Pretty much everything related to the football program is now under an electron microscope at Texas A&M.
Losses to Group of Five teams — even one with a history like Appalachian State — invariably lead to intense scrutiny. For A&M, which began the season with a No. 6 AP ranking and all kinds of preseason hype from a No. 1 recruiting class, the 17-14 defeat reset the season narrative.
With a defining four-game stretch that starts with No. 13 Miami (Fla.) on Saturday and ends with No. 2 Alabama on Oct. 8, the Aggies could easily see everything slip-slide away.