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Projecting Bowl Destination and Opponent for Texas A&M Football

By Graham Harmon

Sep 2, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; A detailed view of a Texas A&M Aggies helmet on the sideline during the game against the New Mexico Lobos at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 2, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; A detailed view of a Texas A&M Aggies helmet on the sideline during the game against the New Mexico Lobos at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports /
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Texas A&M football helmet
Sep 2, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; A detailed view of a Texas A&M Aggies helmet on the sideline during the game against the New Mexico Lobos at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports /

Projecting Where Texas A&M Football Goes Bowling

Texas A&M football has finished their regular season with a two-win improvement over last season’s debacle, though the way the Aggies faltered down the stretch of the season is somewhat reminiscent of the Sumlin years. Texas A&M football began the year at 4-1 but finished 3-4 with losses to Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and LSU, with their wins coming over South Carolina, Mississippi State, and Abilene Christian.

Still, though, bowl-eligible is bowl-eligible. After last season—and considering all the turmoil during this season—we’ll take it. The question remains, though: where will the Aggies go bowling, and who will they face? In my mind, there are basically three options. Let’s take a look at all three.

1) Texas A&M Football Heads to the Texas Bowl

This is listed first because it is, in my mind, the most likely outcome. The Aggies have been in the Texas Bowl twice in the past decade, facing off against Kansas State in 2016 and Oklahoma State in 2019. This year might end up being a rematch of that latter game, as several outlets have predicted the Aggies to meet the Cowboys in Houston for a late December bowl matchup. This would be a bit curious, to my mind, because Oklahoma State is currently slated to face off against Texas in the Big 12 championship game, where they have some pretty long odds. Even so, they currently occupy the second-place spot in the entire Big 12 at 9-3 (6-2 in conference), so to set them up against the fourth-place team in the SEC West is strange on its face; of course, not all conferences are created equal.

If the Cowboys were to win the Big 12 championship, they would obviously not be headed to the Texas Bowl. Even if they don’t win it, they’re not a shoo-in. Other opponents could be Kansas (8-4), Iowa State (7-5), or Texas Tech (6-6). Since the Texas Bowl is an SEC-B12 matchup bowl, it would definitely be a Big 12 team the Aggies face, however. I don’t see them reaching all the way up to bring Kansas State into this matchup, even though the Wildcats are 8-4, nor do I think West Virginia (also 8-4) is likely to be slotted here.