Texas A&M's kicked off the 2026 regular season witha rousing 50-0 shutout win over Missouri State, which is the largest shutout for the Aggies since 1997, but after LSU's 51-10 win over Clemson, followed by Ole Miss defeating a ranked Louisville squad 41-38 during Sunday's exciting early SEC-ACC matchup, A&M dropped one spot in the US LBM Coaches Poll
to No. 9, and two spots to No. 10 in the AP Top 25 Poll.On paper, the Aggies dominated Missouri State, but after leading 9-0 early in the game, mainly due to the revamped offensive line struggling in the first half, it was clear that the national media slowly but surely began to question coach Mike Elko's talented roster; but thanks to an impressive second-half run, Texas A&M heads into Week 2
with plenty of momentum before hosting Arizona State.
The Sun Devils and starting quarterback Cutter Boley took care of business, throwing for a career-high 387 yards and 6 touchdowns during his debut with the program after transferring from Kentucky, but after viewing the film, several of Boley's touchdowns were on short passes and screens, giving more credit to the receiver for making plays after the catch.
Defensively, Arizona State's secondary shouldn't be a tough matchup for the Aggies' deep wide receiver rotation, while defensive end C.J. Fite is undersized at the position, but knowing coach Kenny Dillingham, the expectation is that he will be utilized in twists and stunts to force Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed outside the pocket.
Texas A&M enters the game as high as a 14.5-point favorite, which is quite surprising given the Sun Devils' performance in Week 1. However, ESPN's Bill Connelly agrees, predicting the Aggies will comfortably handle business and win 35-17 before hosting Kentucky in Week 3.
Texas A&M vs. Arizona State will kick off at 11 a.m. on Saturday and will air on ABC.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: ESPN predicts winner of Texas A&M vs. Arizona State in Week 2
