Looch & Bock: Therapy session with change on the horizon

State of the season and fan sentiment

• Billy Liucci described the 2026 Texas A&M season as one of the most disappointing either host has covered and said sweeping changes will be required.
• Gabe Bock and Liucci said the team has suffered recurring late-game futility and missed chances to close out big opponents.
• Liucci notes the offense has rarely produced an "explosive half" against Power Five competition this year.
• Liucci estimates 70 percent of games lacked more than 10 offensive points in a half and ties that to season-long offensive failure.
• Both hosts agree recent two-week offensive improvement is real but still inadequate against the SEC's top defenses.
• Liucci said the program's higher expectations after last season make the current failures feel worse to fans and donors.
• Bock and Liucci emphasized they will keep covering and talking through the program's problems rather than "cancel" it.
• Liucci warned that many personnel and preparation decisions will be evaluated and that numerous decisions are likely already made.
• Both hosts stress the need for visible corrective action before optimism returns, with Liucci refusing a "sunshine pump" approach.
• Liucci said change is coming to the program but cautions that most fixes must be correct because the margin for error is tiny.
• Gabe said beating Tennessee at Kyle would at least "squash negative momentum" and make the last stretch more meaningful for fans.
• Liucci argued that winning two of the last three would not absolve major mistakes but would improve the program's perceived resiliency.
• Liucci insisted support for the head coach is about him getting it right and that public messaging from the podium matters for internal cohesion.
• Bock and Liucci both described this week as cathartic and say they feel slightly more optimistic after airing frustrations.

Offensive staff choices and the "no backup" problem

• Liucci called the decision to retain the existing offensive structure without a clear outside contingency a costly miscalculation.
• He argued A&M failed to bring an external play-caller or experienced coordinator to provide an alternative or push the staff.
• Liucci repeatedly framed the hiring choices as a gamble on continuity around coach Mike Elko that has not paid off.
• Both hosts questioned whether not recruiting an SEC-ready or borderline starter backup quarterback was a strategic oversight.
• Liucci said other programs that changed coordinators midseason or plugged in proven options showed there were different paths available.
• He suggested Holmon Wiggins and others could be valuable if retained but that the lack of an obvious alternative hurt A&M.
• Liucci admitted external names floated by fans and media (Darrell Dickey, Phil Bennett, Dave Aranda) are often unfamiliar and that lacking full knowledge makes instantaneous judgment unfair.
• Gabe and Billy discussed the difficulty of replacing an OC midseason and the reality that a head coach who recently delivered 11-1 gets latitude on staff decisions.
• Liucci said a good AD facilitates tough conversations and supports making changes when the coach agrees they are needed.
• Bock and Liucci note Elko has adjusted defensively midseason and that shows responsiveness; they want similar decisive action on offense.
• Liucci warned that many offseason, staff and roster choices must be right — he estimates roughly 90 percent of moves need to succeed to return to playoff contention.
• Both hosts acknowledged Wiggins' value inside the program and leave open co-OC or other internal solutions while emphasizing the need for proven play-calling.
• Gabe framed the absence of a "backup parachute" as a key reason the season has derailed when problems emerged.
• Liucci said the offense lacked the "security blankets" on staff and depth the defense enjoyed in earlier adjustments.
• Both agreed fixing the offensive architecture will be a central focus from December on regardless of short-term results.

Quarterback room and personnel questions

• Billy says clarity on whether Marcel Reed has regressed mentally, physically or both is unknown and central to decisions about the starter.
• Gabe and Billy compare Reed to past Aggie quarterback types — locked-in grinders vs. more volatile "unicorns" — and say temperament matters.
• Liucci stresses the team did not bring an SEC-capable backup or an in-between starter and that leaves the roster vulnerable if the starter departs.
• He repeatedly suggested the coaching staff did not sufficiently pressure or develop internal alternatives to protect the season.
• Liucci said head coach statements implying "Marcel is our best option" risk damaging backup prospects and public perception of players like Brady Hart.
• Both hosts discussed how practice observations, portal salaries and roster costs could influence whether backups return or depart in the offseason.
• Liucci anticipates some backup decisions are already made behind the scenes and that roster economics may force the program's hand.
• Gabe argued a quarterback can still fix many problems, which makes the upcoming offseason portal and recruitment window critical.
• Liucci doubts the staff is seriously considering certain older fan-suggested names as quick fixes without evidence those hires would work.
• Gabe and Billy note that if both current QBs leave, A&M will have to rely heavily on portal additions and freshman development next spring.
• Both hosts believe the current room's issues extend beyond personnel to scheme and play-calling that failed to produce consistent touchdowns.
• Liucci said the offense's recent increase in successful scoring drives is encouraging but insufficient against Tennessee, Texas and Oklahoma.
• Gabe warned that an early-season starter will make it difficult to recruit portal alternatives midseason without placating the starter.
• Liucci thinks fans misread some media moments and that public comments by coaches about quarterbacks can be taken as undermining a backup.
• Both hosts agree the quarterback situation will dominate December decision-making and determine the program's short-term direction.

Defense, game plan for Tennessee and basketball notes

• Liucci credits in-season defensive adjustments — letting Lyle Hemphill call plays — as a clear area of improvement for A&M.
• Gabe and Billy say the defense has improved the back end and pass rush, but they worry single big plays continue to occur against A&M.
• Liucci lists Tennessee's strengths — third-down defense, red zone efficiency and being No. 1 in sacks — as the matchup's primary concerns.
• Bock and Liucci point out Tennessee's passing metrics are not dominant and that the Vols have been less consistent away from home, creating an upset window for A&M.
• Liucci suggests a low-scoring, urgent game could force Reed into a two-minute or pressured mode where he might perform better.
• Both hosts acknowledge A&M's offense has shown it can move the ball without finishing drives, which makes red-zone execution the decisive factor against top defenses.
• Liucci is baffled by repeated instances of A&M receivers appearing wide open in opposing game film and wants that corrected.
• Bock says a win over No. 8 Tennessee would not erase needed changes but would produce a morale swing and a rare "fun day" at Kyle Field this season.
• Both hosts admit Saturday's game is secondary to long-term structural fixes but agree it's an opportunity to stop negative momentum.
• In a quick basketball segment, Easton praised Aggie basketball starters PJ Haggerty and Jordan Pope as 1A/1B, and Liucci called them invaluable floor leaders.
• Liucci highlights Cade Phillips' injury as a potentially significant loss as A&M enters a tough nonconference schedule with TCU, Oklahoma State and Florida State ahead.
• Easton's basketball report framed the program as a welcome positive for the department amid football struggles, with depth pieces like Tyshawn Archie providing energy.
• Liucci says continued defensive ascension for the football team is real, but offensive red-zone conversion remains the single biggest short-term gap.
• Both hosts close by urging fans to attend and support the team at Kyle while recognizing substantial changes must follow the season.