'I Blame Myself': Jimbo Fisher Takes Responsibility for Texas A&M Aggies Loss to Alabama
It is 10 days into October and the Texas A&M Aggies are unranked and have two losses.
Suffice it to say, that is not exactly how Jimbo Fisher hoped his season would go.
Most recently, the Aggies dropped a hard-fought 26-20 battle vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, sending Fisher to 1-6 all-time against his former boss, Nick Saban.
But, instead of making excuses or shifting the blame, Fisher is taking full responsibility for the loss.
“I blame myself," Fisher said. "We have to prepare them better. As long as there is love and caring for each other, you’re going to come back and play hard and do what you have to do.”
It was a brutal loss for the Aggies, who had every opportunity to pull the upset - even leading Alabama 17-10 going into halftime.
To make things even more heartbreaking, would the Aggies had finished off the Tide, they would have taken control of the SEC West moving forward, and been firmly in the driver's seat to represent the division in Atlanta.
Still, the Aggies aren't giving up just yet.
Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher reacts after a play during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Kyle Field.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
“You saw a hurt locker room," Fisher said. "You saw a disappointed locker room. You didn’t see a dejected or quitting locker room. Our kids have character. They have heart.”
Sure, the rest of the Aggies' schedule is anything but easy. They still face No. 19 Tennessee on Saturday, as well as matchups with No. 13 Ole Miss and No. 22 LSU in November.
That said, Alabama's road isn't much easier. The Tide still faces Tennessee as well, along with ranked matchups against Kentucky and LSU.
Not to mention, a tricky matchup at Jordan-Hare Stadium against Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers.
“Our guys played hard and physical," Fisher said. "We have to do a better job coaching. We’re 4-2. We’re not exactly where we want to be, but we have a lot of football left.”
The road back to SEC West contention starts this Saturday against the Volunteers - a program that the Aggies are undefeated against in SEC play.
That includes a 34-13 blowout of Tennessee in 2020 by a Fisher-led team.
However, this is a different Volunteer program than in was three years ago, and the fan base in Knoxville is one of the nation's most fearsome.
And Fisher knows that as well as anyone.
“Tennessee is one of those tough places," Fisher said. "Hopefully, our maturity and leadership – we’re a little older this year – hopefully those things will help.”
