Why this is the best Texas A&M squad since Aggies joined the SEC
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Since joining the SEC in 2012, Texas A&M has had some good teams, but none have been good enough to play in the SEC Championship Game. If star quarterback Marcel Reed, head coach Mike Elko and company have their way, that’s all going to change this December.
Thanks to its win over Arkansas last weekend, A&M moved to 7-0 for the first time since the 1994 season and is ranked No. 3 in the nation for the first time since 1995 when it held the No. 3 ranking for the first 5 weeks of the season. As a result, A&M is in the best spot its ever been in since joining the SEC, as it is the highest ranked team in the conference and controls its destiny for the SEC title game and a College Football Playoff berth with just 5 games remaining.
Here are 3 reasons why this is the best Texas A&M squad in 14 seasons of being a member of the SEC:
1. A&M’s well-rounded offense has consistently produced
A lot of people in Aggie Land are starting to feel the 2025 season is the Year of the Aggies due to them consistently winning close games and beating teams they have historically struggled with. This theory will be put to the test this week as A&M travels to Baton Rouge, where the Aggies haven’t won since joining the SEC, to play the LSU under the lights in Death Valley.
A big reason why this is A&M’s best team in its SEC era and why it should beat LSU Saturday is because of the offense, which is one of the most efficient and consistent offensive units in the nation.
Through 7 games, A&M has produced at least 1 explosive play in the passing and running game every game while scoring 31 points or more in 6 of its wins this season. The lone exception was the 16-10 slugfest win over Auburn. Currently the Aggies are averaging 12 explosive plays a game, which is 11th in the nation.
2. The Aggies are finding ways to win no matter who or where they play
Since Johnny Manziel, Mike Evans and company shocked the world by beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa during the 2012 season, A&M has consistently come up short in big games and big situations.
In their upset win over Notre Dame earlier this season, A&M won by making big plays down the stretch, highlighted by Reed’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Nate Boerkircher with 13 seconds left to seal a 41-40 win. Currently this is the biggest win on the Aggies’ résumé this season, but it’s also very significant because it was the first time they beat a Top 25 team on the road since knocking off then-No. 3 Auburn on Nov. 8, 2014.
Wins like this highlight why this year’s team is the best the Aggies have had since joining the SEC, as the program had lost 13-straight road games to ranked opponents before upsetting the Fighting Irish in Week 3. Until recently and all through the Jimbo Fisher era at A&M the saying around the state of Texas was “Texas A&M is going to do Texas A&M things when adversity hits and things get tough.”
To Mike Elko’s credit, the tough-minded coach has gotten his Aggies to produce and consistently make plays when the chips are down and the game is in the balance. Whether it be star edge rusher Cashius Howell’s big sack to seal its big win over Auburn, or Rueben Owens II’s 12-yard touchdown run to cap off a 10-play drive to close out a shootout win over Arkansas, this year’s A&M team is consistently making winning plays and that’s why the Aggies are undefeated.
3. The Aggies defense has flipped the script
Unlike in recent years, A&M’s defense is viewed as a strength and not a liability, which has constantly been one of its major problems since joining the SEC. Although they have had 2 rough performances on the road against Notre Dame and Arkansas, A&M’s defense has been solid at stopping the run, getting to the quarterback, and getting stops on third downs.
When you have an offense that has shown it’s almost guaranteed to put up at least 30 points a game, it allows your defense to be more aggressive and thrive.
Despite having several future NFL players its front 7 last season, A&M only produced 25 sacks the entire season. This year, it has 25 going into this weekend, which is good for the third most in the SEC.
Where the Aggies have really excelled and what completely separates them from teams in recent memory is their ability to get offenses off the field on third down. Currently the Aggies have the best third-down defense in the SEC, having only allowed 22 first downs in 87 chances for the entire season. Add in the fact A&M held Auburn, Mississippi State and Florida to a combined 2-for-33 on third downs in its wins over them and it’s easy to see why A&M is playing at an elite level defensively.
If A&M can win 2 of its 3 games against upcoming ranked opponents LSU, Mizzou and Texas, their dream season could become a historic season for the program.
Kendrick E. Johnson writes for various national outlets such as High School on SI, Yardbarker, ESPN Andscape and MMA Weekly. He is an independent print journalist, sports television reporter and multimedia journalist who has covered the NBA Finals, NFL, NCAA football, MLB, NHL, WWE and over 75 world championship boxing and UFC Fights nationally. Johnson has also covered every prep sport possible in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and all across the great state of Texas. He’s done numerous 1-on-1 interviews with some of the biggest names and personalities in sports from Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry and Shaq on the basketball side to Jon Jones, Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford on the combat sports side and John Cena, Jey and Jimmy Uso and Charlotte Flair in WWE.
