Spring football is ongoing across the state of Texas now that spring break is over. The 13 FBS programs in the Lone Star State are allowed to participate in 15 on-field practice sessions, including 12 involving contact. Spring games are littered throughout April with most taking place on April 15 or April 22. Houston goes first when the Cougars play their spring game on April 7. 

The 2023 season is one of change. Sam Houston is moving up to Conference USA from the FCS ranks. Houston is now in the Big 12. UTSA, North Texas, and Rice are preparing for their first season in the American Athletic Conference. 

But what is the best and worst case that can happen for each team in 2023? Here’s where we stand on the Texas A&M Aggies. 

TEXAS A&M AGGIES 

2022 record: 5-7 

2023 schedule
Sept. 2            New Mexico     
Sept. 9            at Miami           
Sept. 16          ULM                
Sept. 23          Auburn
Sept. 30          Arkansas         
Oct. 7              Alabama           
Oct. 14             at Tennessee  
Oct. 21             IDLE
Oct. 28            South Carolina            
Nov. 4             at Ole Miss      
Nov. 11           Mississippi State         
Nov. 18           Abilene Christian        
Nov. 25           at LSU

Best case in 2023: It isn’t impossible to make the jump from .500 to the SEC title game – just ask LSU in 2022. The Aggies hope to pull off a similar turnaround in 2023 thanks to a new direction on offense, at least in theory since Jimbo Fisher hired Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator. The defense should also be improved in year two under defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin. Texas A&M won’t be behind any of its opponents in sheer talent. The Aggies are amongst the nation’s best in blue chip ratio after years of recruiting at a national level. Every unit on both sides of the ball boasts four- and five-star talents. And for the first time since Fisher has been in College Station, the Aggies start a dynamic quarterback with real NFL potential. 

The first test of the season is at Miami. Get through that and a 5-0 start isn’t out of the question with SEC wins over Auburn and Arkansas. The brutal stretch of SEC play starts in October when the Aggies host Alabama, but they’ve proven capable of knocking off Nick Saban’s squad in Kyle Field. A few upsets and more consistency in the passing game on offense and against the run on defense would result in a 10-win season. 

Worst case in 2023: The wheels can easily fall off in an SEC schedule, and we don’t need to remind Aggie fans about that reality. Texas A&M started the season 3-1 last year but were 3-7 by the Nov. 12 game against Auburn thanks to a six-game SEC losing streak. The same could happen again in 2023 if the passing game doesn’t improve, as well as the front seven on defense. The Week 2 trip to Miami isn’t a gimmie. The SEC schedule begins with Auburn, Arkansas, Alabama, and then a trip to Tennessee. Trips to Ole Miss and LSU happen in November. It is easy to find six potential losses on the schedule, and a six-loss season would put Fisher in the crosshairs of many big-money donors. Texas and Oklahoma join the SEC in 2024. The Aggies can't be perceived as a program stuck in neutral as the conference improves and the college football playoff expands. 

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