Texas A&M’s season has reached a very different kind of checkpoint than the one the Aggies imagined back in August. Instead of chasing College Football Playoff positioning, they’re now staring at a much simpler target: two more wins, enough to get bowl-eligible.
That became the reality after Saturday’s 31-20 loss to Alabama, which dropped A&M to 4-4 overall and 1-4 in SEC play. With four games left - South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Texas - the margin for error is razor thin.
The clearest chances on paper are the first and third of those games, but neither looks comfortable. South Carolina, A&M’s first opponent after the bye week, has put together consecutive wins over Florida and Tennessee. The Gamecocks also have momentum behind quarterback LaNorris Sellers, which makes the November 7 trip to Columbia a much tougher assignment than it might have appeared earlier in the season.
Oklahoma is the other realistic opening, set for November 21. The Sooners have been uneven on offense, and quarterback John Mateer threw four interceptions against Kentucky. Even so, that game comes in Norman, where Oklahoma’s defense and home-field edge make the challenge plenty real.
Then there’s the closing stretch: Tennessee and Texas, the two most talented teams still on the schedule. The Texas game on November 27 will be in College Station, but it’s still the stiffest test left for Mike Elko’s team.
The math is straightforward, even if the football isn’t. Texas A&M needs two wins somewhere in that final four-game run. The issue is that the Aggies still haven’t proven they can consistently handle quality SEC opponents, especially away from home.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Cant Avoid This Holmon Wiggins Question Anymore
Will Steins move from Oregon to Kentucky and Collin Kleins return to Kansas State set off a coaching shuffle that left both Oregon and Texas A&M looking inward for answers. The Ducks promoted Drew Mehringer, and the Aggies did the same with Holmon Wiggins, a move that was supposed to provide continuity while keeping the offense on track.
Instead, Oregon already made its own change after offensive struggles, and Texas A&M has been forced to live with the same uneasy question about Wiggins. The Aggies have had enough time to see whether the internal promotion can lift the unit, and the lack of progress has put his ability to improve the offense under the spotlight in a way that is getting harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Fans Just Got An Exciting NFL Rookie Update
Texas A&M fans had plenty to follow in Week 7, with several former Aggies turning in noteworthy NFL moments across the league. Cleveland Browns rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion posted career highs with eight catches for 129 yards and added 23 rushing yards, a performance that earned him a Rookie of the Week nomination. It was the kind of all-around outing that gives a young player real momentum as the season settles in.
Cashius Howell also hit a meaningful milestone, logging his first career NFL sack in the Cincinnati Bengals' comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens. Elsewhere, Jake Matthews of the Atlanta Falcons and Jermaine Eluemunor of the New York Giants drew recognition for their pass-blocking work, another reminder that Texas A&M's NFL footprint keeps showing up in different forms each week. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Opens With One Big Chance To Validate The Hype
Before the SEC grind begins, Texas A&M gets a clean first look at how much its offseason makeover can matter. The Aggies open against Alabama State with a roster built around second-year coach Bucky McMillan, key transfers and a pair of focal points in guard PJ Haggerty and returnee Mackenzie Mgbako, giving fans an early read on whether the hype around the program is ready to translate into wins.
Alabama State arrives with its own reset in motion, too, under first-year coach Chris Wright and new general manager Dominique Wilkins. The Hornets will lean on guard Mike James as they try to move past last seasons 10-22 finish, which makes this opener more than just a tune-up for Texas A&M. It is the kind of early test that can either calm the noise around a revamped roster or add even more attention to what comes next. [Read more 🡒]