College football’s most significant underachievers: Texas A&M tops the list

• Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Elder WriterAug 7, 2023, 07:00 AM ET

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  • College football reporter.
  • Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
  • Graduate of Northwestern University.Retaining the No. 1 area

in college football is normally a terrific thing.Not in these rankings.

And not for Texas A&M. No team ever wishes to be No. 1 in

college football’s underachiever tiers, the annual preseason exercise examining the programs that do the least with the most. Keeping the top spot is especially unpleasant, but it has occurred with the Aggies.Georgia was the inspiration for the initial rankings.

Coach Kirby Smart’s team proceeded to win it all in 2021 and repeated last year, cementing itself as college football’s preeminent program.Texas A&M’s placement atop in 2015’s rankings featured the caution: Take a look at Georgia! Just be like Georgia! The Aggies had signed the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, headlined by four protective line recruits ranked in ESPN’s top 7 nationally, a number of standout perimeter players and Conner Weigman, ESPN’s No. 27 total prospect. Coach Jimbo Fisher had adequate to challenge in the SEC West and construct on an 8-4 season.Instead, the Aggies fell back and went 5-7, logging their very first losing record because 2008 and Fisher’s very first full losing season as a head coach(he left 5-6 Florida State for Texas A&M in 2017 and the Seminoles went on to finish 7-6 ). There’s no option but to leave Texas A&M right at the top.The list consists of other repeat choices, as particular programs, despite clear benefits, continue to spin their wheels or backslide. The goal is to identify programs that aren’t profiting from long-lasting edges such as history, area, fan/booster base and financial resources, and brand-new ones such as NIL clout and media rights revenue.Much like the first two variations, I have actually divided teams into six various tiers. Unlike Georgia and Texas A&M, not every team that appears is a sensible national championship contender. Some should not expect to be in the conference title mix very often. But all should be anticipating and achieving more.To preserve consistency, groups are assessed mainly on the previous 20 seasons (2003 to 2022)with extra focus on the last 5 to 7. Teams that have actually made the College Football Playoff are exempt– TCU would not appear anyhow, however the Horned Frogs are formally clear– as are national champions from the past 15 seasons(2008 to 2022).