Texas A&M’s rough night in Baton Rouge did more than knock the Aggies out of the AP Top 25 and the US LBM Coaches Poll. It also pushed them down the ESPN Football Power Index, where they now sit at No. 16 after the 35-6 loss to LSU in Week 4.
The number that stands out most is the Aggies’ FPI rating, which landed at 15.1. That puts Texas A&M seventh among SEC teams, behind Tennessee at No.
11, Florida at No. 10, LSU at No.
8, Alabama at No. 6, Texas at No. 4 and Georgia at No.
Saturday’s defeat only deepened the questions around this team. Marcel Reed, the starting quarterback, finished with 106 passing yards on 10-of-26 passing and averaged 4.1 yards per completion. The performance was another reminder that the redshirt junior has not made much progress as a pocket passer.
The issues, though, go beyond one player. Third-year coach Mike Elko is under the microscope too, and the staff changes haven’t sparked the turnaround Texas A&M was hoping for. Elko’s move to elevate Holmon Wiggins to offensive coordinator, along with defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill and quarterbacks coach Joey Lynch remaining part of the 2025 staff, still hasn’t produced much payoff based on the last two games.
The schedule ahead doesn’t offer much relief. Texas A&M hosts Arkansas, goes to Missouri in Columbia, plays The Citadel at home, then faces back-to-back road games against Alabama and South Carolina. After that comes Tennessee at home, Oklahoma in Norman and Texas at home.
ESPN’s FPI now projects Texas A&M to finish 6.4-5.6, gives the Aggies a 0.3% chance to win out, a 0.1% chance to win the SEC and a 3.3% chance to make the College Football Playoff.
In Other News...
Johnny Manziel Just Said What Texas A&M Fans Are Fearing
Johnny Manziels postgame criticism landed with the kind of force only a former Texas A&M star can bring. After the loss to LSU, he took to social media to question what the Aggies are doing right now, and the reaction was not hard to understand. The offense has struggled to find rhythm, the defense has had its own issues, and the overall look has been of a team still searching for something steady to hang onto in SEC play.
For Aggies fans, the uncomfortable part is that the problems do not seem isolated to one side of the ball. Coaching, cohesion and the lack of a clear offensive identity have all become part of the conversation, with the running game looking like one area that could help set a tone if it ever gets going. Until then, the concern Manziel voiced is the same one hovering over the program: the season feels like it needs a reset, and there is no obvious sign yet of where that comes from. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Craver Is Giving Texas A&M Fans A New Reason To Vent
Texas A&Ms rocky start has already left Aggies fans looking for answers after two straight losses erased the momentum of a 2-0 opening, and now receiver Mario Craver has given them another topic to grumble about. The latest frustration came off the field, where Craver drew criticism on social media after liking Instagram photos of Peyton Blomquist, the Florida Gators fan who went viral during Floridas win over Ole Miss.
For a fan base already uneasy about the direction of the season, the timing could hardly be worse. Even a small social media gesture can become a talking point when a team is trying to steady itself, and Cravers online activity landed in the middle of a week when Texas A&M supporters were already searching for reasons to feel better about a 2-2 start. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Fans Wont Love What Elko Is Facing After LSU Loss
A rough night in Baton Rouge left Texas A&M searching for answers after a 35-6 loss to LSU dropped the Aggies to 2-2 overall and 0-2 in SEC play. The offense never found much rhythm, the defense spent too much time on its heels, and the kind of complementary football Mike Elko has been trying to build was nowhere to be found.
Marcel Reeds uneven performance only added to the frustration, but Elko said he is not changing the starting quarterback for now. For a fan base already uneasy about the early conference skid, the bigger concern may be how many areas need fixing at once, from protection and execution on offense to a defense that could not generate pressure or keep LSU from piling up passing yards. [Read more 🡒]