EDIT: 01/07/2025 UPDATED thru final standings in last post since everyone keeps claiming this was our easiest SEC schedule ever. It's now FOURTH.

Ran these because everyone is claiming this is our easiest conf. schedule ever. Right now 3rd and right in line with most of our time in the SEC. If Mizz, Bama, LSU and tu win, it drops to 4th.




2020 also happens to be our best finish in the SEC West, alone in 2nd place behind Bama.

A&M finished TIED for 2nd in 2012 and 2018.

2020 we only played 9 conf. games as did our opponent Vanderbilt. It was by far A&M's easiest conference schedule. It would drop to 44% if we'd played and beaten Ol Miss in 2020.

2024 numbers include only games played to date. Opponents tu, Ark, Mizz., LSU and Auburn still play 1 more conf. game this weekend. If the favored team wins, the Win % goes to 49% (31-32). Note we have not played the favored team in the Aub-Bama game nor OK who is not favored over LSU.

by season:

so according to the data...

Jimbo got a much easier draw thru the years than Sumlin did

Quality post

the Ags' 2014 schedule was a bear

Alabama (12-2)
Missouri (11-3)
State (10-3)
Ole Miss (9-4)
Auburn (8-5)
LSU (8-5)
Carolina (7-6)
Arkansas (7-6)
West Virginia (7-6)

even Rice went 8-5

W said:

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so according to the data...

Jimbo got a much easier draw thru the years than Sumlin did

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YES



Jimbo in yellow, Sumlin in blue.

Of the 1st twelve seasons in the SEC, Jimbo had four of the easiest schedules by conf. opponent winning percentage (1, 2, 4 & 5), Sumlin had two (3 and 6). Sumlin also had two of the most difficult and finished 4th and 6th. Jimbo had the 5th easiest and finished 7th

5-3 would be our 3rd best SEC record. Yikes

W said:

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the Ags' 2014 schedule was a bear

Alabama (12-2)
Missouri (11-3)
State (10-3)
Ole Miss (9-4)
Auburn (8-5)
LSU (8-5)
Carolina (7-6)
Arkansas (7-6)
West Virginia (7-6)

even Rice went 8-5

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Yes, all 7 SEC West teams and 5 of 7 SEC East teams were bowl eligible in 2014, but Sumlin did not have to face a Power 4 nonconference opponent in the regular season in his first 3 years.

We already secured a winning SEC record by starting 5-0 in SEC games, and this is just our 4th winning SEC record in 13 years (6-2 in 2012, 5-3 in 2018, and 8-1 in 2020). But losing our last 3 SEC games to South Carolina, Auburn, and Texas would be disappointing because it would mean ending the season on a 3-game SEC losing streak and a missed opportunity to make our first ever SEC Championship Game appearance. Hopefully, we beat Texas to snap a 2-game SEC losing streak to finish 9-3 (6-2 SEC) and make our first ever SEC Championship Game appearance.

agracer said:

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Ran these because everyone is claiming this is our easiest conf. schedule ever. Right now 3rd and right in line with most of our time in the SEC. If Mizz, Bama, LSU and tu win, it drops to 4th.




2020 also happens to be our best finish in the SEC West, alone in 2nd place behind Bama.

A&M finished TIED for 2nd in 2012 and 2018.

2020 we only played 9 conf. games as did our opponent Vanderbilt. It was by far A&M's easiest conference schedule. It would drop to 44% if we'd played and beaten Ol Miss in 2020.

2024 numbers include only games played to date. Opponents tu, Ark, Mizz., LSU and Auburn still play 1 more conf. game this weekend. If the favored team wins, the Win % goes to 49% (31-32). Note we have not played the favored team in the Aub-Bama game nor OK who is not favored over LSU.

by season:

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I knew it was like this but seeing all of those 4-4 marks on the board is crazy.

4 times with a winning SEC record.
7 times at exactly .500.
2 times below .500.

Easy. Hard.

We will invariably go 7-5 or 8-4 with a losing season thrown in for every coach, except Sumlin, and a 10 or more win season happening as often as getting struck by lightning.

2020 was an all SEC schedule for the entire conference, seems obvious our opponents would have lowest winning percentage that year since there were no non-conference wins to be had.

Aggie_Boomin 21 said:

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2020 was an all SEC schedule for the entire conference, seems obvious our opponents would have lowest winning percentage that year since there were no non-conference wins to be had.

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Except OP is only looking at conference games so OOC games are not relevant.

vander54 said:

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Aggie_Boomin 21 said:

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2020 was an all SEC schedule for the entire conference, seems obvious our opponents would have lowest winning percentage that year since there were no non-conference wins to be had.

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Except OP is only looking at conference games so OOC games are not relevant.

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Yes, only looking at conf. games/opponents.

agracer said:

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Ran these because everyone is claiming this is our easiest conf. schedule ever. Right now 3rd and right in line with most of our time in the SEC. If Mizz, Bama, LSU and tu win, it drops to 4th.




2020 also happens to be our best finish in the SEC West, alone in 2nd place behind Bama.

A&M finished TIED for 2nd in 2012 and 2018.

2020 we only played 9 conf. games as did our opponent Vanderbilt. It was by far A&M's easiest conference schedule. It would drop to 44% if we'd played and beaten Ol Miss in 2020.

2024 numbers include only games played to date. Opponents tu, Ark, Mizz., LSU and Auburn still play 1 more conf. game this weekend. If the favored team wins, the Win % goes to 49% (31-32). Note we have not played the favored team in the Aub-Bama game nor OK who is not favored over LSU.

by season:

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Does that data net out our games to see their W/L% when not considering our outcomes against them?

