The way we played post LSU nothing is a gimme. Lettin tu beat us at home like that .. well .. who the **** knows what's going happen next year. Probably nothing good

Of all the mediocre teams of 2024, Florida will probably be the most improved team. They gave their HC millions of dollars to go recruit and have one of the best QBs returning

If I'm gambling, my money is on Florida when they come to Kyle.

AGFEVER said:

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Let's walk through this.

Our first 3 games are as follows

UTSA
Utah St
@ND

We're 2-1 at least coming out or that stretch. Had we had Marcel starting we could have very well beaten ND this year. The lights were too bright for Wiggy.


The next 3 games are all at home

Auburn
Miss st
UF

That's a 3-0 stretch right there

So midway thru we are 5-1 or possibly 6-0 and ranked in the top 10


The next 3 games

@Arky
@LSU
@Mizzou

I'm going 2 and 1 in that scenario which puts us at 7-2

The next 3 games are
USCe
Samford
@tu

I'm going 2-1 in that group

Which means a 9-3 season. 3 loss teams just barely missed the playoffs this year.

And who knows we could beat ND or LSU.


How in the world is that more difficult than 2024?

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It's more difficult because we play the same conference schedule as this past year + Notre dame with a less favorable home vs away split.
You saying we go 9-3 with some delusional guarantees doesn't mean our schedule is easier.

there are reasons to believe the offense will be improved in 2025, and reasons to worry the defense will not. And plenty of questions whether the trio of Elko, Klein, and Bateman are the brain trust capable of taking this program to the next level. Every team on the schedule is going to have reasons for hope and concern. Hard to put a # on things at this point. That 3 game road stretch looks daunting though. Arky will be sky high to finally get the Aggies at home. LSU and Mizzou looking for revenge. And until they prove they can consistently win on the road it is difficult to assume that they suddenly will.

Fla I think will be the most improved team we face. Mizzou might have the most question marks. SCar was just better than A&M at years end and I think will be a better team next season. I think duplicating the 8-4 regular season from this year is going to be a difficult chore for Elko and company.

I see a big dropoff from a mostly mediocre DL. But on the other side, I think OL improves. RB room will be loaded. WR will be upgraded. QB should be no worse than Marcel's starts this year, which were enough to win every game he played except Texas. TE looks to be upgraded. LB mostly the same with more experience. DB is the key spot. Any serious injuries to Chappell or Lee and we are toast. What we put on the field in the bowl game can never be a starting DB group ever again. Just awful.

Worst case: 6-6 due to bad D-line, no improvement from LB's, and bad secondart, in other words, bad defense.
Likely case: 8-4 some good wins, some bad losses.
Upside case: 10-2 due to manageable schedule, getting some breaks, better playcalling on both sides, better in game decision from Elko, and much improved defense.

Heineken-Ashi said:

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I see a big dropoff from a mostly mediocre DL. But on the other side, I think OL improves. RB room will be loaded. WR will be upgraded. QB should be no worse than Marcel's starts this year, which were enough to win every game he played except Texas. TE looks to be upgraded. LB mostly the same with more experience. DB is the key spot. Any serious injuries to Chappell or Lee and we are toast. What we put on the field in the bowl game can never be a starting DB group ever again. Just awful.

Worst case: 6-6 due to bad D-line, no improvement from LB's, and bad secondart, in other words, bad defense.
Likely case: 8-4 some good wins, some bad losses.
Upside case: 10-2 due to manageable schedule, getting some breaks, better playcalling on both sides, better in game decision from Elko, and much improved defense.

---

I think upside is 11-1 but it's WAY to early to say that for sure.

Right now I agree with your overall assessment of the position groups. Hopefully we add a couple DT but I'm not sure we will see a big drop off. I was very disappointed in their play at times. Potential may be lower but results could be better.

I'm happy with CB and NB but very concerned with Safety right now.

If we add a solid DT or 2 I think we could see 7-5 to 11-1 with 9-3 most likely.

These threads are dumb

Heineken-Ashi said:

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I see a big dropoff from a mostly mediocre DL. But on the other side, I think OL improves. RB room will be loaded. WR will be upgraded. QB should be no worse than Marcel's starts this year, which were enough to win every game he played except Texas. TE looks to be upgraded. LB mostly the same with more experience. DB is the key spot. Any serious injuries to Chappell or Lee and we are toast. What we put on the field in the bowl game can never be a starting DB group ever again. Just awful.

