After arguably the Aggies’ worst loss in the modern era, Jimbo Fisher is officially on the hot seat at Texas A&M.
Make no mistake about it, Jimbo Fisher is close. Close to losing his team, his supporters, and the Aggie Network altogether. In front of over 92,000 fans, potential SEC title-contender Texas A&M losing as an 18-point favorite to a team that was predicted to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference falls entirely on the head coach. Now, his surely expensive leather chair is hotter than a Texas summer.
After giving up 63 points at home last week to North Carolina, App State went on an 1,110-mile road trip and held the Aggies to one offensive touchdown the entire day. They physically whipped the 6th-ranked team in the country in every phase of the game.
That is not a slight against head coach Shawn Clark’s team. The Mountaineers have shown themselves capable of going head-to-head with Power Five programs. Ever since their statement-making upset of Michigan in 2007, they know they can play with anyone. Rather, it is an indictment against one of the most highly paid coaches in college football. Even with back-to-back-to-back Top 8 recruiting classes, including the highest ranked recruiting class in the history of college football in 2022, “out-coached, under-prepared, and woefully inept” are terms fans in Aggieland are using to describe the current state of Jimbo Fisher and his program.
The 4th best Team Talent Composite program lost to a team with ONE 4-star on the entire roster. Put another way, A&M has almost as many blue-chip recruits (56) as number of players App State brought to the game (70). It is inexcusable on any and every front, and there is no other way to sum it up.
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” It was on full, ugly, and embarrassing display Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field for anyone in maroon and white.
Where does Texas A&M go from here? First off, they tumbled all the way down to the bottom of the AP Top 25. Next, they will need to take a very long and hard look in the mirror and figure out their identity. The #13 Miami Hurricanes travel to Kyle Field in one week, and A&M follows that game up with #10 Arkansas (in Dallas). Once October arrives, the Aggies travel to Mississippi State and to #2 Alabama before their bye week. After that, it doesn’t get easier. Two home games against likely ranked Ole Miss and Florida, sandwiched between road trips to South Carolina and Auburn. It is likely that Fisher’s squad will be underdogs in all four upcoming games. Weeks removed from being considered by many to be a dark-horse candidate to reach the College Football Playoff, Texas A&m is at a serious crossroads.
What may be the biggest decision for Fisher is what to do at QB. Redshirt sophomore Haynes King has three years in Fisher’s system, but in just over 12 quarters against Kent State, Sam Houston and Appalachian State, his stat line is this: 64% completion rate, 761 yards, 5 TD’s, 5 INT’s. Read that again, then remember that he hasn’t faced one SEC defense.
Change is coming to College Station. Whether it’s at QB, Fisher finally relinquishing play-calling duties, or Fisher himself departing, the time is now.
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1 Comment
Jimbo is under contract until 2031 at $9 million per year. He has the coldest seat in college football next to Nick Saban.