Just a fortnight ago Texas A&M was 7-1 and had just been ranked #4 by the College Football Playoff Committee. Fast forward to the present day and things look very different after back to back SEC losses. Kevin Sumlin is under pressure with the hot seat definitely warming up and the Thanksgiving Day game at home to LSU could be crucial for this position as head coach.
For the third season in a row, Texas A&M has started the season strong and then wilted in November just when it looked like they could compete for a position in the playoff. The Aggie fan base is starting to lose patience with this almost predictable pattern of performances.
Couple this with the loss to Ole Miss being the third time this season that they’ve blown a double digit fourth quarter lead. Previously against UCLA and Tennessee they managed to win the game in overtime despite the blown lead but this time Ole Miss and freshman quarterback Shea Patterson pulled out the win in regulation.
The talent on the roster heading into the season was impressive but a lot of those players are expected to graduate or leave for the NFL. Both Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall are expected to turn pro whilst on offense Trevor Knight, Josh Reynolds and Ricky Seals-Jones are all seniors who will graduate.
The question of who will start quarterback next year is a big one for Sumlin to solve as Knight was an important player in some of the early wins this year. Knight produced some big plays in key situations to win games against UCLA, Arkansas and Tennessee. Jake Hubenak has played well since Knight got injured but isn’t the long term answer at the position which leaves three star recruit Nick Starkel or a 2017 signee.
Its highly unlikely that he would be fired after this season but Kevin Sumlin is under pressure heading into the 2017 season with many having questions over his position long term.
