Florida football: Ranking Florida’s 2022 Opponents

Florida football opponent rankings: Texas A&M Aggies (11/5)

Metric Score: 6

Just a week removed from playing in the formerly known “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party,” the Gators face another top 10 opponent in the form of the Texas A&M Aggies.

Unlike the Georgia Bulldogs, who somehow manage to keep avoiding College Station, the Gators will play the Aggies at Kyle Field for the third time since 2012.

Since joining the SEC a decade ago, the Aggies for the most part have been a middle-of-the-pack program. Late in 2017, the Aggies decided to break the bank by signing former national championship-winning head coach Jimbo Fisher to a 10-year contract valued at $75 million.

Though the Aggies went a modest 8-4 in 2021 and are 21-12 in the SEC under Fisher’s tenure, there is a great deal of optimism surrounding the Aggies after

signing not only the no. 1 recruiting in 2022 but the highest-rated recruiting class of all time per 247 sports. There is also leftover optimism from when Fisher became the first former Nick Saban assistant to beat him in a game back in October 41-38.

The Aggies return 8 starters from 2021 that was listed on the preseason All-SEC teams. This includes Devon Achane and Ainias Smith, the two top returning playmakers on their roster.

Achane is entering his third season at running back for the Aggies. In 2021 Achane rushed for 910 yards and nine touchdowns, all the while averaging 7.0 yards per carry.

Smith, who was named All-SEC for three different positions during the preseason, led the Aggies receiving core in catches (47), yards (509), and touchdowns (6) in 2021. The senior was also one of the nation’s top punt returners last year, averaging 11.3 yards per return.

Since the Gators defeated Johnny Manziel in his first collegiate start back in 2012, the Gators have lost their last two games against the Aggies by a total of five points. Their last matchup in College Station came in 2020, with the Aggies winning 41-38 after kicker Seth Small kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired in the 4th quarter.

While Texas A&M is part of the SEC West and is not an annual opponent for the Gators, there is still a great deal of value within this particular game.

The obvious value comes with A&M’s current ranking. Since the implementation of the College Football Playoffs back in 2014, the Gators have not defeated two teams ranked inside the top 10 during the regular season. Prior to week 1, the Gators are currently slated to play three top 10 teams, which includes the Aggies (no. 6).

This matchup also features two head coaches who were once prominent assistants on national championship teams led by Saban. Napier of course was both an analyst and later a wide receivers coach at Alabama during the 2011 and 2016 seasons, while Fisher was Saban’s offensive coordinator at LSU for their national championship team back in 2003.

Though the Gators face a tougher matchup against Georgia one week prior, the Aggies will have their own tough matchup that same weekend against no. 21 Ole Miss.

Florida’s game against Texas A&M marks the end of a brutal three-game stretch in which the Gators face three teams that previously beat Florida in at least two of their prior three encounters.

While Florida’s odds of winning this game are currently their second lowest of the season, a win against the Aggies could be huge in terms of Florida’s eligibility to play in a potential New Year’s Six bowl game. And given A&M’s recent success on the recruiting trail, a win for Napier against a championship-caliber head coach with a highly talented roster would also raise Florida’s stock on the recruiting trail drastically.