2024 Texas A&M Football Schedule Preview (GAME-BY-GAME ANALYSIS)

all right guys back here on sou Eastern 14 with Chase Robinson as we are going through all of the schedules for the 2024 college football season here in the secc and as we've done the past several seasons we go kind of game by game looking at these schedules breaking them down don't worry we'll get to our predictions soon enough in the next couple months looking at potential uh record projections and all that but for now we're just going to break down the schedule uh let you know where the strengths and weaknesses could be of some of these schedules before we do that let's tell you about our friends at bet online number one source for the NBA finals and Stanley Cup playoffs this season every stat every matchup and even live odds and spreads while the games are being played when the games over head on over to the online casino get in on a game of blackjack or poker or unwind with one of our over 150 slots games you can do that by heading to the website today to get in on the action use that promo code we always tell you about it believe bav for your 50% welcome bonus on your first deposit bet online the game starts here all right Chase uh let's get into this Texas A&M football schedule we've made it to the agies of course a Changing of the Guard now for Texas A&M Mike Elco comes in as the head coach lots of expectations heading into his first season and what do you know welcome back to the SEC Mike Elco your first game Notre Dame Kyle Field quite an opener for the aies quite an opener I mean um there I we'll learn right off the bat what uh what has changed I think about Texas A&M whether it's the culture whether it's the team uh under Mike Elco this is a huge game I mean but one one good thing about this game is you get it in College Station it's it's a home game uh so you'll learn very quickly I think about Texas A&M how they look I think this is a going to be an improved Texas A&M team but uh Notre Dame has consistently been good especially in the openers they may not have finished well but they usually start well at least and so um yeah this is a huge huge game for Te A&M you get a lot of these games now uh kind of in week two or three uh they don't do a lot of these openers anymore but A&M uh got a tough draw with with Notre Dame uh but I I think this is a team that's going to be ready for it especially under uh under Mike Elco yeah they'll be fired up there's no doubt I mean like you said too it's just the nature of I think just looking at the rest of the schedule as always like anytime you're an SEC team that plays one of these you know kind of openers especially understand kind of the importance of it because man there's just not a lot of those games on the rest of the schedule you're looking at and saying that's a guaranteed win to get us to you know wherever we want to be be at to be in a college football playoff conversation uh you know to get to a ball game that kind of stuff so yeah it's uh that's one that you're definitely going to be circling August 31st um one of the better games out there probably on the schedule as you kick off the season then for the Aggies then they go to they've got MCN coming up after that so if you look at MCN and sort of um what they they were one- 10 last year they played at Florida if you're just looking we try to do this I feel like every year but you look at it um they played at Florida lost 49 to7 last year so if you're looking for like common opponents and by the way the only game they did win on the schedule last year that came be a forfeit I can't tell you chase that I have the insight into how that happened or what the logistics were behind that but they did beat Northwestern State and by what was considered a forfeit on October the 28th so that's worth yeah uh you don't see that very often so just worth noting there on MCN and then of course the the agies are going to travel to play Florida uh in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on September 14th that's one of those games I think if you're looking at it for both teams Chase that's got to be you know Brian Edwards and Company we always talk about it to like that's a swing game like that's just a huge game for both teams considering we know kind of where Florida's at right now with Billy Napier and um all the the question surrounding job security and this being such an important season for him but then this is kind of one for A&M where you know they're loaded roster wise with Talent as you said uh but that's that that's a tricky game you know third game of the season going to Florida uh playing in Gainesville there yeah and it's interesting this Series has really gone back and forth uh the series is tied three to three and even when Florida has down years they have they've pulled out wins against A&M uh when A&M has has been been struggling they've been able to beat Flor so it's it's really been a a back and forth series which I think sets up a really cool conference opener this will be the first SEC game for both of these teams in 2024 uh both of them have played tough openers with A&M like we talked about uh play Notre Dame Florida is hosting Miami in week one so they're they're gonna have a a tough game under their belt they're going to have learned some things I think this sets up to be a really good game one because it typically is