ESPN's Paul Finebaum Has Harsh Words For Aggies and Jimbo Fisher

ESPN's Paul Finebaum believes Jimbo and the Aggies are out of excuses

It is no secret that the Texas A&M Aggies had a disappointing end to the 2021 season, finishing 8-4 and opting out of their Gator bowl appearance. 

Despite that tough finish, the Aggies did have some major accomplishments. Besides taking down the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas A&M also had an impressive win over the No. 12 Auburn Tigers. 

Not only that, but the Aggies added momentum in the offseason, finishing with the No. 1 ranked recruiting class of all time, and with high expectations heading into next fall. 

Part of those high expectations also come from the Aggies' wealth of returning talent, including Haynes King, Ainias Smith, Demani Richardson, Jaylon Jones, and more. 

However, according to ESPN personality Paul Finebaum, the time is now or never for Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher, who is entering his fifth year as the head coach in College Station, and recently signed a major extension to stay put through 2031.

“I’m going to correct myself of a couple weeks ago when I said, ‘Yeah, I don’t expect much this year,'” Finebaum said Monday on Cubelic and McElroy in the Morning. “You know what? I do now, because I started to think, ‘This is not the second year for Jimbo Fisher.’ I mean, he’s been there a long time now. He should have his full complement. And it almost seemed like we gave him a reboot. I think anything less than 10 games is a disappointment, Greg (McElroy), ’cause I don’t know how you could explain it."

In his four previous years with the program, Fisher has yet to break the 10-win threshold. 

Though were their games against Abilene Christian, Fresno State, Colorado, and North Texas, not canceled in 2020, the Aggies surely would have crossed that mark.

Finebaum also accused the Aggies of skipping out on their bowl game, not due of COVID protocols, but because the team did not want to end the season with another loss. 

"Last year, really, was a mess," Finebaum continued. "And it was camouflaged by a couple things — A&M opting out of the bowl game, and their fans want to debate that. It’s pretty obvious what happened there. I mean, you don’t need me to explain it. They were going to lose to Wake Forest. They didn’t want another loss. And secondly, the recruiting class that has left us all breathless. But that’s not the first time they’ve had a good recruiting class. They’ve had one over the years. So I think we need to quit treating A&M like they’re a bunch of kindergarteners and Jimbo Fisher just got his first coaching job. He’s been there long enough for this to be successful. And any other coach who has been there long as Jimbo would be graded on a very strict curve. I mean, we’re talking about — we’re debating Bryan Harsin after one season and his second spring. Why shouldn’t we do the same thing for Jimbo Fisher?”

Can the Aggies finally cross the 10-win mark in 2022? With one of the nation's toughest schedules, that will be difficult. 

But if Jimbo can't get the Aggies over the hump in Year 5, he could find himself on the hot seat by 2023.

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