‘Optimism is the madness of insisting that all is well when we are miserable.’ -Voltaire
Texas A&M football is finally back, y’all. In just four short days, the Aggies will get the 2023 season underway, with a ton of optimism emanating from the fanbase. This should be a good season (or at least a better year than the last one). Let’s see what your esteemed group of GBH contributors think about the Ags’ prospects for the coming season.
Stringsays
Record: 8-4
Bowl: Citrus Bowl vs. Wisconsin
This roster is good enough to win 10 perhaps even 11 games. The only team that at all scares me on our schedule is the one in the damn mirror. I can talk myself into being worried about linebacker, corner, and tackle, but i can just as easily talk myself out of being worried about those spots.
That being said, it’s still this head coach and somehow he’s managed to underachieve. The Durkin, I think, will be fine. But I have no idea what the Jimbo/Petrino experiment will be like.
Like I said. Roster is good enough to win 10/11. I’m gonna go with 8-4 pre-bowl, with a win over Wisconsin in the Citrus Bowl to get to 9-4.
Aggie Analytics
Record: 9-3
Bowl: Citrus or something in that range
It’s the end of the off-season which means I’ll never be higher on this team than I am now. I don’t think Petrino is a miracle worker when it comes to this offense but I think he gets it more than serviceable. Delay of games and random timeouts after a false start at an all time low. Front end of this defense will be so much better than last year and it will make a huge difference. Fans will screech about Durkin’s three-man fronts, all while Mckinnley Jackson strip sacks the QB while the opposing team tries to triple team him at the line of scrimmage.
I think the Aggies take 1 of 3 from Bama, Tennessee, and LSU, with Bama being the most likely. From there I think they drop another game they “shouldn’t”, something like Ole Miss or Arkansas. It’ll be a breath of fresh air from last year, but also incredibly frustrating with the Aggies being just outside an SEC West championship and a NY6 bowl game. Going to be a real “Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in.” Type season.
Cuppycup
Record: 7-5
Bowl: Liberty Bowl
Aggie Football will improve in 2023 but it won’t feel like it. Struggling to put away bad teams early will frustrate Aggies from the onset. Fisher and Petrino will quietly clash and it will eventually feel like Jimbo is running the offense again. The defense won’t be able to do enough to impress in some low-possession contests, often breaking on crucial third downs. The arguments over firing Jimbo will reach a fevered pitch, but the modest improvement and bowl bid will get him one more year.
Will Stone
Record: 10-2
Bowl: Peach Bowl vs. Clemson
Lack of talent hasn’t been the issue for the Aggies as of late, but rather lack of experience, health, and effective coaching on offense. A&M appears to have all four as they enter 2023. With Conner Weigman, an improved OL, and one of the top receiver rooms in the country, new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino will produce a balanced and explosive offense.
On defense, the trenches will tell the story. If a slew of highly rated defensive linemen reach their potential, the Aggie defense should be able to dominate the line of scrimmage against most of their opponents.
However, the SEC West is as tough as ever and the Aggies probably won’t be poised to run the table just yet. I look for A&M to sweep the home slate, while dropping a hard-fought game in Baton Rouge and one other road game somewhere along the way.
Robert Behrens
Record: 8-4
Bowl: Texas Bowl vs. UCF
I want so badly to believe in this team, and could talk myself into this team winning 9 or even 10 games. But in each of the past two years, I’ve overshot A&M’s win total by at least four games in my preseason predictions, so I’m trying to keep this a bit more tempered.
Overall I think A&M will be better on both sides of the ball than they were a year ago, but I also think their schedule (and the SEC West) are tougher than they were last year. Miami should be improved, and there’s reason to believe that Arkansas and Auburn will be better as well. Tennessee subbing in for Florida (on the road, no less) is a more difficult game.
In some ways, I think 8-4 is the worst place this team could end up. Not good enough to generate any real buzz or excitement about the future, but not bad enough to pay Jimbo’s massive buyout. And a Texas Bowl against a team who still hasn’t unpacked all of their boxes since moving to the Power 5 is about as uninspiring as it gets.
Man do I hope I’m wrong (but on the low side this time around).