Texas A&M may have gone as far as it can go under Kevin Sumlin

Texas A&M is a good program. It’s not a great one, though. Just about everybody outside of College Station seems to know that.

After five seasons on the job with the Aggies, the same can be said of Kevin Sumlin. While he’s a good coach, he’s not a great one. Likewise, just about everybody outside of College Station seems to know that.

On the heels of a 33-28 loss Wednesday to former Big 12 foe Kansas State in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl, A&M wrapped up its third straight 8-5 campaign — laying big eggs down the stretch all three times. After starting 6-0 and debuting at No. 4 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, the Ags will finish the year unranked.

Sumlin has to be considered on the hot seat at this point, especially at a program that some feel has unrealistic expectations.

His seat was already rather warm at Media Days back in July, but Sumlin cooled it off considerably getting to the schedule’s halfway point unbeaten. Quarterback Trevor Knight, an Oklahoma transfer, was proving to be quite valuable.

But it wasn’t just Knight bringing stability — both of last year’s starters, Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray, left for greener pastures — and leadership at the game’s most important position. Texas A&M was running the ball better. They improved stopping the run, too. It was a more sustainable brand of football for a month and a half.

An Oct. 23 date with Alabama quickly changed that narrative. Unable to run or stop the Crimson Tide from doing so, the Aggies looked like pretenders.

As the calendar flipped to November, A&M went down to Mississippi State and Ole Miss, neither of which finished above .500, on back-to-back weeks. The Ags closed the regular season with a 54-39 embarrassment at the hands of LSU.

Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

While Knight (above) was banged up late in the year, as he couldn’t finish one game and missed two others, he wasn’t a legit difference maker with the benefit of hindsight. He’s a low-percentage passer — that’s why he lost his starting job with the Sooners in the first place — who does more damage with his legs than his arm.

Sumlin’s reputation as a QB whisperer has taken a substantial hit. The revolving door under center certainly hasn’t helped.

Yes, Johnny Manziel won a Heisman Trophy in Sumlin’s offense. However, so much of what he did was improvisational in nature. In other words, you can’t coach it. No Texas A&M signal caller has been able to recreate that magic.

Sumlin won 11 games in 2012 — the first year the Aggies competed in the SEC. Manziel was a wizard. The rest of the conference hadn’t seen much of this Lone Star State version of the spread scheme. As a matter of fact, ‘Bama started recruiting smaller and faster front-seven defenders in order to neutralize any potential Manziel clones.

However, there’s only one Manziel. He was a once-in-a-generation freakshow of unique ability and impromptu brilliance. A video game come to life.

A 20-game winner in two seasons with Manziel at the controls, including a pair of bowl victories, Sumlin has won a total of 24 games in the three years post-Johnny Football. He’s also 1-2 in bowl games, with each appearance less impressive.

Sumlin made a lot of noise when he talked defensive coordinator John Chavis into making a lateral move from LSU two seasons go. However, A&M finished only eighth in the league in total defense in 2015 — despite the presence of pass rusher Myles Garrett, another generational talent — and then dropped to 10th this season.

Another coup for Sumlin, offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone was hired away from the same job at UCLA prior to 2016.

Mazzone was charged with making the Ags more balanced offensively, and initially he was able to do so. Along with the fleet-of-foot Knight, running back Trayveon Williams had a lot of success on the ground early.

Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Nevertheless, Williams (above) all but disappeared following his 217-yard performance — a freshman record at Texas A&M — in a double-overtime W over Tennessee. In his next seven games combined, he ran for just 353 yards. He was a non-factor in the defeat to Kansas State, running 9 times for 33 yards with a long of 13.

So Chavis hasn’t improved the defense. Mazzone hasn’t improved the offense. The common denominator for each? Working for Sumlin.

Recruiting isn’t the problem. Of the five classes Sumlin has signed thus far, they’ve never ranked lower than 18th nationally and have been as high as fifth. According to the composite rankings at 247Sports, his projected haul for 2017 is currently No. 8.

Clearly, the Aggies want to be a college football power. That was a big reason why they left the Big 12 for the SEC — along with the bigger bags of money, naturally — in the first place. From access to blue-chip recruits to the presence of the 12th Man at 100,000-plus Kyle Field, everything appears to be in place.

Still, something is missing. Perhaps Sumlin isn’t the answer. He’s no longer on the NFL’s radar, that’s for sure.

On the other hand, from a historical perspective, A&M is right about where it’s always been. It’s not like the Ags were automatic for 10-win seasons before Sumlin’s arrival. Prior to 2012, there hadn’t been one since 1998.

Dennis Franchione was there for five years. He never won double-digit games and never won a bowl game. Mike Sherman succeeded Franchione and was there for four years. He never won double-digit games and never won a bowl game, either. Sure, the Aggies have claimed three national titles, but the last one came in 1939.

Sumlin isn’t a great coach. He’s a good one, though. But Texas A&M isn’t a great program. It’s a good one. Maybe they’re perfect for each other after all.

John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.