Let’s get overly optimistic together
At long last, we’re only a week away from Texas A&M officially kickoff off the 2024 football season. We’ve spent all offseason speculating and prognosticating, so why not do it one more time? The GBH team makes it official by making their record predictions for the Aggie season.
Will Stone
Record: 10-2
After the Aggies fell short of my 10-2 prediction last year, I almost let my superstitiousness cloud my judgment on this year’s forecast. ALMOST. I can’t let something so trivial get in the way of my honest thoughts on this football team. It comes down to a handful of things for me: the schedule, the quarterback, the defense and the coaching.
This schedule is as manageable as you could hope for in the new SEC in terms of who they play and when and where they play them. With Conner Weigman at the helm, A&M will have the advantage at QB in every regular season game. They likely have a better defense than any they will face, led by a defensive line that could be the best in the country. As for the coaching, you don’t need me to tell you what a complete 180 this staff is from last year’s. This is a deep and talented team with competition at each spot that should get better each week. However, the lack of playmakers at receiver will ultimately limit the ceiling of the team and a couple of the teams with better offensive lines (Mizzou, LSU, Texas) could neutralize the A&M DL and score wins over the Aggies.
String
Record: 9-3
So here we go yet again,
To write predictions for foe and friend.
Like every August, my hopes are high,
But hopes and dreams do naught but terrify.
This team has talent that’s for sure.
I wonder about Weig, can his body endure?
The defense, without a doubt, will perform quite well,
But tbh everything comes down to the OL.
I’m gonna go with a record of 9-3,
Because we’ve got coaches and staff who are football guys, primarily.
Not sure about playoffs nor exactly how we get there,
But with Elko/Klein…I dunno, expecting 9 seems fair.
Jay Arnold
Record: 9-3
Unlike previous seasons, I find myself with a healthy dose of quiet enthusiasm. Perhaps it’s the buffer of a lack of expectations (compared to normal) with a new coaching staff in place but I think Texas A&M has a real shot to surprise teams in 2024.
The season hinges on the offensive line. I think the defense is going to be better than last year, especially in the secondary. If Conner Weigman can stay healthy, the Aggies will be great in 2024.
I think the offensive line will be improved this season but not enough to take Texas A&M from great to elite.
9-3 is my prediction and that starts with a win over Notre Dame in Aggieland to kick off the season.
Robert Behrens
Record: 8-4
There’s a lot of reasons for optimism with this team. The stacked DL, the revamped secondary, a new offensive scheme, Conner Weigman, an improved team culture, the list goes on. It makes me extremely hopeful, and if things go right, the Ags could do some big things in 2024.
But if we’ve learned anything in recent years, it’s that college football seasons rarely go completely right. There will be major injuries. There will be position groups that disappoint. Turnovers and boneheaded plays can cost you games. Not every new coach is guaranteed to be an upgrade. The point is, there’s a lot of room for things to not go according to plan, even if the team looks better than they have in the final two years under Jimbo Fisher.
For that reason, and maybe just in an effort to guard my heart, I’m predicting an 8-4 regular season record for A&M this year. I do think they manage to win one of the four big home games on the slate, but also let a road game slip away. Such is life in the SEC.
Oh and I completely reserve the right to abandon this prediction immediately and instead hop on the Playoff team train if we beat Notre Dame on Aug. 31.