uh you know in the in the what six times they've played uh A&M going to have a new coach going to have some different schemes especially defensively uh um Florida is known for their offense uh Graham Merz veteran quarterback so is A&M gonna be ready to stop him uh I think that also kind of brings a different flavor into this one the fact that A&M's going to be really strong on defense they're gonna be good offensively as well but the defense is going to be really strong uh compared to Florida who's gonna have a pretty strong offense so I think this matchup uh you may look at it and say well Florida they're not get that it doesn't matter in this game uh just the the way it's gone uh I I like this matchup especially with being in Florida it's gonna be a tough one for A&M yeah if you look at the four games they played since 2012 um so since you know A&M joined the league three three of the four games have been decided by a field goal or or less so it was 2017 in 2012 Florida won that game in College Station in Gainesville in 2017 A&M won that one 1917 uh College Station 2020 &m won that one 4138 and then the game a couple years ago in College Station Florida won that one uh 4124 so yeah three of those four games very close and so you would probably expect that in this one uh even though I think just on the surface it just I think a lot of people would agree A&M's the better team here on paper but that's that's still a lot of um a lot of AK for Florida that early in the season when you look at where the Gators are at that point and what that could mean because remember Florida also starts the season off in Gainesville against Miami so the Gators could be an interesting spot there by the time they get to that game against A&M all right then of course it's on to uh the big one uh the game against Arkansas after the Bowling Green so by the way they play Bowling Green before that that's on September 21st uh but really Chase I think you know as you look at that game then you start to look at the importance of the Arkansas game on September 28th um this is a game where if you look at the series I mean it's wild to think because if you're just kind of just hey maybe hadn't paid attention to this game a whole lot in recent years all that A&M has just completely owned the Hogs here uh when you look at just kind of the series history in in recent years and they've played a lot of close games too when you go through it right you you go back all the way to 2014 overtime game 2015 overtime game um 21o win for A&M in 2016 another overtime game in 2017 seven-point game in 2018 fourpoint game in 2019 of course you had the game a couple years ago A&M won kind of wild fashioned 2321 2022 season that was uh but Arkansas's won this just one time since 2011 uh and like we just kind of said really Chase about Florida and Billy Napier this is a huge year for Sam Pitman and so uh these are games for A&M going up against coaches that have a lot at stake and that's different here once you get to this game fifth on the schedule against Arkansas yeah you're exactly right you know they play this one in Arlington uh it's the last year in Arlington they'll move it to their campuses next year so it kind of gives it a different feel uh playing this game on a neutral field um this is going to be I think A&M is catching Arkansas at a good time here Arkansas is gonna be coming off of a road game at Alburn the week before uh so that's always a tough physical game for the for the Hogs and so I think the aies could be catching Arkansas at a good time here but this is a huge game um because you mentioned Arkansas if they want to keep Sam Pitman they need to win some games they're GNA be eyeing this one to win on their neutral field um against uh a rivalry team at A&M but uh you know A&M has like you mentioned they have they've done so well in this series as of late Arkansas has struggled um I you know again Arkansas's going to be playing playing hard in this game you know but again coming off that game at Auburn uh really no matter what happens this was going to be a tough one to bounce back for for Arkansas against another tough physical team in A&M so I think A&M is catching Arkansas at the right time just the way the the schedule placement is yeah I think so too like you said it's that's when we look at these schedules that's what's always fascinating is like you can't just look at the schedule in front of you you got to look at who where are these other teams at like what does kind of the how does the schedule fall for them um like we said that could be an important game for Florida in game three because they have that one against Miami they lose that one you know this one you know even more at stake there on that game on September 14th and like you said for Arkansas coming off of a road game at Auburn which also having to play at Oklahoma State two weeks earlier boy um you could either have a very frustrated fan base by that point uh for Arkansas and again just kind of giv the the nature of of where things could stand after five games uh for sure all right so as if it's could get you know any easier it doesn't for A&M because then they get Missouri uh after that now again like you said earlier uh which and by the way I didn't want to want to quickly mention on Bowling Green we just kind of um moved past them but I just wanted to quickly say they did go seven