Texas A&M fans know better than most that overreacting to week one is, generally speaking, a tactical misstep.
But it's pretty tough to look at what transpired across the country— and in the SEC— this last weekend and not feel like the Aggies really have a chance to make it to Atlanta this year.
Two of the teams that many had as trendy picks to win the conference, Texas and Alabama, had losses in which the teams looked, frankly speaking, embarrassing. The offensive issues seem to have compounded in Austin with the advent of Arch Manning, rather than have been solved, and Tuscaloosa is in almost complete disarray right now.
Of course, the win by LSU over Clemson is a huge data point here that must be considered, and Georgia is Georgia, just like always. But both of those teams slipped up more than once last year, and given the Aggies control their own destiny against the Tigers, it's not out of the question that they could get the edge there.
Early in 2025 season, SEC is Texas A&M's for the taking
I'm not saying the Aggies are currently conference favorites or anything like that— there's quite a bit they'll have to navigate before we can start to have those kinds of discussions. But there's no overwhelming favorite or perfect team out there that the Aggies will have to contend with in this conference race.
Instead, there are a lot of flawed teams that all have their own strengths and weaknesses. LSU's defense looks better, but that offense certainly didn't look like they were world-beaters. How low is the ceiling for Gunner Stockton, really? Was A&M's rush defense really fixed in the second half, or will that nagging worry continue?
For many of these contending teams, week one is the worst they'll look all year. Some will even regress from that point. The landscape shifts week by week in this conference and sport, but early on in this year, it looks like the Aggies could indeed be prime contenders to take home the conference crown in 2025.