It’s been a good minute since the Aggies last punched their ticket to a bowl game, but more than a few outlets are predicting a Maroon and White return to the postseason.
Action Network has Texas A&M facing Notre Dame in their most recent College Football Playoff/bowl game projections. The ReliaQuest Bowl is forecasted as the backdrop to this clash, which takes place from Tampa, FL, on Jan. 1, 2024.
The Aggies and Fighting Irish have clashed five times between 1988 and 2001, with the Maroon and White holding a 2-3 record. Their last matchup, back on Sept. 29, 2001, was a 24-3 win in favor of A&M. The victory also snapped a three-game losing streak to Notre Dame, with the latter recording wins in 1992, 1993, and 2000.
The hypothetical bowl matchup between these two storied programs would serve as a prelude to their planned home-and-home series in 2024 and 2025. The head-to-head begins with a home game at Kyle Field on Aug. 31, 2024, and concludes with an away game in South Bend on Sept. 13, 2025.
In addition to this clash featuring two notable names among the college football landscape, it would be a telling match-up given that both teams have their sights set on a rebound campaign this fall.
The Fighting Irish, who notably replaced Brian Kelly with first-year head coach Marcus Freeman, saw a bumpy 2022 campaign ending with a 9-4 record. However, after recording notable victories against BYU, Syracuse, Clemson, and South Carolina, Notre Dame landed Wake Forest quarterback transfer Sam Hartman in the offseason.
The Aggies are no stranger to a hopeful comeback story as head coach Jimbo Fisher noted that his team is “hungry” and “mad” following an underwhelming 5-7 season. The Maroon and White welcome back a talented offense that should take a leap this season with new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino holding the play-calling duties.
A&M also boasts a talented defensive front that should be a monster in the SEC this year after ranking 25th in the country last season in defensive scoring (21.2 PPG allowed).
While the Aggies likely have a College Football Playoff appearance as their Northstar for this season, it’s encouraging to see more and more outlets forecast Texas A&M to return to the bowl season. The Maroon and White have appeared in 42 bowl games over their school history, holding a 20-22 record. Their last appearance came back in 2021 in the Orange Bowl, which resulted in a 41-27 win over North Carolina.
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