and six last year made a bowl game lost to Minnesota in that one uh if you're looking at kind of common maybe not common opponents power conference opponents they lost at Michigan the national champion 31 to6 uh and then they did win at Georgia Tech last year so that is worth noting but you would think that A&M should be a considerable favorite uh in that game against Bowling Green but on to the game against Missouri chase and of course we know what Missouri did last season uh the Breakthrough year Eli drinkwitz and company and they will look to keep that momentum going uh this season and this one again the good news for for Texas A&M it's in College Station and I think it's one where we talk about importance you don't know what each team's record's going to be at that point but this is a huge game for both teams at that spot kind of way through the season yeah when I was looking at the A&M schedule for the first time this is one I noted this is a good thing it's in College Station uh because Missouri I mean a lot of folks have them um in their in their preseason polls and in their preseason playoff watch like they have Missouri as a playoff team and so A&M could could really play spoiler here it's the first week of October uh you know teams are still maybe figuring things out at this point of the year so with the expectations on Missouri with a lot of folks having them in the playoff I think they very well could be a playoff team as well A&M could uh could put a stop to that quick we have said you know in this 12 team playoff you can have one or two losses and probably still get in the playoffs but it depends on who those one or two losses come from and that would be detrimental to Missouri if they drop this game because they have some other games in their schedule like Alabama like Auburn who who they'll be playing who could also play spoiler for for Missouri so I think this game's going to be huge for A&M you get it at home you get a team that's most likely at this point looking at Missouri schedule uh they're going to be doing pretty well at this point and uh so I think A&M could uh could put a stop to that um and really have that 12th man on their side when Missouri comes rolling in on October the 5th because uh A&M is has done well in this series with Missouri again this is two really different teams now though especially Missouri they are not the Missouri of old at all uh but I mean A&M has a chance here to do something big and and kind of show the country hey we're back we're getting back with Mike Elco and beating a team like Missouri well if you wna I know Chase and Chris have already looked at the schedule for Missouri but when I look at Missouri schedule before this A&M game I'm like if Missouri is not 4-0 um something's wrong because they've got a very favorable start to the schedule uh where they do not play out outside of Columbia until this game on October 5th against A&M they do have the buy the week before too so keep that in mind Missouri's coming off a buy we mentioned kind of where A&M's at with this one coming off the the Rivalry game against Arkansas so um not the easiest spot even though it is in College Station there for the agies so all right now we move on to speaking of by weeks this is where Texas A&M will get that by week coming up after the Missouri game so they get October 12th off and then they start to go into you know some of the SEC West foes here theyve got the game at Mississippi State on October 19th feels like another one of those games I don't I don't know if this was as much of a a swing game you know it's it's a change in coaches Jeff lebby comes in at Mississippi State uh not sure exactly what the expectations will be for the the Bulldogs there uh in his first season you would have to think Chase they're probably going to be picked towards the bottom uh in the SEC West I don't think that would surprise a lot of people but it is a new you know regime and you never know kind of again where this team could be at that point and then of course another huge gamey Texas A&M fans are getting their money's worth on the home games this year because another huge game here so if you just look at it the way it sets up to this point you know you could have three home games in the first whatever seven or eight games against teams that are all ranked in the top 10 they're going to get LSU on October 26 yeah you know the Mississippi State game uh one thing to note is Mississippi state will be coming off a game at Georgia um so again when you when you look at the other team schedule A&M like we said with Arkansas they may be catching Mississippi State at a a a good time coming off a a game at Georgia but again I've said it a hundred times about State you know there's there's more questions than answers at this point you know in in the summer uh but what I like about Mississippi State and Jeff leby is he brings something totally different on offense than than most teams just his offensive style we've seen it uh when he was an offensive coordinator at Miss and Oklahoma uh and all his stops but then you look on the other side and Elco brings defensive schemes that really no one else runs and so this is going to be kind of a tale of two uh tapes here with with Jeff lebby's offensive style against Mike ELO's defensive style and them going head-to-head I think should make for a pretty fun game