Despite Texas A&M’s dreadful 2022 5-7 (2-6 SEC) campaign, Jimbo Fisher’s 2023 squad landed at No. 23 in the AP Poll and No.25 in the USA TODAY Sports poll earlier this month.
With a loaded roster filled with experienced leaders and a wealth of young talent, Fisher and his well-rounded coaching staff are not just looking to rebound this season but finally make some serious noise in the SEC while sending a message to the entire country that 2022 was simply a blip on the radar.
ESPN recently released their 2023 power rankings as the college football season officially kicks off with Week Zero on Saturday, Aug. 26. In their annual prediction roundup, the writing staff provided two scenarios regarding the Aggie’s pivotal 2023 campaign from a very positive. Yes, very negative perspectives are both eerily plausible based on what we’ve witnessed in the last five seasons under Jimbo Fisher’s reign.
First, the best-case scenario, which accurately surrounds the Aggies’ slow starts that ultimately plagued their inability to build any consistency on offense, while the quarterback carousel of Haynes King (now with Georgia tech), Max Johnson, and Conner Weigman gave us all headaches down the stretch.
However, the offseason battle between Weigman and Johnson has provided much-needed clarity at the most crucial position in the game. Weigman holds a slight edge after two solid scrimmage performances. However, with Bobby Petrino calling plays combined with an elite wide receiver rotation, the Aggies’ offense is in excellent hands moving forward.
New Year’s Six Bowl game. Maybe Jimbo Fisher handing over the keys to the offense to Bobby Petrino really is the answer. Petrino’s shown time and time again — whether at Arkansas or Missouri State — that he can score points. And with Conner Weigman at quarterback and a talented group of receivers (Ainias Smith, Evan Stewart, and Moose Muhammad III), the pieces to succeed are in place. What’s more, the early part of the schedule is favorable with games against New Mexico, Miami, Louisiana Monroe, and Auburn. Come out of that 4-0 and confident, and you get Arkansas and Alabama at home, which suddenly look like winnable games.
Starting at 5-0 is an absolute must before hosting Alabama, who is also poised to be undefeated and enter the matchup highly ranked, which could make or break each program’s in-season trajectory.
Now, the dreaded worst-case scenario, where writer Alex Scarborough focused the media-obsessed question, “Will the Fisher-Petrino relationship actually work out?” Look, anything is possible when discussing two noted coaching egos. However, in a recent interview with Marty Smith and Ryan McGee, Fisher’s praise of his experienced coaching staff, specifically Bobby Petrino, essentially put this narrative to bed. Still, I agree that until we see results on the field, Fisher’s current warm “coaching seat” may burst into flames if Texas A&M finishes 6-6 or worse.
A .500 season would be a disaster, but can we really rule it out after last year? There’s no reason the Aggies should have lost to Appalachian State, but they did. And for all the possibilities of Petrino calling plays, how sure are we that it will work? Fisher seems reluctant to completely step away from the offense, and you’re talking about two big personalities between him and Petrino. We could see fireworks — and not the good kind — if Texas A&M starts off slow and Fisher feels the pressure of being on the hot seat. Loose at Miami, and the chatter will ramp up quickly. Lose at home to a rebuilding Auburn team, and it could become deafening.
Texas A&M will kick off the 2023 season against New Mexico on Saturday, Sept. 2, and will air on ESPN at 6:00 p.m. CT.
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