Earlier this week, the first official Coaches’ Poll of the season was released, landing the Texas A&M Football team at the 6th spot in this year’s preseason top-25. The position was expected, though the Aggies still have a solid argument for why they should be ranked above the Georgia Bulldogs, who leapfrogged them to the No. 5 spot.
In 2021, Texas A&M will be looking to build off of a 2020-21 season that saw them finish as the 4th-ranked team in the country in the AP and Coaches’ Polls. After seeing the Aggies rank 6th in this year’s preseason Coaches’ Poll, one question remains.
Where will the Texas A&M Football team land in the first AP Poll of the season?
On Monday, the first AP Poll of the season will be released. As we all know, this is the one that counts. Even though the AP Poll is media-driven, the ranking that the Aggies will receive will represent the number that sits next to their name on the scoreboard.
The argument could be made that all preseason rankings are a waste of time — even so, it’s an exciting time to see what the media thinks of your favorite team.
If you want an honest answer on what Texas A&M’s preseason ranking will look like, I’d tell you to look at their positioning in the Coaches’ Poll. The 6th spot is a weird one to be cemented into but the Aggies seem to have landed there after an offseason of back-and-forth.
The only notable part of this ranking is the fact that A&M will likely be dropping from their final AP Poll ranking in 2020-21. This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, as long-time starting quarterback Kellen Mond is now a member of the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL and his offensive line is almost entirely gone. Only one member remains in Kenyon Green who, for what it’s worth, is arguably the best returning offensive lineman in college football.
Even on the defensive side of the ball, TAMU has some key losses. This includes back-to-back leading tackler Buddy Johnson and run-stuffing specialist Bobby Brown III, both of whom were picked up in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Even so, this is a team that had the second-best defense in the SEC by yardage and returns a handful of talent. The weak point on this squad was in the secondary, which didn’t lose much talent from a season ago. The defense can only get better in 2021.
Still, the most likely result there is that Jimbo Fisher’s squad lands right where everybody is expecting. That said, we’ve seen crazier shifts in preseason college football polls, so don’t be surprised if the Texas A&M Football team moves up or down by Monday.