in Stark B again um A&M won big last year when they played uh Mississippi state has has won several times so I I think this could be a good game again at this point who knows what the Mississippi State season will be like uh but I do think with the with the different styles of the teams I think that should make for an interesting game yeah and then we talk about you know obviously that LSU game and you know this is one where these two have alternated in the series the past six years if you go back to 2018 they've alternated wins A&M W in 2018 which remember the the game in 2018 7472 it always just kind of hits you when you look back at these scores like oh yeah I forgot about the 7472 game that was a seven overtime classic in that one A&M won that one of course um then LSU won the the year after that 2019 they number one of course 50 to7 A&M won to 2020 20 to7 LSU W 2021 27-24 A&M uh 3823 and 2022 and then LSU won past season 4230 now what stands out in that is that the home teams won all those games so this is one like we said A&M gets us at home um they've won quite a few in a row there now against LSU and in that spot so uh I mean for LSU we know what the the conversation is going to be about the Tigers you know does the defense improve what does the offense look like post Jaden Daniels all that but still like I said this is another top 15ish type game for A&M at this point yeah it really is and with uh A&M has got some veterans coming back on offense including Conor Wegman the quarterback and so if LSU's defense is um is not as improved as it needs to be I think the A&M offense especially being at home can uh can do some damage on on LSU but um you know we'll we'll see again at this point in the season a lot can change for both teams uh but again two good quarterbacks in this game and that's what really uh U shows me Conor Wegman who's been kind of waiting his turn uh or or leading the at A&M there and then Garrett NM at LSU who's who's coming in first year starter and and he's he's had some time in the SEC as well uh so I think two two good quarterbacks two guys who maybe are under a lot of people's radar but I think could could have pretty good Seasons this year uh based on the the guys around them so I think this could be a really fun game in College Station again you you look at the A&M schedule and you don't see teams like Georgia and Alabama and Old Miss but you do see LSU and um Missour and and Texas who we'll get to later all at home I think that's huge for& M to have these games in cow field yep agreed that there's no doubt like you said we'll talk about the Texas one here in a minute but another significant game but it is in College Station so that's a good spot to be in for the agies all right after that they're going to go to South Carolina which I feel like South Carolina is always one of those teams where you just you just don't know um and I think you know that's kind of the the question is can Shane Beamer kind of get things rolling back in the right direction uh for that one so once again we talk about swing games there's no doubt but that's kind of one of those games for A&M and you don't know where at that point um you know again where where South Carolina's going to be uh and by the way I just wanted to mention for LSU quickly they would be coming off of a game against Old Miss on October 12th that one's in Baton Rouge and they go to Arkansas a week later before they play A&M so that's I think notable there for them but for South Carolina as we said uh curious to see where the Gamecocks get to this season because I think that's again just kind of always one where you know there's been some inconsistency at times I think to say the least um you know throughout kind of the the regime there for Shane Beamer but we'll see kind of where the Gamecocks are at coming into this season you know they tend to be somewhat of a November team this is a November second game and so uh you know we'll see if they put something together in November again for one of those final push I feel like this um at this time of the year South Carolina is always eyeing the schedule we need to beat this team this team and this team team you know to to get a a bowl bid or a better Bowl Bid And so uh you know this is a game that South Carolina's going to want to win in the month of November against the conference opponent even though A&M has really dominated the series South Carolina has only beat him one time but it like you mentioned it's on the road it's in Colombia that's a tough place to play we've seen some teams go in there uh who are definitely favored and and fall there in Colombia South Carolina and so uh this is a game that I think it's very winable for A&M uh but again you're on the road uh in in Columbia South Carolina uh against a team who's probably going to put together a good November again well just as a note for South Carolina we talk about looking at other schedules by this point in the season South Carolina will have played Kentucky on the road LSU at home Old Miss at Home Alabama on the road Oklahoma on the road so and they have the week off before A&M so you talk about needing a week off Old Miss Alabama Oklahoma in a 3-we stretch in early o October that week off before coming to college or before returning home to play uh Texas A&M will be much needed for the Gamecock so we'll see where they're at at that