Joel Klatt Has Theory On Why Texas A&M Aggies Have Struggled To Enter Top Tier of SEC

The Texas A&M Aggies have been in the SEC for over a decade but have yet to break through to the top echelon of the conference. And college football analyst Joel Klatt thinks he knows why.

Matt Galatzan | Nov 14, 2023

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The Texas A&M Aggies fired Jimbo Fisher on Sunday, due in large part to his inability to take the program to the next level during his six-year stint.

Over that time, Fisher was 45-25, including an 11-11 record over the last two seasons until his dismissal, and was falling 'woefully short' of expectations according to college football analyst Joel Klatt

“Texas A&M as it relates to their expectations, was falling woefully short,” Klatt said on his YouTube show on Monday. “So it begs the question, ‘What is Texas A&M?'

In terms of resources, Klatt believes that Fisher had everything he needed and more in College Station.

In fact, he believes Texas A&M, at least in terms of potential, is one of the top jobs in the nation.

Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

“Texas A&M has everything that you need to be successful right there," Klatt said on his YouTube show. "In that regard, Texas A&M is a very good job. One of the best in college football.”

So, if the Aggies really do have everything a head coach needs to be successful in place, why is it that Fisher, and Kevin Sumlin before him, struggled to get over the hump?

Well, to Klatt, it simply comes down to the level of competition that Texas A&M is facing every week in the SEC from the likes of Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss, and on down the line.

“If you look at just the conference that they compete in, A&M is probably the seventh-best job in the SEC,” Klatt continued. “So that can also be true, which means that it’s going to be difficult at times to break into the upper echelon of the conference just based on who you’re competing against.”

Yes, the 'seventh best job' in the SEC is still among the top 20 jobs in college football from an objective standpoint.

No matter which way you slice it, however, the Aggies will still have an uphill battle ahead of them for whichever coach they bring in to replace Fisher.

'Stuck in Neutral': What Led To Jimbo Fisher's Firing At Texas A&M?

Published Nov 14, 2023

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.