Worst case: 6-6 due to bad D-line, no improvement from LB's, and bad secondart, in other words, bad defense.
Likely case: 8-4 some good wins, some bad losses.
Upside case: 10-2 due to manageable schedule, getting some breaks, better playcalling on both sides, better in game decision from Elko, and much improved defense.

---

While I'm optimistic, we need to tap the breaks on the loaded RB room. Huge fan of Moss which I've said countless times. He's the real deal. Owens has big upside, but at the end of the day still unporven and needs to demonstrate his vision has gotten better from where it was. Daniels is a solid RB2, but just that, not a feature back that will carry us to the natty. EJ….meh. Again, big upside, but premature to sat we are loaded. Moss goes down again I'm back to being worried.

Edit: A s Bussey isn't an every down RB for 12+ games. So he's also a compliment and not a feature back

StinkyPinky said:

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Heineken-Ashi said:

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I see a big dropoff from a mostly mediocre DL. But on the other side, I think OL improves. RB room will be loaded. WR will be upgraded. QB should be no worse than Marcel's starts this year, which were enough to win every game he played except Texas. TE looks to be upgraded. LB mostly the same with more experience. DB is the key spot. Any serious injuries to Chappell or Lee and we are toast. What we put on the field in the bowl game can never be a starting DB group ever again. Just awful.

Worst case: 6-6 due to bad D-line, no improvement from LB's, and bad secondart, in other words, bad defense.
Likely case: 8-4 some good wins, some bad losses.
Upside case: 10-2 due to manageable schedule, getting some breaks, better playcalling on both sides, better in game decision from Elko, and much improved defense.

---

While I'm optimistic, we need to tap the breaks on the loaded RB room. Huge fan of Moss which I've said countless times. He's the real deal. Owens has big upside, but at the end of the day still unporven and needs to demonstrate his vision has gotten better from where it was. Daniels is a solid RB2, but just that, not a feature back that will carry us to the natty. EJ….meh. Again, big upside, but premature to sat we are loaded. Moss goes down again I'm back to being worried.

---

We aren't going to upgrade the RB room. Most RB transfers that are worth it want snaps. We can't offer that because we have an outstanding room.

Also is Smith coming back? I hope he does because he can move to the role we wanted to use him as. Ehich was never going to be a feature back or even a 2nd back. He was a situational RB that could line up in multiple spots.

OP 5-7 or 6-6 for 2025. 8-4 will be a blessing next year. I'd get off the sunshine pumping train right now and not waste your hard earned happiness funds on that ticket during the summer.

Know that we are equivalent to fans of Michigan state, Illinois, Northwestern, Wake Forest, Cuse, NC State. We got the money but lack the moxie to be monsters with a killer instinct. It is what it is.

From Elko's standpoint I hope he grasps that having a tough schedule next season doesn't mean he simply gets a pass. He has to start winning. While going 7-5 won't get him fired he better know they such a record will make his seat epically hot going into season three. Which means season three is make it or break it for the Elko era.

Every coach currently/just in the playoffs had, by season two or three, of their tenure showed incredible improvement to their program. Dabo being an outlier. Gone are the days of taking years to build a program. The great coaches are showing incredible improvement by season three at the latest. Tick tock Elmo. Tick tock.

We will beat Ark and Mizzu on the road next season.

Mizzu is not a good team and will be worse next year.

Pittman is dead man walking and I think the team will quit on him before we play them.

You sre Niave

Sure. We could easily be 11-1 next year if we're executing to our full potential all year. The problem is that we are far more likely to massively underperform than we are to execute perfectly. I don't know what it is about our team, but we just have a knack for it. About the only time we didn't, in recent memory, was the 2012 season. Outside of that, we found ways to lose more often than we found ways to win.

vander54 said:

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StinkyPinky said:

---

Heineken-Ashi said:

---

I see a big dropoff from a mostly mediocre DL. But on the other side, I think OL improves. RB room will be loaded. WR will be upgraded. QB should be no worse than Marcel's starts this year, which were enough to win every game he played except Texas. TE looks to be upgraded. LB mostly the same with more experience. DB is the key spot. Any serious injuries to Chappell or Lee and we are toast. What we put on the field in the bowl game can never be a starting DB group ever again. Just awful.

