CBS Sports predicts an average finish for Texas A&M in 2026

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With the new nine-game SEC schedule making its debut during the 2026 season, Texas A&M and all 15 other SEC programs will be challenged every week, knowing that a 9-3 finish likely won’t result in a trip to the College Football Playoff, no matter how well a team finishes the season, similar to the Texas Longhorns missing the postseason last fall.

Entering his third season at the helm, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko accomplished his primary goal during his second season after leading the Aggies to the CFP for the first time in program history, combined with seeing a record 10 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, including former transfer wide receiver KC Concepcion being selected 24th overall by the Cleveland Browns.

A month after Texas A&M’s first-round playoff loss to Miami, second-year offensive coordinator Collin Klein departed to take over as Kansas State’s head coach, and instead of looking outside the program for his replacement, Elko elevated WR coach Holmon Wiggins as the new OC, and after Jay Bateman left for Kentucky, assistant Lyle Hemphill will now serve as the new defensive coordinator.

With the new staff in place, returning 65% of the 2025 roster, led by starting quarterback Marcel Reed returning, and adding 17 additions from the transfer portal, puts the Aggies in a great spot to make it back to the CFP, but given the tough SEC schedule, including road games vs. LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, Alabama, and Oklahoma, one college football analyst believes Texas A&M will end the year on a low note, and head to a meaningless bowl game.

CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford isn’t on the A&M bandwagon, but you can say the same for several other SEC programs, projecting Elko’s third season to end at 8-4 with losses to LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma, and, for what would be a third straight season, the Texas Longhorns.

“The Aggies have the talent to contend for a playoff spot again, but penciling the Aggies into the CFP field for a second straight season feels premature. Mike Elko’s roster remains one of the SEC’s deepest, yet the path is considerably more difficult this fall, and schedule favorability means everything when all other factors are near equal. Road trips to LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma are daunting, and the regular-season finale against Texas could carry massive postseason implications. The margin for error simply isn’t what it was a year ago. Even if the Aggies play at a high level, a 9-3 record is a realistic — and highly optimistic — possibility, given the schedule, which might not be enough to get there. That’s not a knock on Texas A&M’s roster. It’s a reflection of the weekly challenge awaiting the Aggies in what could be the SEC’s deepest season in years.”

Crawford’s projection is entirely based on A&M’s schedule, but, similar to last season, no one knows which teams will decline, no matter the environment, after the Aggies blew out LSU and Missouri on the road and notched a close road win in Week 3 vs. Notre Dame.

Still, any chance of the Aggies getting back to the College Football Playoff will hinge on Marcel Reed eliminating the mental mistakes that led to 12 interceptions last season, and the offensive line, now featuring four new starters, finding a rhythm early in the year.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: CBS Sports predicts an average finish for Texas A&M in 2026

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