Texas A&M Football: 5 overreactions from win over Ole Miss

5. Kevin Sumlin has created meaningful momentum

Before the season began Texas A&M Athletic Director Scott Woodward put the Kevin Sumlin on notice in a very public way. He told the national media that 8-5 was not acceptable at Texas A&M. That sent a crystal clear message to Kevin Sumlin and his staff. Improve, or else.

With one regular season game remaining Texas A&M sits at 7-4. Bowl eligible for the sixth year under Sumlin, the Aggies are guaranteed two more games. If Texas A&M wins one of those, they’ll finish the year at 8-5 – the same mark that Woodward has already said he would not look kindly on. But if the Aggies do win out, they’ll have their first 9-win season since 2013.

Texas A&M has never beaten their final regular season opponent, LSU, in SEC play. But with the seventh win secured on Saturday against Ole Miss, the Aggies have made their upcoming game against the Tigers meaningful. For a team that hasn’t played meaningful games at the end of November in five years, that would be a welcome change of pace and significant boost to this team moving forward.

Next: Top 10 QBs in Texas A&M history

If the Aggies do finish 9-4, Sumlin will have guided a young team with a back-up, true freshman quarterback to a winning record in SEC play and a bowl win. He’ll have a four game winning streak under his belt and plenty of returning talent to build on. None of this is set in stone; they still have to play the games. But next week’s game against LSU matters, and that’s a big step forward.