Heineken-Ashi said:

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agracer said:

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Ran these because everyone is claiming this is our easiest conf. schedule ever. Right now 3rd and right in line with most of our time in the SEC. If Mizz, Bama, LSU and tu win, it drops to 4th.




2020 also happens to be our best finish in the SEC West, alone in 2nd place behind Bama.

A&M finished TIED for 2nd in 2012 and 2018.

2020 we only played 9 conf. games as did our opponent Vanderbilt. It was by far A&M's easiest conference schedule. It would drop to 44% if we'd played and beaten Ol Miss in 2020.

2024 numbers include only games played to date. Opponents tu, Ark, Mizz., LSU and Auburn still play 1 more conf. game this weekend. If the favored team wins, the Win % goes to 49% (31-32). Note we have not played the favored team in the Aub-Bama game nor OK who is not favored over LSU.

by season:

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Does that data net out our games to see their W/L% when not considering our outcomes against them?

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Not sure I understand your question.

The W/L conf. opponent records are at the end of the season, including their games against A&M. Why would I remove the W/L vs A&M? It still counts against the conf. record and win %%.

UPDATE with final standings

One more win in 15, 22 and 23 would put those years at the same win %% but a worse record in 2022 when Jimbo had the best recruiting class in the history of forever.

By Year



By Win %%

Heineken-Ashi said:

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agracer said:

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Ran these because everyone is claiming this is our easiest conf. schedule ever. Right now 3rd and right in line with most of our time in the SEC. If Mizz, Bama, LSU and tu win, it drops to 4th.




2020 also happens to be our best finish in the SEC West, alone in 2nd place behind Bama.

A&M finished TIED for 2nd in 2012 and 2018.

2020 we only played 9 conf. games as did our opponent Vanderbilt. It was by far A&M's easiest conference schedule. It would drop to 44% if we'd played and beaten Ol Miss in 2020.

2024 numbers include only games played to date. Opponents tu, Ark, Mizz., LSU and Auburn still play 1 more conf. game this weekend. If the favored team wins, the Win % goes to 49% (31-32). Note we have not played the favored team in the Aub-Bama game nor OK who is not favored over LSU.

by season:

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Does that data net out our games to see their W/L% when not considering our outcomes against them?

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That makes sense. A&M's foes would have more losses the year A&M went 8-1 against them than the years A&M had losing conference records.

In other words does the fact that A&M went 8-1 in 2020 help make it the easiest sked.

Why do you have the year 2017 in yellow for Jimbo, who was coaching FSU that season?

If you subtract our losses from the Opp W column and our wins friom the opp L column, I think it gives a more accurate picture. Doing so shows that 2022 had the lowest opp win% - and Jimbo went 2-6. 2020 comes out 3rd lowest opp win%, and 2014 the highest opp win%.

Not all SEC teams play the same schedule, so opp W/L not the only indicator of schedule strength.

Cinco Ranch Aggie said:

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Why do you have the year 2017 in yellow for Jimbo, who was coaching FSU that season?

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my mistake, he was hired in 2017 and I just highlighted it wrong.

A. G. Pennypacker said:

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If you subtract our losses from the Opp W column and our wins friom the opp L column, I think it gives a more accurate picture. Doing so shows that 2022 had the lowest opp win% - and Jimbo went 2-6. 2020 comes out 3rd lowest opp win%, and 2014 the highest opp win%.

Not all SEC teams play the same schedule, so opp W/L not the only indicator of schedule strength.

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but the same thing happened this year and everyone wants to claim "this was the easiest SEC schedule ever" and it's simply not true.

Anyway I slice it 2024 was not the easiest schedule. 2020 was, which happens to be the best record and finish A&M has ever had in the SEC. Went downhill fast after that though.

agracer said:

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A. G. Pennypacker said:

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If you subtract our losses from the Opp W column and our wins friom the opp L column, I think it gives a more accurate picture. Doing so shows that 2022 had the lowest opp win% - and Jimbo went 2-6. 2020 comes out 3rd lowest opp win%, and 2014 the highest opp win%.

Not all SEC teams play the same schedule, so opp W/L not the only indicator of schedule strength.

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but the same thing happened this year and everyone wants to claim "this was the easiest SEC schedule ever" and it's simply not true.

Anyway I slice it 2024 was not the easiest schedule. 2020 was, which happens to be the best record and finish A&M has ever had in the SEC. Went downhill fast after that though.

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It looks that way because A&M went 8-1. When A&M has good seasons it makes the schedule look easier because A&M had more wins against its foes. When A&M has poor seasons it makes the schedule look harder.

That's (partially) why it looks like A&M's four easiest seasons by opponent winning % were the four seasons A&M had a winning record in conference (2020, 2018, 2024, and 2012).

If you take out the 8-1 record for 2020 the opponents' overall record is 39-41. If you take out A&M's 2-6 record for 2022 the opponents' overall record is 26-30. 2022 was easier based on the opponents' winning percentage (independent of whether A&M was good or bad in a given season).

2024 was still harder than 2020 when you back out A&M's numbers for 2024 (28-28- 50% winning, err %), but just eyeballing it looks like 2022 was the easiest sked.

The 2020 team was a paper tiger, as evidenced by the Alabama game. It was just a modern version of the 90s A&M teams.

So our opponents have a lower winning percentage when we go 8-1 against them than when we go 3-5 against them? Shocking.