3 Things Texas A&M Football Fans Can Take Away from Week 8 in CFB

Alabama defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry (1) gestures in celebration after Tennessee failed to convert a 4th down in the fourth quarter of a football game between Tennessee and Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
Alabama defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry (1) gestures in celebration after Tennessee failed to convert a 4th down in the fourth quarter of a football game between Tennessee and Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
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Texas A&M football
Alabama defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry (1) gestures in celebration after Tennessee failed to convert a 4th down in the fourth quarter of a football game between Tennessee and Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.

Takeaways for Texas A&M football fans over the bye week

The bye week for Texas A&M football came at an unpleasant time for many Aggie fans, given how things looked over the last two weeks for the Maroon and White. Texas A&M football went from having discussions about representing the SEC West in Atlanta to hoping to finish better than 7-5 within the course of only two weeks. Things change so quickly in this sport—and who knows? Maybe two weeks from now things will feel even far different than they do today. For now, though, today’s college football action was a welcome reprieve from the Aggie angst of the previous week. That said, what can we take forward as Texas A&M football returns to action next week? Let’s dive in.

Next opponent for Texas A&M football should be welcome change

After two weeks in a row facing top-15 opponents, the Aggies will be welcoming in a battered and bruised South Carolina team to Kyle Field next week. The Gamecocks fell to 2-5 today after a loss to the Missouri Tigers wherein Carolina seemed completely unable to move the ball for almost the entire first half of game action. The Gamecocks have suffered a ton of injuries, including top receiver Juice Wells, and now the statuses of fellow wideouts Xavier Legette (the team leader in receiving yardage) and Ahmarean Brown are both in question. Carolina has also sustained a lot of injury along the offensive line, and for a team that already gave up a ton of sacks, facing off against the Aggie defensive front cannot be an exciting prospect when they’re so thin at the position.

For the Aggies, watching the Missouri offense tear up the Gamecock defense at home had to be a welcome sight as well. Hopefully this upcoming game will provide an opportunity for the offense for Texas A&M football to get things back on track ahead of a trip to Oxford.