Texas A&M must prove it resolved biggest issues with Bobby Petrino hire

Texas A&M had an interesting offense last year but Jimbo Fisher brought in Bobby Petrino to fix it all in 2023.

On3’s J.D. PicKell said this is a prove-it-year for Petrino and Texas A&M. If he can solve the team’s biggest issues, the Aggies could be a force.

With the amount of talent on Texas A&M, Petrino could be set up for success as the team’s offensive coordinator. 

“Is it really that simple? Is it really that simple in College Station,” PicKell said on The Hard Count. “We’ve heard so much about the talent they have. And talent is great, but talent only gets you so far. And last year the number one complaint for Texas A&M fans is what the heck are we doing on the offensive side of the football? What is going on? Because it felt like we got all this talent with our Evan Stewart, who I think is going to have a tremendous year. Why are we not scoring more points? Why aren’t we converting on third down? Why are we so far below average with all the talent we have? 

“And so whether he was forced to or not, Bobby Petrino entered into the fray to be your offensive coordinator, and I’ve said this once I’ll say it again, the way I think about A&M, it’s like going to the chiropractor.”

Petrino spent the last three years at Missouri State as the head coach and went 18-15. He won the Missouri Valley Football Conference title in 2020.

“Maybe you’re a good athlete, and for whatever reason you’re just kind of feeling misaligned or sore, you got some nicks and bruises and you just don’t feel like yourself. Go to the chiropractor, one appointment, we’ll crack there he’ll crack there,” PicKell said. “You come out of that chiropractor appointment, you feel like a new person.

“And it wasn’t like you went and got surgery. You just got a few things tweaked in the right direction. Just a couple of tweaks, couple of tuneups to you and you are good to go. Is that what it is with the Texas a&m offense?”

Petrino could be the key to make tweaks to the offense and give Fisher some additional works.

“I said in that chiropractor analogy, you’re a good athlete,” PicKell said. “Same thing with Texas A&M. They got a lot of talent offensively. Got a lot of talent on this roster with how well they’ve recruited over the last couple of years. I know the 2023 cycle is going to be what a lot of y’all in the comment section say and say Oh, well, they were No. 15. Yeah, before that though, they were listed in the top 10 like it was their job. 

“So not everybody’s transferred out of college station. And I’m just curious to see if that tweak on the offensive side of the ball from Bobby Petrino if he does in fact get the sticks to the offense. Is he able to make A&M a force in the SEC West? Curious to see.”