Texas A&M knew minutes after their 38-23 season finale win over the then 5th-ranked LSU Tigers that the celebration would be short and sweet, as their 5-7 record and 2-6 finish in the SEC would lead to a sustained “doom and gloom” media coverage this offseason, though things are definitely looking up at the tail end of spring football practice this month.
On Wednesday, Patrick Conn of College Sports Wire authored a piece titled “Buy or Sell these 12 Teams as Contenders in the 2023 Season”, essentially detailing the “contenders and pretenders” ahead of next season’s festivities. Any average college football fan could probably guess the names on the list, including recent National Champion Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama, Texas, LSU, Florida State, Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Miami, and of course, your Texas A&M Aggies.
Using the Wall Street method of standing on the trading floor and screaming “Buy! wait Sell!!” Conn made his feelings clear about A&M’s chances to rebound in 2023, and let’s just say he’s not buying one thing about the Maroon and White as long as head coach Jimbo Fisher remains, well, head coach.
“We are all the way out on the Texas A&M Aggies as legitimate contenders and it has nothing to do with the Aggies per se. It has everything to do with Jimbo Fisher. He won his lone national title in a down year for Alabama and even though he beat the Crimson Tide in recent years, he falls victim to teams like Appalachian State and barely survived a game against a talentless Colorado Buffaloes squad.”
These points are valid because when it comes to evaluating every Power 5 head coach year to year, wins and losses are all that matter, and aside from the Aggies’ 9-1 2020 COVID-inflicted campaign, the results since have been average, to below average at best.
The 2023 season is crucial not only for Fisher’s legacy with the program, but for a fan base that is getting pretty sick and tired of watching a team with unlimited talent at their disposal struggle against lesser competition, and fail to find any consistency once conference play roles around.
Texas A&M has everything in front of them once again this season, as most of the historic 2022 recruiting class returns, veteran players such as Ainias Smith, Layden Robinson, McKinnley Jackson, and Demani Richardson look to lead what is still a relatively young squad to greater heights, knowing that everyone outside of College Station will be betting against them.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty
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