Texas A&M Football: 5 early bold predictions for 2018

Could Texas A&M football compete with the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers in the SEC West in 2018? That’s one possibility for the upstart Aggies.

Texas A&M football put together its worst record under head coach Kevin Sumlin in 2017. The Aggies finished with a record of 7-6 (4-4 SEC), as it was another mediocre year in conference play. It’s not the way Texas A&M wanted to usher in the era of highly anticipated head coach Jimbo Fisher in College Station.

With a Belk Bowl loss to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, rounding out the 2017 campaign, the Aggies do have some potential for next year. Texas A&M is a solid dark horse pick to make a run at head coach Nick Saban, and the Alabama Crimson Tide, in the SEC West in 2018.

An early season matchup with the reigning ACC Champion (and 2016 National Champion) Clemson Tigers looms large. It’ll be a tough test for Fisher, as he had trouble with Clemson his last four years in Tallahassee. How will Fisher respond with an SEC caliber roster of talent at his disposal?

The Aggies do have one of their best quarterback situations entering a season since Johnny Manziel departed after the 2013 campaign. Fisher has two rising sophomores, in Kellen Mond and Nick Starkel, to choose from.

Mond gives Fisher the option to run a high-tempo offense that has multiple threats on the ground. Meanwhile, Starkel is hot, coming off his almost 500 passing yard and four touchdown performance in the Belk Bowl. Starkel has the better arm, and composure in the pocket.

Here are my five early bold predictions for the Texas A&M Aggies in 2018.