Chris Low believes Texas A&M’s game vs. Tennessee will be pivotal for Jimbo Fisher

The Texas A&M Aggies and head coach Jimbo Fisher are coming off a frustrating loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Now, the Aggies need to quickly bounce back from that game quickly, with a tough road trip to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers this Saturday.

College football reporter Chris Low appeared on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning. There, he shared that he believes that Texas A&M’s game against Tennessee will be pivotal for Jimbo Fisher.

“I think this is the difference in A&M still being a 9-plus win team and then flirting with .500,” Low said. “It’s that type of swing game for the Aggies because if you lose two straight, you lose on the road, you’ve still got some tough games remaining, you wonder where this team emotionally gets to. I was there last week, had a chance to go through the walk-through on Friday. Still was a confident team. There’s no doubt in my mind that they thought they were gonna win that football game against Alabama. Staff, players, everybody.”

Texas A&M fell to 4-2 this season and 2-1 in SEC play. A loss would drop the Aggies to just .500 in conference play, and while there still would be time to bounce back, after finishing 2022 with a losing record, it would be a frustrating place to find the program.

“If this team loses two in a row, they’re going to have a hard time having a winning record, or certainly flirting with that six, seven-win type season,” Low said. “And I don’t know how well that’s going to go over in Aggieland after having a losing record last year.”

In response to that, Greg McElroy asked Chris Low if there was any possibility that Texas A&M would make a change and move on from Jimbo Fisher.

“I don’t think there’s any appetite there, now, to make a change, even if they were to go 7-5,” Low said. “Or even 6-6. I think they still want to see with the recruiting classes he’s put together, what he can do.”

Jimbo Fisher has recruited incredibly well at Texas A&M. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, the Aggies had the top-ranked recruiting class in the 2022 cycle and the 15th-ranked class in the 2023 cycle.

For now, according to Low, the powers that be at Texas A&M are behind Fisher to see what he can do with all of that talent that he’s recruited to College Station.

“I’ve talked to Ross Bjork, their AD, about that several times in the last three, four months, and he has assured me that we are not a blow by night type of situation. We want to see what we can do going forward. I know the money people there, the big money people, are firmly behind Jimbo,” Low said.

“But at some point, if you’re throwing average type seasons out there with the type of money they’re spending, which has long been a frustration for A&M. You look at that program, you look at that school, with the money they’ve spent, the resources the tradition, the fan support. I mean, they’ve done everything they can possibly do on the outside to win at a high level in football and they haven’t been able to win a championship. I think, now, you go watch them and the facilities and all they’ve spent, that frustration is mounting.”

Ultimately, Chris Low doesn’t think the money is an issue for Texas A&M as it relates to Jimbo Fisher. Instead, it’s more that those in charge want to give him a longer chance to succeed. However, another average season could tighten that leash moving forward.

“I just don’t think it’s to the level, especially with what they owe him. I don’t think that money is an option at that school because they’ve got plenty of it. They would still owe him what? $67 or $70 million? Something like that if they cut ties with him this year. I don’t think that’s the primary factor. I think the primary factor is they still want to see what he can do in the next year or two with everything they’ve spent and the way he’s been able to assemble recruiting classes.”

What’s next for Texas A&M and Jimbo Fisher?

Following the loss to Alabama, Kayce Smith of Barstool Sports joined Andy Staples On3 to talk about the future of Texas A&M and head coach Jimbo Fisher.

“A&M hasn’t won a conference title since the Big 12 in 1998. Obviously, Johnny [Manziel]’s seasons were great, but still not making it to that next level. So to go 9-3 is a successful season. Let us not forget Jimbo missed a bowl game last year. But you know how people just read the box scores and you sit back and you’re like ‘Oh, you’re a box score type of person.’ That to me is just reading their records. Yes, going 9-3 every year would be awesome. But to know how that 9-3 really came to fruition after all this time?” Smith said.

“I’m somebody who, when Jimbo Fisher got hired, all the drama off the field with Jameis Winston, I’ve always thought that was suspect. But that stuff aside, the man won a national title at Florida State. Yes, he had Jameis Winston, but coming in, I was like, ‘This man knows how to literally win national titles.’ He obviously can recruit. A&M has had the No. 1 recruiting class when he’s been at the helm. I just don’t understand why it’s not all clicking. Florida State fans at the time were like, ‘You’ll see.’ Now we’re seeing what they’re saying.”