Texas A&M’s 2014 season isn’t quite over yet. There’s no doubt, though, that the team is looking toward the future. While the building blocks are there, the Aggies can fully leap ahead into next year against LSU on Thursday.

While last season is always left in the past, whether you’re a national champion or a last-place finisher, a 4-4 SEC finish would be a huge boon for Sumlin and the Aggies. From the jump, this was positioned as a rebuilding season, with a young team top to bottom.

Coming into the year, there were few programs in the country hotter than Texas A&M. Kevin Sumlin came to College Station at the same time the Aggies moved to the SEC, riding in on a “swag copter” that took the country by storm.

While that luster has worn off some with an inconsistent season, the Aggies are certainly still hot. They currently sit fifth in ESPN’s recruiting class rankings, the third straight year they’ve sat in the top 10. That kind of momentum can shift quickly, and the Aggies will need to capitalize on it with some real results next year.

This year’s team is loaded with young players. The offense has been piloted by a true freshman for the last month, and before that by a sophomore who hadn’t played much before this year. The bulk of the receiving corps are either freshmen or sophomore. Sumlin, though, seems intent on letting his young guys figure it out.

For good reason, too. Next year’s SEC West will likely be wide open. Alabama, Auburn and Ole Miss will be graduating their quarterback, Mississippi State could well lose Dak Prescott to the draft, and LSU’s quarterback situation is murky at best. A&M will be the only school to have its passing game already established heading into next season (Arkansas will be returning its quarterback, although they don’t throw much), and continuity like that will be a huge boost.

The offense has slowed down since Kyle Allen took over behind center, but it’s still for the best. He was the most touted quarterback recruit in the country a year ago, and he’s the future for the program. He’s already developed a great rapport with Josh Reynolds, and he’s coming along with the rest of Texas A&M’s young talent, including freshmen Speedy Noil and Ricky Seals-Jones.

The defense is another matter, struggling mightily for the second straight year. There will probably be changes on that side of the ball in the offseason, but more and more young talent has gotten on the field in recent weeks. Armani Watts has found steady playing time again in recent weeks and Otaro Alaka has come on as the season has progressed. Of course, Myles Garrett has dominated at defensive end all season, fighting through double teams and constant holding to set the SEC’s freshman sack record.

Looking up and down the Aggies roster, it’s impressive that they’ve even gotten to this point. The West has been brutal this year, so it’s not a huge surprise to see Texas A&M at 2-3 within the division. On the flip side, just having an opportunity to reach .500 in the conference and division is an accomplishment on its own.

We’ve seen the West cannibalize itself, with so many good teams that none was able to elevate above the rest. The Aggies, despite the maulings they took in October, have been a part of that, knocking off Auburn to eliminate the Tigers from the playoffs.

Whether or not the units are having great success, Sumlin and A&M can prove something major with a victory over LSU, a team that is the opposite of A&M: a mess on offense, fearsome on defense, and overflowing with talent as well. Coming out on top against a potential co-favorite in the West next year would show that, even in a down year, a rebuilding year, the Aggies can hold their own in the SEC.

If they can achieve a 4-4 conference record with this kind of inexperienced team, Sumlin has a whole lot keep selling as he builds the program up.