE.

To begin, let’s take a look at the raw video of each pitch.

Jimbo Fisher

Tom Herman

Now let’s painstakingly break these pitches down one element at a time...

Attire

As much as I appreciate Jimbo’s casual yet classy pullover and jeans look, this is a baseball game, and Herman’s jersey and cap look is hard to top.

Advantage: Herman

Starting Point

Herman actually throws from the rubber, while Jimbo stands at the fringe of the mound. Most pitchers will tell you that they prefer for these guys to stay off of the rubber, because they are often very particular about the dirt around that area. Clearly Tom doesn’t have the team’s best interest at heart.

Advantage: Fisher

Pitching Angle

Tom Herman: 64 degrees

Jimbo Fisher: 51 degrees

Advantage: Fisher

Velocity (time to plate)

Herman: 0.85 seconds (from mound)
Fisher: 0.80 seconds (from grass)

Advantage: PUSH

Location

Herman: High and outside
Fisher: High, but over the plate

Advantage: Fisher

Game Result

Texas: 8-6 win over Stanford
A&M: 6-3 win over South Carolina

Advantage: PUSH

FINAL RESULTS

Jimbo Fisher 3 (starting point, pitching angle, location)
Tom Herman 1 (attire)

SCOREBOARD, SUCKERS!