Evaluating what's next for Texas A&M after Alabama loss, future for Jimbo Fisher

Texas A&M might have lost to Alabama on Saturday, but it’s not over quite yet for Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies. There’s still a whole second half of the season waiting to be played, and a record of 8-4 or even 9-3 looks to be achievable.

The real question is, will that be enough to satiate the fanbase? Fisher was hired in 2018 after finding success at Florida State, including winning a national title in 2013, but has yet to even come close to that in College Station.

His best season came in 2020, when A&M finished 9-1, but other than that, the Aggies have never even been in the College Football Playoff conversation. They’ve even regressed since that year after landing the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class in 2022 but finishing 5-7.

Kayce Smith of Barstool Sports, who is also an A&M alumna, joined On3‘s Andy Staples on Tuesday to discuss how the optimism that was there when Fisher was hired has faded over the years of mediocrity.

“A&M hasn’t won a conference title since the Big 12 in 1998,” she said. “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?

“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.”

Given that it’s been six years with relatively little progress, one might think Fisher would be a prime candidate for the hot seat. However, due the the $76.8 million buyout the school would owe him if it fired him, things are a little more complicated than that.

A&M offered Jimbo Fisher a four-year contract extension after his 2020 season that will keep him in College Station through the 2031 season. Now it’s quite literally paying the price.

As massive as that buyout is, however, Smith believes the school can find a way to get it done. She pointed to NIL and stadium investments that boosters have made over the year, saying that the money is there if the Aggies really wanted to make a move.

“I know how much money the A&M boosters have,” she said. “The Texas oil money. It’s a very prototypical, ‘well, A&M has money’ thing because A&M does have money. You see the NIL stuff whether those numbers are exaggerated or dramatic or whatever. You know that buyout money is sitting there. Just go look at how Kyle Field is actually built, because it’s insane. It’s not tuition money. It’s not state-funded money. It’s private money that built that new stadium and it’s ridiculous when you look at how it breaks down.”

Even if Fisher does manage to put together a successful second half to this season, Smith seems to have lost faith in his ability to make A&M a contender. He’s had plenty of time at this point, but the results speak for themselves.

“Look what happened in years prior,” Smith said. “In 2020, they almost made the Playoff. That’s not been built on. You then have the No. 1 recruiting class the next year and that’s not been built on. How long do we give this guy to say, ‘he’s got his guys in, he’s gonna get it all together?’

“He’s got an offensive coordinator. He got a defensive coordinator that seems to be better now. What more do we need to see? This guy clearly doesn’t look like he’s gonna be the guy to bring A&M a national title.”