Texas A&M all but tanked its chances of returning to the College Football Playoff after losing to Kentucky at home and LSU on the road in the past two weeks, looking lifeless on both sides of the ball, especially starting quarterback Marcel Reed, who threw for 106 yards and an interception against the Tigers during the 35-6 blowout loss.
Set to host Arkansas on Saturday night, it's make-or-break time for a program that has lost the confidence of its dedicated fan base, which isn't surprising given the level of play we witnessed in both losses. However, first-year OC Holmon Wiggins has a clear blueprint: run the ball. Marcel Reed is struggling, and the only way forward is to run first to set up play-action opportunities, where Reed has always
thrived.
The Aggies are clearly one of the weaker teams in the SEC after four games, until further notice, while Georgia looks like the most complete team in college football, followed by No. 1 Texas and now the Florida Gators, who look highly formidable. Still, the SEC hasn't won a national title since Georgia took home the hardware in 2022.
Texas A&M's first appearance in the College Football Playoff resulted in a 10-3 home loss to eventual runner-up Miami, and Hurricanes offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson hasn't forgotten, throwing shade at the Aggies during Wednesday's press conference while discussing preseason rankings.
However, Dawson incorrectly said Texas A&M began the season in the top five, but it was ranked 8th overall in the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25. The last time an ACC team won a national title was Clemson in 2018, so making fun of the SEC and predicting that "half of them won't be in the top 30" by the end of the year is just banter now.
Miami, led by transfer quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Malachi Toney, has been utterly dominant but has played a soft schedule, which will continue against Clemson and Florida State over the next two weeks.
Miami OC Shannon Dawson on preseason rankings:
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) September 30, 2026
"(Texas) A&M was ranked in the top 5. How does that look right now?"
"Everything's SEC, SEC. Yeah, they have all their teams in the top 25. Guess what? Good for you. At the end of the year, half of them won't be in the top 30." pic.twitter.com/906xjbpup8
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Miami OC throws shade at Texas A&M, SEC regarding preseason rankings