point um all right we round up or we finish up the schedule here as we look at kind of this last little Tier New Mexico State uh there on November 16th then they go to Auburn on the 23rd which you know we talk about another game that feels like you know kind of a a swing game for both teams where are they at at that point who knows and then of course the big win against the Texas on November the 30th to wrap up the season um so if you look at it just from that standpoint for A&M you know that's another likely college football playoff team so if you go through the list Notre Dame uh you know Missouri we mentioned LSU uh Texas these are all teams that certainly have aspirations and probably for a lot of people will be projected to make the college football playoff at least most of those teams um so yeah that's the big one of course uh we go through this entire schedule for 20 minutes Chase and Texas A&M and Texas fans and this is the one that they're got the most probably yeah you know I do want to remind everyone in Mexico State I mean they they beat Auburn last year uh there towards the end of the season right before the uh the iron bows so watch out for the agies you know it'll be an agies versus agies match up the Mexico State and A&M there in College Station but uh the trip to Auburn is really interesting to me um you know last year A&M got the win over alurn but I think both teams are going to be different going to be better uh we don't see this game so late most of the time and Auburn's going to be getting ready for Alabama Texas A&M is going to be looking forward to to having their old rival Texas back and so I think that could make for an interesting game uh maybe you you maybe think we may not see the best football in this game they may be holding some stuff back for rivalry week the following week so I think this could make for an interesting game with A&M at Auburn Auburn a very tough tough place to play I'm curious on their approach to this one with rivalry week the following week yep it should be interesting and again if you kind of go through um you know and like we said it's it's kind of fascinating because we know the coaching turnover we've seen in the SEC in recent years and you think about the importance of a Hugh freeze now going into this next season for him coming off of you know the first year where there were certainly some ups and downs uh and now you know look at those other coaches we said like a billy nap or Sam Pitman who were in tough spots and for A&M they're not in that conversation anymore for now uh because it felt like it was that way for several years with Jimbo and now it's like all right we have a fresh start all the pressure not on Mike Elco just yet but of course that will heat up pretty quickly depending on how this season goes but yeah the big game against Texas to finish the season remember last time they played 2011 uh and yeah now it's back 13 years later Chase so yeah it was a 2725 win for Texas the last time they played uh 13 years ago I when before they made these schedules I was interested who was going to to get the the home game in this first rivalry game back A&M got it I think that is huge especially where they have where Texas is right now I mean uh Steve sarkeesian has Texas just rolling I mean I I think they'll be a playoff team uh once again this year as they were last year uh A&M can has a chance to uh to to try to change that here in this game having it at home uh I think A&M is is is going to be good I think Texas is going to be great but still it's a rivalry game Anything Can Happen um I think A&M is going to be at the point where they've played a lot of good teams this season and so they're kind of Gonna Know What To Expect with this Texas team but I'm so excited about this game uh it's so great to have really good rivalry games in the SEC and I think adding this one just takes it up a notch A&M in Texas longtime rivalry uh game back when in uh in when it was a conference game before and now I'm glad it's back to be a a conference game it's going to be a great way to end the season uh in the regular season with A&M and Texas yep we will certainly get to Texas's schedule of course uh at some point here in the series and remember Texas has to go to Michigan they've got Oklahoma in Dallas they've got Georgia and Austin uh they have Kentucky the week before in Austin then they're at Texas A&M here so Texas clearly a college football playoff favorite for next season uh some think you know maybe one of the top two three favorites maybe to win the SEC but that's also not an easy schedule when you look at it and having to go to cyfield another big home game as we said for the aies but there you go there are thoughts on Texas A&M schedule uh Chase anything before you wrap up I'm looking forward to uh seeing what the Aggies look like this year under Mike Elco with an experienced quarterback and Conor Wegman and seeing how it goes with this schedule and seeing some different names on the schedule for A&M yep for sure and as always guys be sure to check out everything else we've got going on here on the channel and uh remember you can always Reach Out Chase we're trying to get those sponsors so uh we definitely reach out and contact us if you want to sponsor here on the show or anything we do here on South Eastern 14 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