3 most important games for Texas A&M football in 2024

Mike Elko is inheriting a Texas A&M football program that fell on some hard times under Jimbo Fisher despite him being paid as one of the best coaches in the country. He just never lived up to it on the field despite recruiting at an elite level.

Now, Elko will be looking to turn Texas A&M into a perennial winner.

In order to do that, he needs to show progress in year one and get the Aggies to a solid bowl game or at least be competitive in SEC play. They were competitive in 2023, losing by one score to Alabama, Ole Miss, and Tennessee en route to a seven-win season.

Which three games are most important for the Aggies in 2024?

3. Missouri (Oct. 5)

Let's say Texas A&M is in a slight rebuild in 2024, but it still aspires to make a bowl game, winning at home against a team like Missouri would be massive for those aspirations.

There's a chance that Texas A&M starts the season 3-2 and a loss to a contender like Missouri in College Station would have them at 3-3 with teams like LSU, South Carolina, Auburn, and Texas still on the remaining schedule. It's hard to find 2-3 wins in those games (New Mexico State will be the late non-conference win).

A win over Missouri would almost guarantee five wins (counting New Mexico State) with the need to win only one of the remaining five games. This would almost ensure a bowl berth.

Obviously Texas A&M fans expect more than just bowl berths, but for how far the program fell under Jimbo Fisher in the final couple of seasons, 6-7 wins would be a good start for Mike Elko.