Texas A&M gets a clear reset opportunity Saturday afternoon when The Citadel comes to Kyle Field, and ESPN FPI isn’t leaving much suspense in Week 7. The Aggies are sitting at a 99% chance to win before they head to Alabama on the road in Week 8.
That number comes after a rough showing in Week 6, when Texas A&M fell at Missouri, 27-6. The offense never got rolling, and starting quarterback Marcel Reed continued to struggle in the pocket. First-year offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins isn’t getting a free pass, either, though his lack of play-calling imagination is part of the problem.
Mike Elko’s decision to stick with Reed as the starter has already drawn questions, and with the Aggies needing a full reset if they’re going to have a real shot at winning at least two more SEC games and reaching bowl eligibility after hosting The Citadel, the scrutiny isn’t going anywhere. The lack of veteran depth behind Reed makes it fair to say his days as the starter are numbered, even if he could still finish out the regular season.
At the same time, sophomore backup Brady Hart deserves a look. However unlikely it may seem, he should get a chance to show the staff he’s worthy of competing for a starting job in 2027.
Texas A&M’s ground game should also have room to breathe. The Aggies managed just 29 rushing yards and 1.3 yards per carry against Missouri, but that kind of output shouldn’t be repeated against The Citadel’s undersized defense.
Given how the season has gone, a 4-8 finish is in the cards, and Saturday offers Elko a chance to test quarterback depth and work younger players on both sides of the ball against a less-talented opponent.
In Other News...
Mike Elko Got A Reset But Texas A&M Still Has Everything To Prove
The win over The Citadel at least gave Texas A&M a clean break from the kind of performance that had hung over the program after the Missouri game, when the Aggies failed to score a touchdown and looked nowhere near the standard they need to reach. For a team trying to steady itself under Mike Elko, even a lopsided result can matter because it offers a chance to regroup, refocus and stop the spiral from looking permanent.
Still, one reset does not change the larger question facing this season. The Aggies have to show they can carry that momentum into games that actually define an SEC year, and that means proving the offense and overall consistency travel against better competition. Until they do, the Missouri loss will feel less like a bad day and more like the clearest warning sign of what this team still has to overcome. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Heads To Texas A&M With Two Key Availability Questions
Alabamas trip to College Station comes with a little more uncertainty than a typical October road game, thanks to a pair of lower-leg injuries that bear watching all week. Head coach Kalen DeBoer said EJ Crowell and Zabien Brown are both being evaluated as the Crimson Tide prepare for their Week 8 matchup with Texas A&M, leaving two of their more impactful defenders and contributors in a day-to-day holding pattern.
Crowell has been one of Alabamas most efficient runners by yards per carry, while Brown has been a steady presence in the secondary and leads the team in passes defended. For Texas A&M, the situation adds another layer to a game that already carries real SEC weight, because Alabamas available personnel in the backfield and on the perimeter could shape how aggressive the Tide can be from the opening series on. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Faces A Bigger Question Than Its Alabama Trip
Texas A&M heads into the Alabama trip with the kind of underdog label that tends to sharpen every conversation around the program, but the bigger intrigue may be happening off the field. Betting lines have reflected the Aggies recent play, yet the more forward-looking chatter around the program has centered on how the roster could be shaped for next season and what kind of quarterback help might be available in the transfer portal.
One name already floating into that discussion is Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele from Cal, a signal that Texas A&Ms attention extends well beyond Saturdays matchup. For a team trying to stabilize its trajectory, the Alabama game is only part of the picture, and the rest of it involves how aggressively the Aggies choose to pursue help at the games most important position. [Read more 🡒]