Worst case: 6-6 due to bad D-line, no improvement from LB's, and bad secondart, in other words, bad defense.
Likely case: 8-4 some good wins, some bad losses.
Upside case: 10-2 due to manageable schedule, getting some breaks, better playcalling on both sides, better in game decision from Elko, and much improved defense.

---

While I'm optimistic, we need to tap the breaks on the loaded RB room. Huge fan of Moss which I've said countless times. He's the real deal. Owens has big upside, but at the end of the day still unporven and needs to demonstrate his vision has gotten better from where it was. Daniels is a solid RB2, but just that, not a feature back that will carry us to the natty. EJ….meh. Again, big upside, but premature to sat we are loaded. Moss goes down again I'm back to being worried.

---

We aren't going to upgrade the RB room. Most RB transfers that are worth it want snaps. We can't offer that because we have an outstanding room.

Also is Smith coming back? I hope he does because he can move to the role we wanted to use him as. Ehich was never going to be a feature back or even a 2nd back. He was a situational RB that could line up in multiple spots.

---

Not saying we'll upgrade, just can't say we're loaded with a straight face. Again the upside is there and agree we should ride with it. Hope Owens blossoms into the real deal. The one two punch with Moss will be lethal if so

I don't know how anyone who watched this season could think we win 2 out of those 3 straight roadies.

So all this talk about this "murderers row SEC run" of games when we play Auburn, Miss St and UF.

You do realize we led Auburn through much of the game @ Auburn. We also beat Miss St easily and won at UF...right?

tu will likely be a loss....but can we not beat a 6-6 Arkansas team which lost a ton to the portal and a Mizzou squad that beat nobody this year?

How about relaxing a bit and now worry about Aggie football for awhile?

Let's see, we get Missouri, USCe, Samford, and tu in November. Until I see otherwise, I am going to predict 1-3 for the month of November. I am sure LSU is lobbying the SEC office to get our game moved back to November.

Since I guess this is the first "way too early prediction" thread, put me down for:

Easy Wins (>95% Win)
UTSA
Utah St
Samford

If we lose any of these, disregard everything else said below


Likely Wins (~65%-95% Win)
Clanga
Florida
USCe

These are all home games. Clanga has a massive hole to climb out of and Florida and USCe overperformed this year, which means they probably underperform somewhat next year. If there is one of these teams I am more worried about than the others, it is USCe given that they come at the end of a 7-game stretch of SEC teams and after the 3-game away stretch.


Leans toward a win (~51%-65% Win)
Auburn
@Arky

Auburn's recruiting has been on a major uptick the last two years and they should be settled in under a new head coach. I fully expect them to jump out as a surprise team this next year. However, scheduling dynamics work in our favor here, getting them at home after a bye week as only the second P4-level team we play, so we should be pretty healthy. Meanwhile Auburn gets to play us the week after Oklahoma. And of course, the game is at home.

This will be our first true road game against Arkansas in over a decade, and it is one game further into P4 play for us than it is for Arkansas. However, the series has been so lopsided recently and the fire seems to have gone out of the Arkansas program enough for this to still be in the leans win column.

Leans towards a loss (~35%-49% Win)
@Notre Dame
@Mizzou

I think the schedule lines up for us a little better here for Notre Dame in 2025 than it did in 2024 (this won't be Elko's first game, we get to warm up on cupcakes while Notre Dame gets bruised by Miami in week 1). However, an away game against a major opponent is going to stay in the leans loss column for me until proven otherwise.

Mizzou, even @Mizzou, would be at least a leans win normally, but 1) they are the third away game in a row (albeit with a bye in between), and 2) I expect them to bounce back some this year after a very disappointing year last year. Also, this is a late season away game, and we haven't won one of those in a while.

Likely Loss (<35% Win)
@LSU
@tu

It has also been a while since we beat LSU in Death Valley, and scheduling works out for them this year, with LSU coming off BYE - USCe - @Vandy before the game and us coming off BYE - Auburn - Clanga - Florida - @Arkansas. Maybe this is the year, but it is hard to see anything that points that way this early in the offseason.

I almost put tu in a higher category due to the rivalry aspect, but this is an end-of-season away game, and I don't trust our depth to be anything other than atrocious by the time we get here.



Overall:
If I cancel out likely loss against likely win and leans loss against leans win, that ends up at about ... 8-4. Unfortunately, not that surprising.

