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2 Texas A&M matchups that will 'shape the 2026 CFB season' This week, ESPN's new Football Power Index ranked Texas A&M's 2026 schedule as the 9th toughest slate in the country, which, by all accounts, is a respectable number given the Aggies' five road games, including rematches vs.
LSU and Missouri to start out SEC play during the first five weeks of the year.
In Year 3 under coach Mike Elko, the Aggies have a reported 39% chance to make the College Football Playoff for the second straight season, but after a record 10 players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, first-year offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins will heavily rely on starting quarterback Marcel Reed to lead the offense, now featuring fourn new offensive line starters, and Alabama transfer wide receiver Isaiah Horton.
Horton will face his former team this season, as Texas A&M will travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama on Saturday, October 24, which will be the first time both programs face each other since the 2023 season, going back to the memorable 26-20 road loss that came down to the final possession.
Alabama holds a dominant 13-3 all-time record vs.
Texas A&M, while the Aggies' last road win came during the magical 2012 season when former star quarterback Johnny Manziel led one of the best A&M rosters of all time to a 29-24 road victory that cemented Manziel's Heisman Trophy.
Alabama's starting quarterback will likely be determined a few weeks before the Crimson Tide's season opener, but given third-year coach Kalen DeBoer's QB development background, Alabama's offense should be at least above average with freshman Keelon Russell or Austin Mack under center, but could serve as an advantage for the Aggies if the first option does not pan out.
Texas A&M is hoping to enter Tuscaloosa with a 7-0, or, at the very least, 6-1 record, and this past week, SEC Unfiltered hosts Chris Phillips and Cole Thompson named Texas A&M vs.
Alabama, and Texas A&M's regular season finale vs.
Texas as two games that will "shape the 2026 SEC football season." Yes, Texas A&M's clash with the Longhorns is critical, especially if a win for either program guarantees a spot in the CFP, but given the importance of finishing with a winning record on the road before the November schedule, defeating Alabama in Tuscaloosa feels like a make-or-break matchup.
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