With talkin’ season and the SEC media days in the rearview mirror, it offered the opportunity for the media to unveil their preseason projections. Now, it’s time for the worldwide leader in sports to do the same.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly compiled his picks for the SEC division’s final results using his SP+ rankings, which have become a staple throughout the college football season. In his SEC West outlook, Connelly illustrated his belief in Texas A&M bouncing back from their underwhelming 5-7 campaign a season ago, which included a 2-6 record versus SEC competition.
As a reminder, ESPN’s SP+ rankings take into account returning production, recent recruiting, and recent history. The Aggies sit atop the SEC in returning production this season, highlighted by key positional units such as their offensive line, which should take a significant leap in performance.
While their trials in 2022 were ultimately a result of injuries and inexperience, identifying the root causes of last season and working to correct them should only add further belief in the Aggies’ chances of bouncing back in 2023. Of course, staying relatively healthy for the long haul of the season will be paramount to not produce a repeat of last season.
Here’s a look at ESPN’s SEC West projections ahead of the 2023 season.