What The **** Is Going On??

All eyes were on the Texas A&M Aggies this football season after an eventful offseason that captured the nation's attention. After going 8-4 last season and defeating top-ranked Alabama, the Aggies hauled in not only the best recruiting class in the country, but of all time. 

Drama would eventually ensue as programs started pointing to NIL money as the reason for getting such a class. One of the most notable exchanges was between A&M's head coach, Jimbo Fisher, and Alabama's head coach, Nick Saban (who Jimbo used to coach under). 

All this would lead to an anticipatory season for the Aggies as they were ranked #6 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. However, currently sitting at 3-7 on the season and eliminated from bowl contention, one must ask, "What the **** is going on?"

The Best (and Most Controversial) Recruiting Class of All Time

The 2022 recruiting class for Texas A&M was truly special. They set the record for the greatest number of five-star recruits with 8 that year. As well, they were able to haul in 20 four-star recruits to round out the best recruiting class of all time. Some notable names in this class include top-ranked interior defensive lineman, Walter Nolan, top-ranked defensive end, Lebbeus Overton, and top-ranked quarterback, Conner Weigman.

Considering the lack-luster classes before, lots of people began to wonder why all the sudden A&M was able to get so many top-tier recruits. Many pointed to the recent NIL rules that allow players to profit of their name, image, and likeness. Lots of scrutiny came about that A&M was "buying" their recruits with illegal NIL-incentives.

A well-known name that spoke out against this was Alabama's head coach, Nick Saban, who claimed NIL was the reason A&M was able to get all of their recruits. This would spark a heated response from Jimbo Fisher who claimed that Saban also does irresponsible things as a coach. 

This class would draw major attention over the offseason leading up to the 2022 season. Legal or not, the fact of the matter is that A&M was able to secure the best recruiting class of all time. This would help them attain the #6 spot in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. This, however, did not last long.

A Season that Just Keeps on Getting Worse

For a season that had high expectations, it quickly turned into a major disappointment as they now have a measly record of 3-7, are last in their division, and are eliminated from bowl contention. As mentioned, the Aggies started the season ranked 6th in the country. 

This first sign of worry came when A&M lost to an FCS team in Appalachian State. However, this seemed like a fluke as they would take down then 13th-ranked Miami and then 10th-ranked Arkansas in back-to-back weeks. However, Miami and Arkansas are now unranked and both with a 5-5 record. So, maybe those wins were not so impressive after all. Since then, the Aggies are now on a six-game losing streak. It should be also noted that they beat Arkansas because Arkansas' kicker must the game-winning kick as time expired.

The bleak point of the Aggies is their ineffective offense. Averaging only 21 points per game, that places their offensive 108th out of 131 collegiate teams in the country. Injuries have plagued the quarterback position as they have had to utilize all three in the quarterback room at one time or another. However, regardless of who is under center, the offense lacks any real production.

Time for Jimbo to Relinquish Play-calling Responsibility?

The ironic part of the lack-luster offensive is the fact that head coach Jimbo Fisher calls the offense during games. Many fans of the game have expressed their frustration with Jimbo and his inability to call an effective offense. Jimbo, though, recently signed a hefty contract extension that has his salary at just above 9 million a year. 

These contracts also come with costly buyouts if terminated early. For Jimbo, if he were fired this year, A&M would have to pay him 85-million dollars. So, if firing him is not an efficient solution, what is next?

Many critics say that Jimbo Fisher should hire an actual Offensive Coordinator to take over play calling responsibilities while Fisher stays head coach. This would allow A&M to save their 85-million and keep the head coach that brought together the best recruiting class of all time. 

But the question becomes if this is something that Jimbo Fisher would even consider doing? This will be the likely storyline surrounding A&M this upcoming offseason, starkly different than the one last offseason about their recruiting class and high expectations.