I can help here. We play ND, UT, and LSU on the road. We lost to both playoff teams at home. Our record at LSU in the SEC speaks for itself. The teams we get at home are Auburn who is somehow recruiting like a top 5 team, UF who appears to have stopped the bleeding and found their elite QB, SCAR who ended the year as one of the hottest teams in the country. We also play Arky at their house if I'm not mistaken.

AGFEVER said:

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So midway thru we are 5-1 or possibly 6-0 and ranked in the top 10

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I remember when we were 7-1 and were in the top 10

what was the last season A&M ran the table at Kyle Field?

W said:

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what was the last season A&M ran the table at Kyle Field?

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Early to mid 90s?

Tex117 said:

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How about relaxing a bit and now worry about Aggie football for awhile?

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How about it? What are you doing on a message board that only discusses Aggie football?

How hard the schedule is about how good, bad or avg our team will be next year!

AGFEVER said:

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Let's walk through this.

Our first 3 games are as follows

UTSA
Utah St
@ND

We're 2-1 at least coming out or that stretch. Had we had Marcel starting we could have very well beaten ND this year. The lights were too bright for Wiggy.


The next 3 games are all at home

Auburn
Miss st
UF

That's a 3-0 stretch right there

So midway thru we are 5-1 or possibly 6-0 and ranked in the top 10


The next 3 games

@Arky
@LSU
@Mizzou

I'm going 2 and 1 in that scenario which puts us at 7-2

The next 3 games are
USCe
Samford
@tu

I'm going 2-1 in that group

Which means a 9-3 season. 3 loss teams just barely missed the playoffs this year.

And who knows we could beat ND or LSU.


How in the world is that more difficult than 2024?

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You lost me at thinking A&M was going to go 3-0 during their first home stretch.

merch said:

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Now this is funny. Love the optimism but come on.
Assuming we go 3-0 at home against SEC teams.

8-4 next year. It is what we do.

And if I'm being honest with myself, 7-5 is probably more likely.

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Also assuming we beat South Carolina, who looks ascendant to me.

2020

Also the last time we returned this much OL experience

beerad12man said:

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Also the last time we returned this much OL experience

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Lets see our 2 best seasons (2012 and 2020) have 1 big thing in common. Anyone know what it is?

If we don't beat ND next year, we ain't doing *****

It's more difficult because our toughest games against Notre Dame, LSU, Missouri, and Texas will all be on the road instead of at home. We will play a true road game at Arkansas for the first time since 2013 and at LSU the very next week. Also, our schedule is very unbalanced with 3 straight SEC home games against Auburn on 9/27, Mississippi State on 10/4, and Florida on 10/11 before a stretch of 3 straight SEC road games at Arkansas on 10/18, LSU on 10/25, and Missouri on 11/8 in span of 4 weeks. We will go for 5 weeks between home games against Florida on 10/11 and South Carolina on 10/15. This will be the 3rd time in 8 years that we have gone for 5+ weeks between home games (5 weeks between the Kentucky and Ole Miss games in 2018 and 6 weeks between the Miami and Ole Miss games in 2022).

Winning back-to-back games on the road in the SEC is the rarest of all birds. Before this season, it had only been done 8 times in 78 such occurrences over the last decade, and 3 times in 38 occurrences over the last five years (the same disclaimer applies here as in the linked article: this tally does not include trips to Nashville or games separated by a bye week). Those three teams were 2019 LSU, 2022 Georgia, and 2023 Alabama; in other words, two national champions and a top 4 team. Each of these teams had a "down" performance in one half of said back-to-back but were able to overcome it when all was said and done.

https://gigemgazette.com/texas-a-m-football-fans-should-be-furious-about-the-schedule-the-sec-just-handed-them

We will have an easier SEC home schedule against Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida, and South Carolina. I think we will have a floor of 7-5 and a ceiling of 9-3 with likely road losses at Notre Dame, LSU, and Texas. The 5 road games at Notre Dame, Arkansas, Missouri, LSU, and Texas will make or break our season. Hopefully we can go 7-0 in home games and 2-3 in away games.

Don't see us beating, Arky, LSU, or tu on the road. We are so thin on the defensive line and we don't have any defensive backs that can cover, it's hard to predict any real victory except the gimmes. This team has to prove that they want to win. No one knows what we are going to put on the field in September.